Evening star., 1930-12-01
The Political Mill


The South finally Is to be represented
in the Hoover cabinet. william N. Doak,
a native of Virginia, the President has
announced, will be appointed Secretary
of Labor to I'LL the vacancy caused by
the retirement Of James j. Davis TO
become Senator from Pennsylvanla IN
the session of Congress which begins
today. Mr.. Doak's appointment, how
ever, comes after the States OF the
solid South which broke away from
their Democratic allegiance in 1928 TO
vote for Mr.. Hoover have all reverted
to type and gone Democratic again.
There can be nothing political-no
gesture to the South-in the selection
of Mr.. Doak to be Secretary OF Labor.
Mr.. Doak has long been q Republican.
He supported Calvin Coolidge for Pres1-
dent in 1924, when many of the other
labor leaders were shouting their heads
of for the late Senator Robert M. La
Toilette of Wisconsin, and he worked
hard for the election OF Mr.. Hoover In
1928. His appointment has therefore
little political significance.
When Mr.. Hoover was picking men
to fill Office in his cabinet before he
actually entered the White House, there
were pleas from mHry Republicans In
the South that that section OF the
country be given recognition. The press
was full of suggestions that Mr.. Hoover
would seek to make himself more
popular with the Southerners by ap-
pointing one Of their number to the
cabinet. North Carolina, for example,
had a strong candidate for Secretary
of Commerce. It was widely rumored
at the time, too, that Mr.. Doak of
Virginia would be appointed to head
the Department of Labor. But when
the cabinet list was announced no
Southerner was found in it, and
Jimmy" Davis, who had been Secretary
of Labe~ both in the Harding and
Coolidge administrations, was continued
on the lob.
Perhaps President, Hoover reached
the conclusion even before he was In
augurated that the G. o. P. had little
or no chance to hold any OF the ground
gained in the South in the presidential
election Of 1928. The appointment of
a Southerner to the cabinet may have
seemed a useless gesture under such
circumstances. But whatever his rea-
son. he omitted from his cabinet all
Southerners. Since then he has ap-
pointed a Secretary Of War from Okla
homa, regarded as part Of the South,
he sought to appoint an associate JUS
tice of the Supreme Court from North
Carolina. But the Senate turned down
the nomination of Judge John j. Par
ker of the Tar Heel State, on the
ground that he had been inimical to
organized labor and to the Negro voters
of the country in his decisions and
speeches. The American Federation of
Labor had quite lot to do with the
rejection Of Judge Parker by the Sen
ate. It's representatives were very ac-
tive in the lobby which was built up
to wreck Judge Parker'S chances of
confirmation.
And now President Hoover has dis
regarded the wishes of President Green
of the American Federation Of Labor in
selecting his next Secretary of Labor.
He has gone outside the ranks of the
A. F. of l.. to pick the third Secretary
of Labor since the Department of La
Dor was organized. William B. Wilson,
Pennsylvania Democrat, and James j.
Davis, Pennsylvania Republican, who
filled the Office Of Secretary Of Labor
from the organization of the depart
ment up to the present, both held union
cards aflliating them with the Amer
ican Federation of Labor. Mr.. Green
insisted that the appointment should
be made from the ranks of the A. F.
of L. since 1t is the largest organization
of labor in the country. Mr.. Doak Is
the legislative representative Of the
Brotherhood of Trainmen, which Is not
afflliated with the A. F. of L., but Is one
of the four big railroad brotherhoods.
If the American Federation Of Labor
should undertake now to prevent the
confirmation of Mr.. Doak because he
is q brotherhood man and not a mem
ber of the federation there will be q
pretty kettle of fish. The railroad
are quite "some punkins"
in the field of organized labor them
selves. It would be bold Senator who
ranged himself on the side of the oppo-
sition to the confirmation of Doak
merely because he was member OF the
brotherhoods and not of the federation.
OF course, If there could be brought
against Doak charges that he was
hostile to organized labor, or at least not
loyal to it, a different case would be
presented But from responsible sources
in the labor field come reports that
there is nothing against Doak that
would operate to prevent his confirma-
ton by the Senate. He is Republican.
President Green of the A. F.. L.
is a Democrat. If the agents Of
the federation become active against
a brotherhood man, either the
brotherhoods would have to take up
the gauntlet or let Mr.. Doak down.
1t does not seem on the cards that the
brotherhoods would quietly permit the
A. F. L. agents to put across the idea
that no brotherhood man could be con-
frmed by the Senate for Secretary of
labor unless the brotherhood man also
held an American Federation Of Labor
union card.
The brotherhoods have been very
active In political campaigns. They
have worked again and again for the
election of Senators of the Progressive
group, among them Norris, La Toilette,
Walsh of Montana and many others.
1t does not appear likely now that these
Senators will undertake to throw the
wrench into the appointment of
a brotherhood man to be Secretary of
Labor, even though they might like to
take crack at any appointment made
by President Hoover just because it is a
Hoover appointment
Mr.. Doak Is said to be an able man.
If he is confirmed in his appointment
as Secretary Of Labor it is expected
that he will do all he can to heal any
differences with the American Fed
Grafton of Labor. Certainly he is not
expected to antagonize the federation.
But while the federation Is not likely
to fight openly the appointment of
DOak now that H. is tn he made hv the