the armies of labor-第28部分

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It　is　not　necessary　to　assume；　as　some　observers　have　done；　that　these　petty　political　excursions　wrecked　the　labor　movement　of　that　day。　It　was　perfectly　natural　that　the　laborer；　when　he　awoke　to　the　possibilities　of　organization　and　found　himself　possessed　of　unlimited　political　rights；　should　seek　a　speedy　salvation　in　the　ballot　box。　He　took；　by　impulse；　the　partisan　shortcut　and　soon　found　himself　lost　in　the　slough　of　party　intrigue。　On　the　other　hand；　it　should　not　be　concluded　that　these　intermittent　attempts　to　form　labor　parties　were　without　political　significance。　The　politician　is　usually　blind　to　every　need　except　the　need　of　his　party；　and　the　one　permanent　need　of　his　party　is　votes。　A　demand　backed　by　reason　will　usually　find　him　inert；　a　demand　backed　by　votes　galvanizes　him　into　nervous　attention。　When；　therefore；　it　was　apparent　that　there　was　a　labor　vote；　even　though　a　small　one；　the　demands　of　this　vote　were　not　to　be　ignored；　especially　in　States　where　the　parties　were　well　balanced　and　the　scale　was　tipped　by　a　few　hundred　votes。　Within　a　few　decades　after　the　political　movement　began；　many　States　had　passed　lien　laws；　had　taken　active　measures　to　establish　efficient　free　schools；　had　abolished　imprisonment　for　debt；　had　legislative　inquiry　into　factory　conditions；　and　had　recognized　the　ten…hour　day。　These　had　been　the　leading　demands　of　organized　labor；　and　they　had　been　brought　home　to　the　public　conscience；　in　part　at　least；　by　the　influence　of　the　workingmen's　votes。

It　was　not　until　after　the　Civil　War　that　labor　achieved　sufficient　national　homogeneity　to　attempt　seriously　the　formation　of　a　national　party。　In　the　light　of　later　events　it　is　interesting　to　sketch　briefly　the　development　of　the　political　power　of　the　workingman。　The　National　Labor　Union　at　its　congress　of　1866　resolved　〃that；　so　far　as　political　action　is　concerned；　each　locality　should　be　governed　by　its　own　policy；　whether　to　run　an　independent　ticket　of　workingmen；　or　to　use　political　parties　already　existing；　but　at　all　events　to　cast　no　vote　except　for　men　pledged　to　the　interests　of　labor。〃　The　issue　then　seemed　clear　enough。　But　six　years　later　the　Labor　Reform　party　struck　out　on　an　independent　course　and　held　its　first　and　only　national　convention。　Seventeen　States　were　represented。*　The　Labor　party；　however；　had　yet　to　learn　how　hardly　won　are　independence　and　unity　in　any　political　organization。　Rumors　of　pernicious　　intermeddling　by　the　Democratic　and　Republican　politicians　were　afloat；　and　it　was　charged　that　the　Pennsylvania　delegates　had　come　on　passes　issued　by　the　president　of　the　Pennsylvania　Railroad。　Judge　David　Davis　of　Illinois；　then　a　member　of　the　United　States　Supreme　Court；　was　nominated　for　President　and　Governor　Joel　Parker　of　New　Jersey　for　Vice…President。　Both　declined；　however；　and　Charles　O'Conor　of　New　York；　the　candidate　of　〃the　Straight…Out　Democrats；〃　was　named　for　President；　but　no　nomination　was　made　for　Vice…President。　Considering　the　subsequent　phenomenal　growth　of　the　labor　vote；　it　is　worth　noting　in　passing　that　O'Conor　received　only　29；489　votes　and　that　these　embraced　both　the　labor　and　the　so…called　〃straight〃　Democratic　strength。

*　It　is　interesting　to　note　that　in　this　first　National　Labor　Party　Convention　a　motion　favoring　government　ownership　and　the　referendum　was　voted　down。


For　some　years　the　political　labor　movement　lost　its　independent　character　and　was　absorbed　by　the　Greenback　party　which　offered　a　meeting…ground　for　discontented　farmers　and　restless　workingmen。　In　1876　the　party　nominated　for　President　the　venerable　Peter　Cooper；　　who　received　about　eighty　thousand　votesmost　of　them　　probably　cast　by　farmers。　During　this　time　the　leaders　of　the　labor　movement　were　serving　a　political　apprenticeship　and　were　learning　the　value　of　cooperation。　On　February　22；　1878；　a　conference　held　at　Toledo；　Ohio；　including　eight　hundred　delegates　from　twenty…eight　States；　perfected　an　alliance　between　the　Labor　Reform　and　Greenback　parties　and　invited　all　〃patriotic　citizens　to　unite　in　an　effort　to　secure　financial　reform　and　industrial　emancipation。〃　Financial　reform　meant　the　adoption　of　the　well…known　greenback　free　silver　policy。　Industrial　emancipation　involved　the　enactment　of　an　eight…hour　law；　the　inspection　of　workshops；　factories；　and　mines；　the　regulation　of　interstate　commerce；　a　graduated　federal　income　tax；　the　prohibition　of　the　importation　of　alien　contract　labor；　the　forfeiture　of　the　unused　portion　of　the　princely　land　grants　to　railroads；　and　the　direct　participation　of　the　people　in　government。　These　fundamental　issues　were　included　in　the　demands　of　subsequent　labor　and　populist　parties；　and　some　of　them　were　bequeathed　to　the　Progressive　party　of　a　later　date。　The　convention　was　thus　a　forerunner　of　genuine　reform；　for　its　demands　were　based　upon　industrial　needs。　For　the　moment　it　made　a　wide　popular　appeal。　In　the　state　elections　of　1878　about　a　million　votes　were　polled　by　the　party　candidates。　The　bulk　of　these　were　farmers'　votes　cast　in　the　Middle　and　Far　West；　though　in　the　East；　Massachusetts；　Pennsylvania；　New　York；　Maine；　and　New　Jersey　cast　a　considerable　vote　for　the　party。

With　high　expectations　the　new　party　entered　the　campaign　of　1880。　It　had　over　a　dozen　members　in　Congress；　active　organizations　in　nearly　every　State；　and　ten　thousand　local　clubs。　General　James　B。　Weaver；　the　presidential　nominee　of　the　party；　was　the　first　candidate　to　make　extensive　campaign　journeys　into　distant　sections　of　the　country。　His　energetic　canvass　netted　him　only　308；578　votes；　most　of　which　came　from　the　West。　The　party　was　distinctly　a　farmers'　party。　In　1884；　it　nominated　the　lurid　Ben　Butler　who　had　been；　according　to　report；　〃ejected　from　the　Democratic　party　and　booted　out　of　the　Republican。〃　His　demagogic　appeals；　however；　brought　him　not　much　more　than　half　as　many　votes　as　the　party　received　at　the　preceding　election；　and　helped　to　end　the　political　career　of　the　Greenbackers。

With　the　power　of　the　farmers　on　the　wane；　the　balance　began　to　shift。　There　now　followed　a　number　of　attempts　to　organize　labor　in　the　Union　Labor　party；　the　United　Labor　party；　the　Progressive　Labor　party；　the　American　Reform　party；　and　the　Tax　Reformers。　There　were　still　numerous　farmers'　organizations　such　as　the　Farmers'　Alliance；　the　Anti…Monopolists；　the　Homesteaders；　and　others；　but　they　were　no　longer　the　dominant　force。　Under　the　stimulus　of　the　labor　unions；　delegates　representing　the　Knights　of　Labor；　the　Grangers；　the　Anti…Monopolists；　and　other　farmers'　organizations；　met　in　Cincinnati　on　February　22；　1887；　and　organized　the　National　Union　Labor　party。*　The　following　May　the　party　held　its　only　nominating　convention。　Alson　J。　Streeter　of　Illinois　was　named　for　President　and　Samuel　Evans　of　Texas　for　Vice…President。　The　platform　of　the　party　was　based　upon　the　prevalent　economic　and　political　discontent。　Farmers　were　overmortgaged；　laborers　were　underpaid；　and　the　poor　were　growing　poorer；　while　the　rich　were　daily　growing　richer。　〃The　paramount　issues；〃　the　new　party　declared；　〃are　the　abolition　of　usury；　monopoly；　and　trusts；　and　we　denounce　the　Republican　and　Democratic　parties　for　creating　and　perpetuating　these　monstrous　evils。〃

*　McKee；　〃National　Conventions　and　Platforms；〃　p。　251。


In　the　meantime　Henry　George；　whose　〃Progress　and　Poverty〃　had　made　a　profound　impression　upon　public　thought；　had　become　in　1886　a　candidate　for　mayor　of　New　York　City；　and　polled　the　phenomenal　total　of　68；110　votes；　while　Theodore　Roosevelt；　the　Republican　candidate；　received　60；485；　and　Abram　S。　Hewitt；　the　successful　Democratic　candidate；　polled　90；552。　The　evidence　of　popular　support　which　attended　Henry　George's　brief　political　career　was　the　prelude　to　a　national　effort　which　culminated　in　the　formation　of　the　United　Labor　party。　Its　platform　was　similar　to　that　of　the　Union　party；　except　that　the　single　tax　now　made　its　appearance。　This　method　contemplated　the　〃taxation　of　land　according　to　its　value　and　not　according　to　its　area；　to　devote　to　common　use　and　benefit　those　values　which　arise；　not　from　the　exertion　of　the　individual；　but　from　the　growth　of　society；〃　and　the　abolition　of　all　taxes　on　industry　and　its　products。　But　it　was　apparent　from　the　similarity　of　their　platforms　and　the　geographical　distribution　of　their　candidates　that　the　two　labor　parties　were　competing　for　the　same　vote。　At　a　conference　held　in　Chicago　to　effect　a　union；　however；　the　Union　Labor　party　insisted　on　the　complete　effacement　of　the　other　ticket　and　the　single　taxers　refused　to　submit。　In　the　election　which　followed；　the　Union　Labor　party　received　about　147；000　votes；　largely　from　the　South　and　West　and　evidently　the　old　Greenback　vote；　while　the　United　party　polled　almost　no　votes　outside　of　Illinois　and　New　York。　Neither　party　survived　the　result　of　this　election。

In　December；　1889；　committees　representing　the　Knights　of　Labor　and　the　Farmers'　Alliance　met　in　St。　Louis　to　come　to　some　agreement　on　political　policies。　Owing　to　the　single　tax　predilection　of　the　Knights；　the　two　organizations　were　unable　to　enter　into　a　close　union；　but　they　nevertheless　did　agree　that　〃the　legislative　committees　of　both　organizations　＇would＇　act　in　concert　before　Congress　for　the　purpose　of　securing　the　enactment　of　laws　in　harmony　with　their　demands。〃　This　cooperation　was　a　forerunner　of　the　People's　party　or；　as　it　was　commonly　called；　the　Populist　party；　the　largest　third　party　that　had　taken　the　field　since　the　Civil　War。　Throughout　the　West　and　the　South　political　conditions　now　were　feverish。　Old　party　majorities　were　overturned；　and　a　new　type　of　Congressman　invaded　Washington。　When　the　first　national　convention　of　the　People's　party　met　in　Omaha　on　July　2；　1892；　the　outlook　was　bright。　General　Weaver　was　nominated　for　President　and　James　G。　Field　of　Virginia　for　Vice…President。　The　platform　rehabilitated　Greenbackism　in　cogent　phrases；　demanded　government　control　of　railroads　and　telegraph　and　telephone　systems；　the　reclamation　of　land　held　by　corporations；　an　income　tax；　the　free　coinage　of　silver　and　gold　〃at　the　present　legal　ratio　of　sixteen　to　one；〃　and　postal　savings　banks。　In　a　serie