International May Day and American Labor Day: A Holiday Expressing Working Class Emancipation Versus a Holiday Exalting Labor's ChainsReinstein, Boris
History
International May Day and American Labor Day: A Holiday Expressing Working Class Emancipation Versus a Holiday Exalting Labor's Chains
Reinstein, Boris
Labor Day; May Day (Labor holiday); Socialism; Working class -- Political activity
The State Comptroller, who is responsible for the payment of salaries to
state officials, took the stand that he had no right to authorize the
payment of salaries to Mitchell and his appointees on the ground that
Governor Sulzer had no legal right to appoint Mitchell without the
consent of the State Senate, even if it was as a “matter of emergency”
during the recess of the Legislature. Attorney-General Carmody of the
State of New York took the same stand. The fight over poor Mitchell’s
job was taken from stage to stage till it reached the highest court in
the State, the Court of Appeals, which finally settled the fight by
deciding against Mitchell and Sulzer. If Mitchell lost this fat job, it
was only because of too strictly partisan politics played in this case,
because Mitchell was not strict enough a Democrat to suit the Democratic
majority in the State Senate. It was not opposed to him as
“representative of Labor.” And there can be no doubt that Mitchell will
not remain long on the list of politically “unemployed,” that at the
very first opportunity he will be given a good fat political job.
Oh, you can leave it to the capitalists, they know how to appreciate
such friends of theirs, how to take care of such “labor lieutenants” of
theirs, as the late capitalist and leading politician Senator Mark Hanna
called the leaders of the American Federation of Labor.
Case of James T. Lynch.
The latest instance of this policy of the capitalist politicians
occurred only a short time ago. When Governor Sulzer, of New York, was
finally prevented by the Court of Appeals from rewarding his pet John
Mitchell with that fat job of State Commissioner of Labor, what did he
do? He looked around in the market for other available “labor
lieutenants,” and found a whole raft of them standing in line waiting
for their political rewards and ready to be “seduced” without much
coaxing. His attention was attracted to the big, towering, Taft-like
figure of James T. Lynch, of Syracuse, N. Y. Governor Sulzer began to do
some figuring:
“First—Has Lynch enough of a following and influence in the Labor
Movement to be able to ‘deliver the goods,’ to influence his followers
in favor of myself and my Democratic party?”
Why yes, Jim Lynch is the International President of the International
Typographical Union, one of the pillars and most influential leaders of
the American Federation of Labor.
“Good! Next. How about his politics? Is he a good enough Democrat? Won’t
I have the trouble with him I had about Mitchell’s appointment?”
Don’t worry! Lynch is a solid “a number one” Democrat.
“Fine! Now, what is his position in the Labor Movement? Is he safe and
sane? May be he is one of those radical, Socialistic Labor Leaders?”
Who? Jim Lynch?! Isn’t he one of the most bitter, rabid enemies of
Socialism? Isn’t he a member of the National Executive Committees of
both the National Civic Federation and of the Ultramontane
Roman-Catholic “Militia of Christ”?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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