The
Commoner.
1(1
V
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL. 8, NO. 45
Lincoln, Nebraska, November 20, 1908
Whole Number 409
THE LABOR VOTE AT THE RECENT
Now that the .election is over and our party
defeated, the explainer is abroad In the land.
Some of the explanations are based upon obser
vations in a precinct, some upon the conditions
in a state, and others "take a national view of
the situation. The Commoner has received sev
eral letters containing complaints that "the
labor vote was not cast for the democratic
ticket," and that "the labor planks alienated
more votes" than they won."
Until the returns are all in and tabulated
CONTENTS
1 1
4 -
"WHAT IS THE REMEDY? '
THANKSGIVING
-it,".
. AND'NOW-t-!" SAYS.WATERSON,r..
- T i MUSIC TO 'THE -EARS '-"- ' '
SOME ECHOES OF THE LATE . UNPLEAS
ANTNESS .',; ' ' ,
. . --DHTFICULTIES, OF COURSE
STORIES THAT MAKE THEHEART BEAT,
. -rv . . FASTER - '.-''
'k "C ' ilHETALE OF TWO STATES; 7 -'". " :
" ' fy THE. CHRISTMAS STAMP,. ,
"COMMENT ON CURRENT TOPICS
HOME DEPARTMENT
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
NEWS OF THE WEEK
it is impossible to make any Intelligent estimate,
as to the Telative influence exerted by the va-.
rious causes which contributed to the party s
defeat, and it is not fair to announce a' conclu
sion until a substantial foundation can be laid
for such conclusion. While an adverse vote in
a city containing a large labor element might
be accepted as prima facie evidence that the
laboring men did not support the ticket, a
closer inspection of the returns might show that
the labor vote was actually cast for the ticket,
but that losses in other parts of the city over
came the gain.
Mr. Gompers and those closely associated
with him as labor leaders must bo credited with
sincere, earnest and effective support of tho
democratic ticket. Their arguments may not
have convinced as large a percentage of the
vote of organized labor as was expected upon
this subject the statistics are not yet obtainable-
but it must be remembered that under
present conditions it is necessary to do more
than convince. A great many peoplo wore con
vinced that tho democratic position was the cor
rect one, and yet were afraid to follow their
convictions. The republican leaders confessed
this themselves when they began to appeal to
the fears of the employes. Many cases have
been brought to our attention where employers
warned their emplpyes not to vote the democratic
ticket under threat of reduction in wages. At
Newark Ohio, Mr. Bryan called attention to
such speeches made by representatives of the
New York Central railroad. There were cases
where the support of tho ticket in labor pre
cincts perceptibly diminished when these threats
were applied. It is easy enough to say that
a laboring man Ought to stand by his convlc-;
tions and vote as he believes, regardless or
threats and yet human nature must always be
ELECTION
considered in passing judgment upon human
beings.
After forty-eight years of almost continu
ous republican rule, tho wagearners are living
so near to tho hunger-lino that a few weeks' loss
of employment brings tho family face to face
with want. Tho election comes In November
just at tho beginning of winter, with fuel to
buy, house rent to pay and warmer clothes to
provide 'for the children. Tho laboring man
is under a constant duress, A laboring man
who has but littlo, If anything, laid up for the
future, must have a strong heart to defy the
expressed wish of his employer and cast his
ballot for something which he believes to bo
permanently good, at the risk of passing through
a period of Idleness before that good can bo
secured.
Four months elapse betWeon tho election
rand the inauguration four cold months. Bo
;not too harsh in judging tho man who bonds
to tho -lash and surrenders his citizenship when
his conscience tells him that ho should resist
injustice and voto for better condition Bo
i-notrtod hfirsTrih judgment even in tho holiest
.waTs there are deserters; even when freo gov-
. ernment Is at stake, many havfc turned back
- rather than endure tho hardships and privations
,-called for by tho struggle. Let us rather bo
thankful that there were as many heroes Among
the laboring men aB there were oven if there
were not enough.
It must be remembered, too, that npt all
labor Is organized, and tho leaders of organized
labor aro not in touch with unorganized labor
On the contrary, tho enemies of labor lost no
opportunity to array the unorganized laboring
men against, the democratic party. There ought
to bo no feeling of antagonism between or
ganized and unorganized labor for every advan
tage secured by organization for those who aro
members of tho organization Is soon onjoyedby
thoso who are not members. When wages aro
raised or conditions improved, all labor ulti
mately enjoys the gain, although the burden
of securing tho improvement falls upon tho
members of the organization.
Jt Is also true let it bo admitted with a
blush that, there aro those so prejudiced
against the laboring men as to bo alienated from
the democratic party by tho very fact that our
platform contained labor planks.
Some of the officials of tho Manufacturers'
Association, of which Mr. Van Cleavo is presi
dent, boldly appealed to this prejudice and at
tempted to make tho labor question paramount
in tho minds of all those who look upon tho
laboring man as a sort of dangerous creature
who, if npt surrounded by actual bars, ought
to be under constant surveillance.
Then, too, it must not bo overlooked that
a large percentage of the population seems to
be entirely indifferent to tho laboring man's
condition and to his demand for remedial legis
lation. The merchants, while they may not sympa
thize with the hostile attitude of some of the
large employers, aro not brought into sympa
thetic connection with the employes engaged in
wealth production.
The clerks in the stores do not count them
selves In tho same class with the laboring men;
they do not regard thejr Interests as identified
with those of the tollers.
The farm laborers ajso regaTd themselves
as In a different class and they Jabor under con
ditions quite dissimilar from thoso which sur
round tho factory worker or tho minor. Tho
farm laborer is employed by an Individual rather
than by a corporation. His personal acquain
tance with his employer protects him from tho
injustice to which tho employe of tho corpora
tion is subjected.
Tho farmers do not ns a rulo understand
tho labor situation. Tholr business does not
bring them into contact with tho industrial llfo
of tho city, and tho rolutions botweon them
selves and their omploycs, instead of Informing
them on Industrial conditions, is apt to give thorn
a wrong Impression as to;tho city laborer,
Now what is our party to do? Admitting
that tho laboring men nro not no troo as thoy
should bo to voto tholr sentiments; admitting
that unorganized labor does not feel tho sym
pathy that it should tool for organlzod lalfor;
admitting that some of tho larger corporate em
ployers aro distinctly hostile to labor as a class;
and Admitting that merchants, clerks, farmjIa
borers and farmers do; not thoroughly under
stand tho iogislativo needs of tho indusfrjal
laborers, what is tho democratic party to jilo?
Should it follow tho oxatnplo of tho republican
party and form an alliance with tho forces that
seem to control politics7 Should It cater to tho
corporate employees; should it encourage tho'ln
dlfferent'.by misrepresenting tho atlltnde nnd fho
plea of ftho laboring men7 Tho democratic
'party is J a permanent party-niUuinanijvcal
party. Whilo freo government exists" arid,
whorevor it exists, there must be a democratic
party a party in sympathy with tho common
peoplo and devoted to tho welfaro of the com
mon people. If tho party which calls Itself
tho democratic party fails to meet tho require
ments of tho situation, somo other party will
step In and become tho champion of the masses.
It", is Impossible for any party to become a suc
cessful rival with tho republican party for pluto
cratic support. If tho democratic party-were to
adopt a platform entirely satisfactory to tho
beneficiaries of privilege and favoritism, it would
simply commit suicide, for its record and the
record of its leaders would make it Impossible
for the democratic party to securo any consid
erable portion of the plutocratic voto, whilo an
abandoning of tho democratic position would
alienate tho rank and file of the paTty, ; ,
The hope of our party, therefore, lies not
in apostasy to democratic truth; not In the sun
render of Ideals; not In the desertion of tho
cause of tho people, but in education.
The laboring men should be strengthened
to resist the temptation which Is presented every
four years when, they aro asked to accept the
promlso of temporary employment Jn exchange
for the hope of better things. It is an old
sayng that "no ono need be a slave who has
learned hoyr to die;" bondage Is only possible
because men prefer bondage to death. With
equal truth it may bo said that no ona need
suffer injustice in a free country who is willing
to risk his all in the effort to secure justice.
Unorganized labor should be taught that
its interests are indissolubly linked with the In
terests of those, who through organization, are
seeking to improve tho condition of all who toil.
Tho employer should be taught that industrial
peace and harmonious co-operation between
labor and capital are possible only upon a basis
of justice and that It is short-sighted to deny
to tho laboring man legal protection in the en
joyment of his rights. It Is time that the large
corporate employers were forced to abandon the
cant and hypocrisy in which they indulge when
they express solicitude about tho protection of
non-union men from the union men. They aro
no more interested In non-union lobor fhan thoy
are In union labor. They use unorganized labor
to defeat "tho demands of organized labor, but
they are just as ready to oppress tho unorganized
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