The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-05-08
FRIDAY, MAY g. 1888.
LABOR, 1886

BECAUSE it was felt that it could best its
- interests thereby organized labor in America
additionally has remained nonpartsan, forcing the
two major political parties to bid against each other
for the working mems votes.
BY and large. through the years, the Republicans
have done the better job political bidding for such
votes. even before the days when the ingenious
Mark Hanna linked the full dinner pail slogan to
the protective tariff But Republican leadership has
lost its cunning. The passage Of the Smoot- Hawley
tariff with the subsequent and consequent deepening
Of the depression and growth of unemployment dis
closed the full dinner pail" as fools dinner pail"
and Republican leaders have not thought up sub
stitute slogan or promise or program to lure work.
ers back to the @. o. P. ticket.
In 1882, although organized labor, as SUCH re-
manned neutral, the Republicans got very few
workers votes. And now with the 1886 election
date nearing, the Republicans seem destined to get
even less labor support.
XXTHY is this? Why is it that the majority of
w the rank and file of American workers already
4. are aboard the Roosevelt reelection bandwagon
and organized labors leaders are fast climbing
aboard9 1t is unprecedented situation. True, in
1924 organized labor abandoned nonpartisanship
to support the presidential candidacy of the Progress
organized labor did not turn partisan until after it
had despaired of gaining any worthwhile reforms
from either the Republicans or the Democrats, wait
ing until both parties had drafted conservative
platforms and the former had nominated the
tonary Coolidge and the latter the equally pg-busi
mes: minded John w. Davis.
But today labor is not waiting for the Re-
pubicans to nominate and draft platform. La
bor already is on its way to the polls. The march
started last January when the United Mine Work.
ers. under the leadership of former Republican
John L. Lewis whooped through convention unan-
imous resolution for Roosevelt's reelection
The march was mass movement by the time
A. F. of L. President William Green few days ago
voiced his feeble protest favor of the traditional
nonpartisan policy. 1t became stampede within
the last week. with Roosevelt Endorsements popping
up out of Industrial hgh-tsrif Pennsylvana's State
Federation of Hosiery Workers, the United Automo-
bile Workers, the Amalgamated Clothing Workers
general executive board.
And yesterday william Green himself fell into
step. After all leader can't lead unless he goes in
the same direction as his followers.
LAS this amazing rank and file movement come
l. Il about because the workers of the country
completely sold Roosevelt and the New Deal, and
are COnuQeHG GLey VIII get WHdG IHey WdnJ III The
1895 Democratic platform? We don't think so.
There many things about the New Deal which
workers do not kehigher cost of living failure to
solve the unemployment problem subsistence work.
relief wages to mention few.
No, the answer can be found in the sort Of Re-
publican leadership which has permitted such ak
grinding organizations the American Liberty
League and the National Association of Manufac-
turers to set the tenor of the G. O. P.s New Deal
opposition. Anything the in the White House
favored wrong The cry back to the old
order, bag and baggage. Bitterness blinded Repub-
can leaders to what workers believe to be the merits
OF NRAs efforts to raise wages and reduce hours of
employment unemployment and old-age security
legislation collective bargaining legislation, and the
minimum requirements of relief.
True at least to one American political tradition
American workers getting ready not to vote for
somebody or something, but to vote against. They
are going to vote against that kind of leadership
ITNETNIISuEn DIICINECC