Montana labor news., 1938-11-24
The Washington Scene
By HENRY ION

~ AAN@H
gains in the 1888 congressional cleo
tons.
In general terms, organized labor
emerged as the staunchest pillar in
the administration. 1t turned out
its votes in splendid fashion and it
perfected its political organization.
In some places candidates it backed
were defeated but through no fault
of its own.
Governorships in Ohio, Michigan
and Pennsylvania we're most i'm
portant from the viewpoint of or
ganized labor. In those states the
candidates it backed were defeated,
in Ohio by a narrow margin and in
Michigan and Pennsylvania by
larger margins.
The reason in Ohio and Pennsyl-
vania is the same. Voters were tired
of a corrupt political machine and
nothing on earth could have saved
the ~tottering regimes. Pennsylvania
voters had to choose between the
unsavory David Lawrence-Joe Cuff
fey machine and the Moe Amen
berg-Joe Grundy-Pew crowd.
They took the one they didn't
know in the hopes it would be better
than the one they had had expert
ence with.
In Ohio it was the Davey gang
that was ousted because of its in
efficiency in office, its mishandling
of social security funds and its gen.
eral air of ~rascality. 1t was replaced
by John Bricker, governor, and Robt.
Taft, senator, neither of whom are
lied -in-the-wool tories and both of
whom are expected to be better
than defeated Gov. Martin Davey.
The Michigan rae was slightly
different. Anti-laborites are saying
that it was a reaction against la
Dor" Practical politicians are in
clined to give the dishonor for the
defeat of Gov. Frank Murphy to
Democratic boss Murray Van Wag-
goner who controls the Democratic
machine in the state and who is
opposed to the New Deal.
In Michigan labor turned out its
vote for Frank Murphy just as it
promised to do. 1t was Frank Muir
phys own Democratic party that
failed to deliver and allowed the
reactionary Frank Fitzgerald to win.
Should Fitzgerald believe his own
propaganda about labor being licked
he will shortly discover his error,
it is confidently believed here.
Loss of the Wisconsin and Mime
sofa statehouses was a blow. Phil
LaFollette was trying for an IN
precedented fourth term for COVER
nor in Wisconsin while Elmer Ben
son in Minnesota was up against
desperate tory opposition and treach-
cry within his own ranks.
Jerry O'Connelrs absence, too, will
be mourned as will the absence of
John Bernard and other labor
friends who slipped by the wayside
but again it was not ,labor's fault.
Labor delivered all the votes that
were expected of it and more while
tory opposition concentrated on
these men.
Where labor won, it won smash
ingly and triumphantly. California
returns heralding the passing of tory
Gov. Merriam and the election of a
Democratic governor, gilbert Olson,
for the first time in years were
cheerful news. The much trumpet
ed reaction against labor was not
in evidence although California's
labor strife has equalled that in any
other state.
In New York labor reelected Gov.
Lehman, a Democrat, after a nip
and tuck fight with district attorney
Thomas Dewey. The $4,000 votes
cast for Lehman on the American
Labor party ticket was the difference
between defeat and victory.
Nor should the victory of Sen.
Wagner, co-author of the National
Labor Relations Act, over John Lord
O'Brian, a foe of the labor act, in
New York by a substantial majority
be overlooked.
In New Jersey the tories claim
of a reaction against labor was
also proved false. When senatorial
candidate VIM. Ely publicly admit
ted his alliance with the notorious
Hague he was done for and
not even Mayor Hague's huge Hud-
son county majority could save him.
From the viewpoint of national
politics, organized labor has demon
strated clearly to the New Deal the
necessity of unity and singleness of
purpose.
At times there was the feeling in
some New Deal circles that labor's
cooperation was not needed, the peo-
Pile are for the New Deal anyhow
and organized labor has got to string
That feeling has vanished.
In its place is expected to grow
the realization that labor support
and labor cooperation is needed if
there is to be continuity of liberal
government. Issues and forces are
clearer now and reformers can get
down to business.