Evening star., 1944-05-21
CIO GIRDS FOR ELECTION FIGHT

)N Fl1Hl
In the 1886 election ALP cast only
274,924 votes of Roosevelt's 3,293, ,222,
which gave him more than 1000, 900
majority over Landon. But in 1885,
when Gov. Herbert Lehman sought
reelection over Thomas E. Dewey,
the ALPS total was 419,979 of Leh-
mans 1891 ,286, and Lehman won
by a mere 64 1894. ALP Immediately
claimed that it had been response
BILE for Lehman's victory. This claim
was substantiated in 1910, when
ALP was credited with 417,418 votes
of Roosevelt's total Of 3,251,918. The
President won by only 224,440. In
1912, when James A. Farley insisted
on the governorship nomination for
John j. Bennett, jr., the ALP lead
ers wanted Roosevelt's man, Senator
James M. Mead, and to show their
political power they nominated
Dean Alfange, who received 400, 500
ALP votes. Dewey, however, won
over Bennett by 647,395. In other
words, If ALP had supported Ben
nett, he still would have been de-
feated by 243,786.
The actual ALP strength is a
mystery so far as Roosevelt is con-
cerned. The great majority Of the
members would have voted for the
President in 1886 and 1910 and will
do so again this year. Had there
been no ALP a small percentage
would undoubtedly have voted the
Socialist or Communist ticket as
protest. This year the Communist
party has decided to abandon its
ELECTORAL status and become an "ed-
ucational" organization under some
title as the American Communist
Political Association. With Browder
not a presidential candidate, the
great percentage of the Communist
vote will go with the ALP. In 1892.
William z. Foster, Communist pres
idential candidate, received 27956
votes and in 1886 Browder got 35,-
500. In the 1912 gubernatorial con-
test, Israel Amter, Communist, re-
celved 45,220 votes. In a close pres
1dential election this year a block of
$4,000 votes in New York could be
over the margin of victory between
the Democrats and Republicans, and
the Communists, adept at practical
politics, see no profit in futile ges-
ture OF protest by an independent
vote for their own candidate.
If-and it is big if-Iabor lead
ers could deliver most of their un-
ion members for Roosevelt they
could claim a large share in a sue
cessful campaign. Many politicians
are skeptical Of the claims of lead
ers, national or local, that they can
exercise political discipline compar-
able to their industrial discipline
There is political axiom that mo
individual can deliver the labor
VOTE"
The late Samuel Gompers. patri-
arch of the American labor move
ment, consistently opposed the for
nation of a labor party and kept
his American Federation of Labor,
as an organization, from aligning it.
self permanently with either of the
major parties, although he support
ed Bryan in 1908 and favored Speak
er Clark for the Democratic nomi-
nation in 1912. Officially, the AFI,
was neutral in 1928 and 1882 al
though William Green supported AL
smith and John L. Lewis favored
Hoover.
Although the poIiticos put little
faith In the labor leaders boasts
that they can swing their groups for
a national candidate, they are CRATE
full for labor's financial contribu-
tions and their work in local cam
paigns. The slogan of the AFL and
the railroad brotherhoods that Ga
Dor rewards its friends and Furnishes
lts enemies" is no idle promise and
threat. This year in the congress
slonal campaigns, virtually all the
labor organizations are after the
Senators and Representatives who
voted for the Smith-Connally anti
strike bill, and they are not forget
Ting that President Roosevelt We
toed the measure.
Both Parties Hamstrung,
Commenting on the ban against
union contributions to national poll
tlcal candidates and committees
the President told Congress:
This provision obviously has no
relevancy to a bill prohibiting strikes
during the war in plants operated
by the Government, or to a labor
disputes act. If there be any merit
In the prohibition, 1t should not be
confined to wartime, and careful
consideration should be given to the
appropriateness of extending the
prohibition to other nonprofit Or
ganizations.
This year the Hatch Act with its
maximum of $4,000 on individual
contributions and it's $3,OOO,OOO ag-
gregate for each party is hamstring-
Ing both national organizations. The
Democrats have had to rely on
jackson Day dinners" and other
benefits to raise money in driblets
and the Republicans are cut off
from their big contributions of less
restricted years. That's why the
Democratic organization is looking
hopefully to the CIO Political Ac-
ton Committe and for ways by
which the labor unions can take an
effective part in the campaign.
nal AI