Evening star., 1944-10-20

bers and the
American Labor Frank H. Kent
PARTY. with which 1t is linked,
through MIR. Hillman, is in position
to cast 100000 votes In the great
State OF New York.
No one can consider these facts
without conceding the advantage
which this CIO sponsorship gives
Mr.. Roosevelt. From the start 1t
has been the most wholehearteo
slpport he has. Earlier than any
other 1t demanded his renomina-
ton as strongly as it now demands
his reelection.
Nevertheless, it is impossible to
deny that there is reaction to the
CIO-H -Hillman ALP support whlch
makes it a liability as well as an
asset. Not until the election is over
will anyone be able to say Whlch
o,ltweighs the other or Whetner
they merely balance.
On the Liability Side.
The liability side of this question
Is demonstrated in three directions.
First. there is the effect of the Hill
man. -Browder leadership upon the
farm vote which is essentially con-
seryative. anti-labor union and anti
Communist. Disposed, since l940,
to drift away from Mr.. Roosevelt
on farm policy grounds, the drift
of the farmers has been accentu-
ated and accelerated by the trucu-
lence and vehemence OF the ClO-
Communist publicity and perform
ance.
Then. there is the effect of the
Hillman committees extraordinary
activities upon the Democratic Ma
tional Committee and the state
Democratic organizations. Resent
ment is unmistakable-and natural
For one thing, the CIO-PAC is not
acting as secondary to the regular
organization. Rather. it is making
the regular organization secondary
to it. It's publicity is more voclfer-
Gus as we'll as voluminous. Its
orators are more numerous and get
better notices. 1t more enthusiast
callv backs up the Roosevelt ad-
ministration. Mr.. Hillman gets far
more publicity than Chairman
Hannegan and the formers attacks
on Gov. Dewey are more violent and
unrestrained.
Early efforts to induce Mr.. Hill
man to take a more modest part
personally in the campaign have
been futile.
Scarcely a day passes on which
a broadside is not fired by him
either through a statement or a
speech. Chairman Hannegan is out
paced and the regular Democratic
organizations overshadowed. The
feeling that so far as campaign man
agement is concerned the C1O Is
in the saddle is strong.
Belief that Roosevelt victory
would be so much CIO-Hillman
victory that the latter would be-
come dominant in the Democratic
party has greatly increased. The
idea that the Democratic party
would be taken over by Mr. Hillman,
the C1O and its PAC and that that
is the goal, is no longer a joke.
With q good many Democratic
politicians 1t has become a convic-
ton, which is not lessened by Mr..
Hillman's denials. The results are
dissensions, distrust and discourage
ment in the party organization, some
of which is bound to be reflected on
election day.
Labor Factions React.
Finally there Is the reaction to
Mr.. Hillman of the other labor fac
ton. Mr.. William Green, Mr.. Dan
Tobin and various AFL unions are
supporting Mr.. Roosevelt, but there
is no AFL unity about this support.
The best evidence of this comes
from the Labor Union, the most
important of all AFL newspaper
publications. 1t is published in
Dayton, Ohio, union-owned and
operated on nonprofit basis. In a
first-page editorial on october l3,
the Labor Union says:
'If organized labor does not smash
the PAC this time it will live to rue
the day. Because, win or lose, Sidney
does not propose to go out of busi-
ness in November. He has formed
the PAC for keeps. AS soon as
election day is over he has elab-
crate plans for setting up the PAC
In Washington as a permanent ma
tional mouthpiece for labor. If the
fourth-term effort is successful
Hillman visualizes himself as the
patronage and legislative labor czar
Only defeat of the New Deal in
November can stop him"
In conclusion, this editorial says:
Actually, American labor has
much to look forward to in the event
of change in the White House. 1t
can look forward to the end of CIO
favoritism in the conduct of our
Federal labor agencies. 1t can look
forward to the end of Communist
coddling and Browder wheedling
which has infected our Federal de-
partments for IL years. 1t can look
forward to the exit of Sidney Hill
man, Julius Emspack, Richard T.
80. -------....-.