Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-18

General approval Ii given by the press
Of the country to the action Of labor
leaders In the American Federation for
their decision against committing that
organization TO any party In the ma
tional political campaign. Many rea-
sons are set forth for the judgment
that this attitude was the only effective
one that could have been adopted.
Differing party Affiliations among the
members are assumed to be the rule.
and the record OF 1924 Is held to have
been lesson to the unions.
1T Is virtually impossible" declares
the Columbus Evening Dispatch tinde-
pendenD. that either of the two great
parties should assume an attitude OF
hostility toward the laboring classes, or
even of indifference toward labor's
rights and aspirations. An actual night
against either party could be 1tistified
only II the party concerned should as
sumo a clearly hostile attitude con-
dition that certainly does not exist in
the present campaign and is not at
all likely to exist In any campaign TO
come" The Syracuse Herald (inde-
pendent) holds that the inevitable re-
suit of partisan stand by the national
body of the trades unions would be to
UTUNOhE hnbhkOIilSItlSs WttASAtt va Http
the least. would detract from Its legifi-
mate strength and influence
Members OF the American Fedora
ton OF Labor no doubt indorse the
union label as applied to the products
of union labor" suggests the Lynch
burg News tDemocraticl. but they
know that IL has no business being at
tached to political candidates. They
naturally and properly resent anything
that may even give the appearance
that they are sheep whose votes can
be delivered en- bloc by union ofnclals
The Detroit Free Press ttndependenD
points out that las new issues arise, or
the various parties shift the emphasis
OF their attention to labor matters
American labor. as long as 1t adheres
to It's policy Of -partisanship, can
support presidential or congressional
candidates most likely TO promote ltS
interests. Whenever II has abandoned
that freedom of action In the past, IL
has had reason tn rue its decision.
sun greater independence is adVo~
Gated by the Lowell Evening Leader I'm
dependent Republican,, with the State-
ment. 1.-THE voters Of organized labor
are competent to Judge for themselves.
They may be safely and preferapiy al
lowed 10 do so. And the interests OF
labor which the federation was organ
lied to maintain will be best conserved
when II functions on strictly non psi
tisan basis" The Leader also leels
sure that there II no desire 10 Ispea.
the blunder OF 1924, when the candldacY
ri la toilette was Endorsed That ex-
perience has not been forgotten, II
prove the futility Of attempting 70 oe-
| liver the labor vote In the mass
II Is recalled hy the New Orleans
Times picayune tindependent l'eitln,
| cratic) that In the election ~ Ia@s
the result proved tho Endorsement fu-
tile and the organized labor vote un l.
deliverable on order The men III
the labor ranks voted their individual
convictions and political beliefs 1uN
| about as freely as did their fellow citlEers
| in other walks. Doubtless they VIII 40
| that this year, regardless OF Whethet or
not the federatinn's executive comntt l.
| tee changes It's non partisan policy iattt
| In the campaign And surely that Is
what all American voters should 40,
| for their own and their cotlntrys aoon.
| THE unfortunate and divisive enec'
Of the 1924 action" according to the
New York Times tindependent'. ap-
pears to have carried It's lesson Tor the
Federation Of Labor the policy
resolved upon is pretty clearly q case OF
the burnt child dreading the f,re. The
policy of mon interyention IN presiden-
tial elections" Is viewed by the New York
Herald Tribune Republican, as "A
great gain for sound politics" and that
paper adds Some OF the federation
members are for Mr.. Hoover and some
are for Gov. Smith, But there Is nc
reason ,,hy they should h@ for either
simply because Of the membership cards
which they hold. They are cilsseni