Evening star., 1936-08-11
Landon AssaiIed on Record
in 1885 Mine Strike
in Kansas.
PARTY is CONSIDERED
FOR 1888 OR 1910 RACE
Lewis Stresses Need of Workers
. Organizing Politically-First
Convention Adjourns.

League were homeWard bound today
to lay the groundwork for their first
objective, reelection of President
Roosevelt.
Meanwhile President William Green
Of the American Federation Of Labor
announced his organization would fol-
low its traditional non-partisan policy
with regard to the national election
and not indorse any candidate. Only
once has the federation formally in
dorsed a presidential candidate. in
1924, when the late Senator La Fol-
lette ran as an independent.
Two other federation leaders were
also active, but on different sides OF
the political fence. William Hutche-
son, head of the carpenters union.
was in Chicago to begin his work as
head of the labor division Of the Ma
tional Republican Committee, while
Daniel j. Tobin, head of the teamsters'
union, has accepted similar position
with the National Democratic Com
mittee.
After picking to pieces and uni
versally condemning the labor record
of Gov. ALT M. Landon of Kansas.
the delegates listened to message of
welcome and encouragement from the
President and speedily passed resolu-
tions providing for formal organiza-
tion in every State. county and
precinct.
Although the immediate goal is re-
election of President Roosevelt, strong
indications that the league is looking
beyond the coming presidential elec-
tion to the formation of labor party
to enter the field in 1898 or 1910
came from both Maj George L. Berry,
president Of the Printing Pressmen's
Union and league head, and John L.
Lewis. head of the United Mine
Workers and chairman of the league
board.
Aside from the message Of the
President, which pointed to efforts
Of his administration "to correct
through legislation certain evils of our
economic system" the theme of the
days discussion was the labor record
Of his opponent In the presidential
campaign.
Fears Use Of Army.
The use of the United States Army
to break up industrial disputes was
a reasonable expectation" in the
event of Gov. Landon's election, Lewis
declared after condemning the use of
the National Guard by the Kansas
Governor in a miners strike in that
State in June, 1885. He said:
Gov. Landon says labor has the
right to send in an organizer. But
when the miners in his State did so
he sent in the National Guard to
follow him around wherever he went.
1t is a reasonable expectation that if
an organizer was sent in to a branch
of the Standard Oil Co., that he would
send in the United States Army to
follow him around. too"
Asserting that Gov. Landon would
give the workers no more considera-
tion than his hackers would permit"
Lewis said:
Heaven help the workers II they
have to rely on the little man from
Topeka, Kans.. who has no more con-
ception Of their problems than a
goat herder in the hills of Bulgaria"
Turning toward the future, Lewis
stressed the need for labor to organize
politically as well as industrially.
The future of labor lies with the
men in the mines and shops" he said.
Labor can be free if it will. What
it will do in the future is a question,
but I pledge myself to stand by the
decision Of labor when 1t is made.
But we will cross that bridge when
we come to it,"
Peace Efforts Told.
Finley Bell, former conciliator for
the Department of Labor, outlined his
efforts to secure settlement of the
strike called by the International
Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers in
the mines of Kansas, Oklahoma and
Missouri, and stated that had Gov.
Landon investigated beforehand, the
troops would not have been called out
to keep order" where there had been
no disturbances.
The Kansas Governors record as
an oil operator was attacked by Har-
vey Fremming, head of the Oil Field,
Gas Well and Refinery Workers, who
also pointed to wage and hour con-
ditions among workers of his union
in that State.
"A lower wage rate is paid in the
oil industry in Kansas than in any
other State, including Louisiana, de-
spite the fact that Gov. Landon and
others have amassed comfortable for
tunes in OIL" he said.
President Roosevelt was praised by
Sidney Hillman, head of the Amalga-
mated Clothing Workers, and David
Dubinsky, president of the Interna-
tional Ladies' Garment Workers, the
latter announcing he had resigned
from a long affiliation with the So
cialist party to support the President.
Hillman, declaring the shorter work
week must be written into law to
solve the unemployment problem,
said:
whether or not labor gets an op-
portunity to work out its own prob
lens depends upon the results of this
election"
Haywood Broun, columnist and
president of the International News
paper Guild. described the efforts of
the guild members on strike in Mil
waukee, Wis, to secure the Kansan's
opinion on collective bargaining.
I'VE haven't had an answer to our
query yet" Broun said. I'VE may
have to wait until Landon gets
elected 10 find out"
The convention closed by making
plans for financing a speaking cam
paign and continuing the organiza-
ton work among labor groups
throughout the country.
Green announced he would appoint