Evening star., 1950-10-30
Democratic Pariy's
Future al Stake in
kvember Elections
Writer Wonders if
1t Will Become q
labor Union Machine
Bv David Laurence

1dQOT dIlS1IlS Uut VI GIlc COIlSicS'
sidal elections on November
vii be the effect on the future o.
the Democratic Party.
yiH the Democratic Party, a;
It las been known for decades
becme in everything except name
theparty Of a labor-union ma.
chic? Through virtually com.
ples control of billions of dollars
of nion dues q few labor-unior
leaers could take over the Demo.
crac Party lock, stock and barre
and1ictate who shall be its candi'
dats hereafter.
Ills could not possibly happer
If dependent votes are cast b,
lifehg Democrats who cherish
the memory of a great party
fouAed by Jefferson ane
stregthened by Woodrow Wilson
andFranklin Roosevelt.
IEould not happen If the in.
depsdent Democrats differenti'
ate etween truly capable candi.
date and those who merely have
the hdorsement of a labor Junior
cliqq
II ;he labor union bosses have
theirway and a majority of theil
candidates are elected this time tt
eithe the House or the Senate
the Rl Democratic Party will de.
velopa cleavage such as it never
has kperienced since Civil Wal
days
May of the independent
Demsrats do not want to see in
Washington a labor union govern
menfominated by the cleft wing
as iShe case with Great Britain
toda! They do not want to see a
reacDnary regime established
whic, under the guise of so-called
rism, can effectuate a result
hosts to smaller enterprises and
indiv vlual freedom inside labor
uniol. But the independent
Demsrats will be powerless after
Novetber Z II the party machin-
cry rsSes into new hands.
The Bossism Issue.
Tn issue of bossiSn, hitherto
confi}d to city machines, now
becons pertinent as the labor
union reveal that their political
organizations are designed to con-
troll tie votes Of the rank and file
In pdtical elections. While for
manYears labor unions have en-
gagedn politics, there has never
been nch a brazen attempt to
coerc&he rank and file and make
them Fote for particular candi-
dates gho have sold their inde-
pendece to labor-union chiefs for
q mes of pottage in the form of
publicendorsements.
Thaanger in the possible cap
ture the machinery of the
Demotatic party by the labor
union losses is that they will be-
gin b exercise control at the
State nd city levels as well. This
will nan local police chiefs in
differet to law and order in
labor isputes and it will mean
create; and greater coercion OF
the inWidual by political force.
The1 are many good men
runnin for public Office today
againsl whom weak candidates
have len nominated in opposi-
ton. he regular Democrat is
suppod to vote for the party
candidte even though he knows
the oppnent is a better man. 1t
Is this,urrender of Judgment on
which he labor-union chiefs are
eounti1. Without it they could
not viii For the labor-union vote
itself. ven if cast entirely for
one ca1idate, would in most con-
gressioil or senatorial contests
not be snough to gain a victory.
Dient Begins to Appear.
The did labor-union vote. how
ever, pls the blind vote of the
Democrts who vote the party
ticket respective Of the merit OF
the oplsing candidates will be
enough b most instances to as
sure vic,ry for the choices OF the
labor grlp.
Insidelabor unions there are
the beginnings of dissent. Many
rank-anSfile members resent be-
ing told low to vote and want te
exercise heir American privilege
of yotinafor the better man ir-
respectivlof labor union coercion
But this S still a small number
A hunded Hanley letters would
not blot rom view the evil pur-
nose corhined in the $500,00C
loan mad by the CIO to the 1886
campaign fund which Franklin
Roosevelt ordered paid off later
when job L. Lewis insisted the
loan was tade to get the Wagner
Labor Actpassed. Two wrongs dc
not makel right but the use OF
labor -unio funds improperly Is
one Of til scandals Of the age
which ttdd administration OFF,
eials tod3 do not have the cour-
age to trfet out though law vlo-
lations re plainly involved.
On tk broad political aspects
1t has sways been apparent thai
= determined minority with plen'
ty Of tnds could take over q
major plitical party and gradual
ly force its previous leaders Il
take O ,at on the sidelines. i
the canidates backed by th'
labor-unih politicians do COM
out victdaously this November
the DemSratic Party will pas
into the lands Of a new set o
managers The answer lies witt
the indepAdent Democrats.
(Reproaction Rights Reservsd