The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-15
TWo"F riendsof Labor Chicago
Mayoralty Election
By ]. W. TOMBSTONE.

BY ]. w. TOMBSTONE.
THE election for the lucrative post of mayor of Chi
cago will go down in Chicago election history
Of the most hectic and vicious elections in this city of
spectacular campaigns. While there fundamental
issues raised by that greatest of demogogues Bill
Thompson who repeatedly stated in his election
speeches. ut shall be for the best interest of these
United States for all time to maintain friendly rela-
tons with European nations but entangling alliances
with Or in other words, get out of Europe and
stay out No future draft for the American boys and
joining of the league of nations world court Yet
these questions did not decide the election, lar
the writer could find out. Many of the unorganized
workers may have voted for Thompson in the hope that
he would oppose war, but far the representatives
of organized labor concerned they simply ignored
the whole issue, statement speech made by
any labor official union who supported Thompson
these issues and they did not play vital part in
the victory scored by the republican party.
The race issue was also raised this undoubtedly
played part in the election but not decisive
Thu Negro workers, additionally republican, were
simply overwhelmed with the propaganda that Thomp-
was the friend of the Negro worker, that it was
he who mayor fought for the protection of the
Negro workers during the riots of 1919 Because
of this special effort the Thompson forces rolled up
large Negro vote An attempt made to raise this
issue among the white workers on a race prejudice
basis, but this failed.
Religion was thrown into the ring but that too fell
by the waysde While Dever undoubtedly received the
majority of the catholic votes, the vote whole
while Thompson had his Sullivans and his Keys.
The wet issue raised its head but in a negative way
it not for against prohibition that the fight
on, but rather the method in which it to be
regulated. Dever "the friend of labor" was against
home production and favored producing monopoly for
the recognized bootleg kings whose coronation ceremony
generally follows the rattle of machine gun While
Thompson, "as a friend of labor, believed that the
worker should have the privilege of making his
brew the grounds that it did not interfere with the
large scale bootleg industry.
However, of these issues to the front
in a forceful manner. No pushed them. The labor
leaders who supported either Thompson Dever g-
nored the question of the drafting of the american
boys for future and Thompson and Dever talked
IN generaties The government of Nicaragua had been
overthrown by the armed forces of the United States
Mexico being forced by the American government
tc shape its laws in accordance with the interests of
Wall Street In the midst of the campaign, American
warships, in conjunction with their British allies
bombarding Marking where Chinese workers were
killed. but not word Of protest issued. This
joker dropped. Not outstanding
face difference was discussed
While the workers turned out in to vote, the
campaign degenerated down to intimidation terrorzing
of voters smuggling, cunning, bombing of rival head
quarters kidnapping vicious speeches by both candidates
and their supporters exposing each other being
troed by big interests and supported by the underworld
1t became frank open struggle to whether the Dever
Thompson gangs should control the political patron
and illegal concessions in the city for the next four
years.
The most despicable part of the campaign was that
played by labor offciadom, and it is from this that
the left wing should draw its lessons. The campaign
as far labor concerned, especially organized
labor, to decide which candidate the "friend
of labor" Undoubtedly the workers voted heavily for
Thompson although large sections voted for Dever
Great interest shown by the workers in this
paign Lacking an understanding of their class posi-
ton in society, without any political expression
of labor in the campaign with broad left wing
party TO point the way, they easily
fused and mised by schemng labor politicians into
believing that the interests of the workers lie in sup
porting the o-caled friends Of labor in either Of the
two old parties.
olander, Fitzpatrick, Nockels, Agnes Nester etc.
supported Dever. Oscar Nelson NJ J. Kelly, Chas. f.
Wills, Anton Johannson, Harry Scheck, William Tracy
Glen Campbell and others supported Thompson While
the struggle between these two groups bitter the
only real difference that Fitzpatrick and Olander
guessed wrong and Nelson and Kelly guessed right
Nelson switched from the democratic to the republican
party, Fitzpatrick and Oander from the republican to
the democratic party.
The political gymnastics Of Fitzpatrick and
ton his group Of progressves since 1917 have been
rather weird, and while the group refused to follow
Fitzs zigzag line their gyrations have been just as