The Daily Alaska empire., 1936-05-21
Labor, 1886.
(New York World Telegraph


 Because it has felt that it could best serve its interests thereby, organized labor in America tradi- tonaly has remained non-partSan, forcing the two major political parties bid against each other for the working mems votes
 By and large through the years the Republicans have done the better job of political bidding for such votes, before the days when the ingenious Mark Hanna linked the full dinner pail" slogan to the protective tariff But Republican leadership has lost it's cunning The passage of the Shoot Hawley tariff, with the subsequent and consequent deepening of the depression and growth of unemployment, disclosed the full dinner pail" fools dinner pail" and Republican leaders have not thought up substitute slogan promise program to lure workers back to the G. O. P. ticket.
 In 1882 although organized labor as such, re- maned neutral the Republicans got very few workers votes And now, with the 1886 election date nearing, the Republicans seem destined to get less labor support.
 Why is this? Why is it that the majority of the rank and file of American workers already aboard the Roosevelt reelection band wagon and organized labors leaders fast climbing aboard? It is an unprecedented situation True in 1924 organized la bor abandoned partisanship to support the Pres dential candidacy of the Progressive Senator Robert M. La Toilette ST. But in 1924 organized labor did not turn partisan until after it had despared of gain ing any worthwhile reforms from either the Repub- licans Democrats, waiting until both parties had drafted conservative platforms and the former had nominated the reactionary Coolidge and the latter the
 
 But today labor is not waiting for the Republicans to nominate and draft platform. Labor is already on its way to the polls The march started last Jan uary when the United Mine Workers, under the lead ership of former Republican John L. Lewis, whooped through convention unanimous resolution for Roose- velts reelection.
 The march a mass movement by the time A. F. of L. President William Green few days ago voiced his feeble protest in favor of the traditional non-partisan policy. It became stampede within the last week. with Roosevelt inducements popping up out of industrial high tariff Pennsylvanias State Federation of Labor, The American Federation of Hosiery Workers The United Automobile Workers, the Amalgamated Clothing Workers General Executive Board
 And yesterday William Green, himself, fell into step. After all, leader cant lead unless he goes in the direction his followers.
 Has this amazing rank and file movement come about because the workers of the country com pletely sold Roosevelt and the New Deal and are confident they will get what they want in the 1935 Democratic platform? We don't think There are many things about the New Deal which workers do not lke-hgher cost of living, failure to solve the unemployment problem, subsistence word-reief wages to mention few.
 No, the answer can be found in the sort of Re- publican leadership which has permitted such ax- grinding organizations the American Liberty League and the National Association of Manufactur- CTS to set the tenor of the G. O. Ps New Deal oppo- sition. Anything the man in the White House fla vored wrong. The cry back to the old order bag and baggage Bitterness blinded Republican leaders to what workers believe to be the merits of NRAs efforts to raise wages and reduce hours of employment unemployment and od-age security leg slaton collective bargaining legislation and the min imum requirements of relief.
 True at least to one American political tradition American workers getting ready not to vote for somebody something but to vote against They going to vote against that kind of leadership.