Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-08-26
Farley Gets
Chance to
..t
Lead Party
N. Y. New DeaIism Dies
# He Beats Dewey
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

BY NESTBROOk PEGLER Y
THE so-called American Labor
Party, which has entered a
third candidate in the New York
gubernatorial campaign, is more
European than American, does
not represent labor and is not
a party but a left-wing HanneX
of the Democratic Party with
accommodations for a few rene
gade Republicans, such as Flo
relic LaGuardia and his little
friend, Congressman Vito Mar
cantonio, who follows the Mos
COW party line.
IT claims 10 have half a mil
lion votes, but has been running
a bluff for a long time and its
actual. showdown strength is
not known. but probably will be
determined this time.
In effect. every vote il polls
will be vote Tor Thomas +.
Dewey, because il is not actu-
ally running candidate for
election but trying TO beat Jim
Farley'S candidate on the Tegu-
lar Democratic ticket. John
Bennett, the present attorney
general.
The so-called party's nominee
Is Dean Alfange, who is lower
case, local All Landon in the
sense that he is very obscure
and hasn't a Chihaman's chance
and knows it.
The candidacy is so futile that
the bosses had a hard time find
ing any one TO go through the
motions and Alfange finally was
selected by process duplicating
in miniature the scene in tho 4
Smoke-iilled room by which,
Warren G. Harding was chosen
in 1920.
MOT only is the so-called
~ party's political line Euro
pean but much Of its member
ship is foreign-born and unas-
simulated.
1t is a mixture of Social DEM
ocrats and Communists and the
two groups fight like cats and
dogs all the time and damage
their chances by telling many
unpleasant truths and many lies
about one another.
4 few years ago Marcantonio,
whose district contains lot Of
Italians and Puerto Ricans and
a high crime rate, put investiga-
tors on the trail of one OF his
nght-wing opponents in an effort
10 get him. but the attempt APP
parently came 10 nothing.
The keynote speech OF DR..
George $. Counts 10 the meet
ing which ratified the selection
OF Alfange said the so-called
party was "the last baStion Of
the New Deal in New York
State" and there was more
truth than poetry in that. If you
are careful Of your definition of
New DealiSm.
The party orators and writer's
will try 10 make New Deal mean
honesty. democracy and social
progress. but the New DealiSm,
which actually was repudiated
by Jim Farleys Democratic
Party was the attempt 10 make
over the American system OF
government into a confused and
formlesS socialism and 10 dis
guise ambition for power as pure
idealiSm.
In that sense the keynote
speech wasn't far wrong IN say
ing that the So-called Americar
Labor Party. which is a com.
plcte miSnomer, was the last
bastion OF the New Deal in the
state.
In that sense. also. the key
note speech was correct IN
saying that Jim Farley's Demo-
cratic Party in the state had
deliberately abandoned the prin-
ciples of the New Deal.
BARLEY has been fed up 10
the neck on New Dealism
and It's ethics and personalities
for a long time and people who
are close enough 10 Bennett 10
speak for him don't mind saying
he is no New Dealer and never
was one.
The New Deal people probably
have figured il will be worth
while 10 lose the governorship
of New York for at least one
term if by that sacrifice they
can stick Farley with defeat
and dScredit him for 1914.
Certainly they are doing their
best for Dewey. because no Re-
publican will vote for Alfange.
although some New Dealers will.
The membership OF the So
called L a Dor Party includes
quite a lot OF workers in the
garment trades whose union
leaders have been branching out
as political leaders, or bosses,
with view 10 creating a nut
sance value in contests between
the Democrats and Republicans.
But the thing has never been
a real party and while its en-
dorSement has had some value,
nobody really knows how much.
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