-py.. t- 4 .-Mi... a". " wpwmmi - W' wu wwiiwgwwwiigiw
i
The Commoner.
16
VOLUME 8, NUMBER S,
k.
Ty.'unf"i'i jni, mm jifimw,!iw"v'"
I E-)
;f!
W I
I
J
i
t
president of tho Wostorn Federation
' bt Minors, says: gompors was sad-
! ly mistaken if ho Jtjiought ho could.
'' control many of ,tho votes of tho
'laboring men. Wo will not endorse
tho democratic party."
Birmingham, Ala. "I do not be
lieve tho laboring people of tho
United States aro going to rally to
tho support of Mr. Bryan under the
suggestion of Mr. Gompors," is the
way that James B. Drake, president
of tho Birmingham Trades Council
and, secretary of tho Alabama Feder
ation of Labor puts it. "Mr. Gqm
pors has dono tho proper thing,"
said James II. Loath, organizer in
tho American Fodoration of Labor
under Gompors, "and tho announce
ment just mado will be followed by
many votes boing cast for Mr.
Bryan."
i More .Strength in Illinois
Peoria, 111. That Salnuol Gom
pors' declaration that he will sup
port Bryan will add strength to tho
Nobraskan's campaign in Illinois is
tho opinion of a majority of the labor
loaders in this region. Robert Mc
Kee, secretary of tho International
Union of Steam Engineers, said unit
ed labor in tho stato of Illinois cer
tainly will follow tho lead of Mr.
Gompers and will support Bryan.
His alliance with tho democratic
loader will add greatly to Bryan's
strength in Illinois.
1 'Milwaukee. Wisconsin labor
. union men will not bo affected by
Gompers' declaration on tho presi
dential contest, according to the local
leadors. Gompers is not loved by
Wisconsin labor mon, who have long
favored some socialist for his job.
Troy, N. Y. John Connell, presi
dent of Typographical Union No. 1G,
said: "Taft is tho father of injunc
tions and I do not think labor would
havo supported him, even though
' Gompors had not taken tho position
ho has." James D. Landrigan. a
prominent labor organizer, said: "I
do not think Gompers action will
havo any effect upon labor. The
democratic unionists will vote for
Bryan,. tho republican members for
Taft."
Indiana and Kentucky in Lino
Louisville Herman Christen,
president of tho Kentucky State Fed
eration of Labor, said: "I will sup
port any policy or position regarding
tho presidential race taken by Sam-
4 iiol Gompers, and I havo reason to
"b'olibve that tho members of the Fed--,'
deration in Kentucky will follow any
' lead of tho president of the Amori
' can Federation of Labor.
, Indianapolis Edgar A. Perkins,
president of tho Indiana State Fed
oration, said: "Labor receives its
instructions in matters of this kind
from the American Federation of
Labor. This Is the authority under
which tho campaign will bo carried
on. Under this law of tho organiza
tion there is but ono thing to do and
that is to follow the instructions re
ceived from headquarters."
Chicagonns Aro Independent
Chicago The Chicago Federation
of Labor has not fallen in linq with
Samuel Gompers and his, plan to
throw tho labor vote to Bryan. , "The
issue has not boon submitted .to the
Fodoration and will not bo, if Irjcan
. help it," said President John, ,, JTltfc
patrick. "It is bound ,tp cause fric
tion, lor not all aro of Mr Gompers' i
way of thinking."
"Tho railway brotherhood afe op
posed to tho democratic junction
plank; thoy aro opposed to Gompers
plan to support Bryan, ' Mr. Fuller,
tho legislative agent of all tho train
men, said. "I am unable to see any
remedy for tho abuse of tho power
of injunction in labor disputes in tho
democratic platform."
Wilmington, Del. Harry W. Be
han, ox-presidont of tho Contral La
bor Union, said: "I think organized
labor in this : tato will follow the
lead of Gompers in. supporting Bry-
ii
an." A. it. aayior, .uio ex-Buui-wuijr,
oxprqssed a slmilaropinion.
Atlanta "Tho defeat of Bryan
this year would moan tho humilia
tion of labor," said Joromo Jones,
editor of tho Journal of Labor, and
delegato td tho Denver national con
vention. "I am of tho opinion labor
is committed to democracy through
tho platform adopted and believe
that before tho campaign has ended
labor loaders will bo stumping the
country for Bryan."
Tarty lines Aro Drawn
Wheeling, yt. Va. When Presi
dent Gompers made his statement
that the labor vote would be cast for
Brvan it did not excite even passing
comment among laboring men here.
L'abor men, who afe republicans, will
Vote tho republican ticket, and those
who are democrats will vote the
democratic tickot. Walter B. Hilton,
editor of tho Majority, a labor pub
lication, and one of tho most promi
nent labor leaders in the stato, said
that while Gompers' declaration
would carry some weight, it would
bo so light as to bo scarcely notice
able. Newark, N. J. Henry F. Hilfers,
secretary of tho Trades' Council,
said: "I havo no hesitation in say
ing I believe that 75 per cent of tho
union labor vote of this stato will
follow Gompors and vote for Bryan."
Passaic, N. J. Opinion is divided
among Passaic labor leaders as to
Mr. Qompers' support of Bryan.
Thoodoro Smith, formerly president
of tho Carpenters' Union and a prom
inent labor advocate, is a Bryan man
and believe trade unionists, as a rule,
will support him. Frederick C. N.
Gott, president of the Allied Print
ing Trades' Council, said: "Organ
ized labor, as a class, will not sup
port Bryan. There will bo a bigger
split this fall than ever in tho ranks
of trade unionists, and it will mean
a big vote for tho socialist and pop
ulist candidates."
Albany, N. Y. Labor leaders de
clined to discuss publl-iy the action
of President Gompers in declaring
that he would support Bryan. Thoy
refused to say whether they approved
or disapproved the move of Gompers,
but several were of the opinion that
their opinion of tho merits of Taft
and Bryan was as good as Gompers'.
Baltimore "There aro 40,000
members of the federation In Balti
more," said UJciwara inrscn, presi
dent of tho Baltimore Federation of
Labor, "and 3,000,000 in tho coun
try. Normally they are about equal
ly divided, democrats and republi
cans. This fall every ono of them
will vote for Bryan."
Different in Kentucky
Lexington, Ky. "Labor organiza
tions in Kentucky, unless something
unforeseen happens, will vote not as
organizations for tho labor candidate,
but will the support the democratic
and republican tickets.
"I have been over tho stae a good
deal of late," said Secretary Raplitz
of tho Central Labor Union here,
"and have studied the question for
several weeks, I sze it up this way:
Those of tho labor peoplouwho are
uemocrats win voto tne democratic
tickot as usual, and no doubt will
fqol pleased that Gompers will vote
that, way also. Thos who are re
publicans vr vote for Taft and be
rato Gompers' tor 'playing tail-end
.politics. The independent labor vote
Will jmlit between! J'af.t and' Debs?' ;
. Los Angeles Samuel Gompers'
letter' Indarslrig'Bryan has tho hearty
indorsement of every labor union
loader In Los Angeles.
Sftlt Lake? Opinion, among labor
leaders 'in U tali '18' that Gompers' in
terview wiui osryjui ana tne an
nouncement that the American Fed
eration will support him, will carry
tromenuous weignt among laboring
classes' in "UtaTr. In this state Gom-i
pers' word is gospel with laboring
men. , .
Cincinnati Organized" labr here
abouts, It would appear,, is arrayed
in vigorous hostility to Judge W. H.
Taft in his aspirations for the presi
dency. "President Gompers expressed the
views of organized labor in this vi
cinity certainly in his declaration,"
said President J. G. Miller of the
Central Labor Council, tho highest
legislative and executive body in lo
cal labor circles. "I would consider
any member of organized labor who
is a Taft supporter a traitor to the
cause of labor. Taft is recognized
as tho open enemy of organized la
bor. Ninety-eight per cent of the
labor vote will, I believe, be cast for
Bryan as against Taft. Ono socialist
ticket and probably ono per cent will
go for Taft."
Secretary Joseph Ward, of the
Central Labor Council, said: "Or
ganized labor will follow Gompers
solidly in opposing Taft."
Frank Rist, district organizer of
tho American Federation of Labor
and editor of the Chronicle, the offi
cial organ hereabout of organized la
bor, said: "Gompers has been such
a consistent guide, philosopher and
friend to labor that we would be
acting without reason in ranouncing
his decision in this matter. But his
stand is the natural one now for la
bor in this campaign."
tho confidence of the president and
tho respect of tho nation. Five vice
presidents have become presidents.
Theodore Roosevelt himself, first
vice president, became president by
an assassin's shot. Vic President
Fairbanks receives more or less at
tention at the White House, but ho
is not accepted there as a factor in
the government, although chosen by
the republican party in convention
assembled for vico president and
elected by the American people as
the presidential 'successor in tho
event of an emergency. Louisville
Courier-Journal.
UNPATRIOTIC JOKES
The sport some of tho jokesmiths
habitually make of the vico presi
dency is both vulgar and unpatriotic.
The attitude some of tho country's
distinguished men take toward a
nomination for the offl.ee is both
tasteless and discreditable. The
bumptious manner shown by some
of the presidents themselves toward
vico presidents betrays both lack of
judgment and gross discourtesy. The
vice presidency is an office of luster
and it should bring to tho incumbent
WAGES AND STItDXES
Mr. Ripley, the distinguished pres
ident of tho Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe Railway company, declares
that it will be ' impossiblo for the
railroads to cut the wages of their
employes without bringing on disas
trous strikes, and that this is not to
be thought of under present condi
tions. Mr. Ripley is undoubtedly
correct in these conclusions. But
there aro more ways than one of re
ducing an employe's wages without
cutting tho per diem scale he is paid
under union and other agreements.
This can be testified to by tho Santa
Fo shopmen and the shopmen, as
well as other classes of employes, of
other railroads, who have had their
pay reduced to frail figures during
the past two or three months by lay
offs for longer or shorter periods.
Topeka Journal.
PLAYED IT BOTH WAYS
How will the democrats explain
the fact that stocks took a strong
upward movement when Taft was
nominated, and how will the repub
licans account for the similar move
ment when Bryan, was declared tho
nominee of the Denver meeting.-
Terre Haute Tribune.
Anti Trust and Anti Short Weight
KLOT2
GRACKER FACTORY, Ltd., Hew Orleans, La.
Full Weight and Quality goes with all Cakes and Crackers
WE DO NOT CHARGE FOR CARD BOARD
Better Carton Goods were never made than the Klotz Kind
BERNARD KLOTZ, Sr., Manager
a
THE CAMPAIGN IS ON
To form your opinions and keep in touch with the progress of
the campaign, you will need first-class newspapers. We have
made a special arrangement whereby you can get the
Daily Courier-Journal and The Commoner . . $1.25
Weekly Courier-Journal and The Commoner . . .50
From now until December 1, 1008.
This gives you a HVe metropolitan paper through the cam
paign and the election. Order today, as subscription will start
with issue of day order is received. No back numbers can be sent.
This special campaign offer is in effect only during Juno, July
and ugust, and no subscriptions will bo received at tho reduced
fate after August 31 under any circumstancas.
Address The Commoner, L,mcoh, Neb.
. i.
A Special Campaign Rate
an tr
Daily Edition Kansas City Post ....... Both for
and r CM
The Commoner ................ ) $
until January 1, (909.
-Address, The Commoner, Lincoln Nebr.
f
-K
Byt-i-