How the Non-Partisan Policy Works

...In practice, the Council...

...non-partisan Committees are unquestionably partisan to all Tammany Hall candidates for public office...

...Sometimes the entire Tammany ticket is indorsed in toto without even the mention of individuals...

...Since Tammany Hall has nominees in all districts it Is evident that it would be imposlible to And a "friendless" district...

...C. V. Whitney, Democrat, has assured your committee that, if elected, organised labor could depend upon him to vote in favor of Legislation that would not only be beneficial to the organised workers, but to all workers in general...

...The tenor of some of these has been one of criticism of the Council and its officials...

...TJ1E political activity of the Central Trades and Lal>or Council* of Greater New York and Vicinity has been frequently the subject of articles and letters from readers in The New Leader...

...We must recognize the patent fact that the overwhelming majority of the workers In New York City are adherents of Tammany Hall...

...So what else was there to do but to endorse him against the man who, according to their own standards, did what was expected of him by organized laboi ? The committee's report on this case ; is interesting if not entertaining, so it is given herewith...

...Theory and Practice In theory the political policy of the Council is that of the American Federation of Labor, which is one of non-partisanship and calls for the rewarding of friends and the punishing of enemies...

...When the situation is reversed the Non partisan Committees become truly non-partisan...

...This brings us to another argument which is hurled at those who question the committee's recommendations...

...We must be armed with the facts and present them clearly...

...Strange, how a political label makes a differencel But in LaGuardia's case they at least had the claim that his Democratic opponent as an Alderman has a "favorable labor record" and that is proof to them that he will be 100 per cent in Congress...

...A similar lapse by a non-Democrat will damn him to purgatory forever after...

...Rut LaGuardia is not of Tammany Hall and the Democrats nominatea Alderman J . J . Lenzetta against him...

...but it was significant of the "nonpartisan nature" of the indorsements...

...Your committee Is of the opinion that the election of Mr...

...Not at all...

...Did the committee worry about the splitting of the vote which might endanger LaGuardia's re-election...

...Of course not...

...As I have indicated in the caaes of LaGuardia and Bacon this encouragement and reward argument is also held forth exclusively for Democrats...

...Whitney would be to the best interests of not only the working men and women of the First Congressional District, but the citizens of that district as well...

...The whole plank could have been read without fear of favorable comparison with ours...

...The write* was in a sickbed this year when the Non-partisan Committees reported and unfortunately was deprived of the pleasure of adding his voice to those of his comrades who were present...

...the followup word of "Democrat" being understood...

...His opponent, Mr...

...Apropos of this any attempt from November to September to discuss the need of organised labor's having a party of ita own Is out of order, as the council is not concerned with politics...

...They are, from our point of view, mistaken In their allegiance, but who will deny their legal right to ItT That a few men from organized labor's ranks are given political offices is beside the point and no reason to doubt the sincere though deplorable convictions of thousands...

...An Assemblyman, for instance, who voted for all of labor's measures is considered as being 100 per cent...

...For example, according to American Federation of I.MIIKI standards, Congressman LaGuardia's record is not only 100 per cent but he has co-operated to an extent which impelled President Creen to send a strong letter to Secretary Quinn urging the central body to back LaGuardia to the limit...

...rather, we must wage an Intelligent campaign of conversion...

...Did the Non-partisan Committee advise the Tammany candidate to seek a Congressional seat in a district where labor had no friend...

...The basis for endorsement for incumbents seeking re-election is the record of their votes on labor measures compiled by the New York State Federation of Labor or the American Federation of Labor...

...Socialists, Republicans and others need not apply...

...He has also pledged himself to vote for Modification of the Volstead Act and the Repeal of the 18th Amendment, a matter that is of deep concern to the Trade Union Movement...

...Sonny" Whitney The procedure was very simple...

...The American Federation of Labor, as well as a number of International Unions, have indorsed the candidacy of Congressman Bacon, Republican, for his efforts in presenting to Congress a Prevailing Rate of Wage Law, which has been enacted...

...Friendless" Districts Furthermore, the inquirer Is Informed that the delegate-candidate should not have become a candidate against the "100 per cent friend...

...But we must have patience...

...The Queens County Non-partisan Committee in particular often makes its report in this manner...

...The constant repetition of "Democrat," however, became not only tiresome...

...and in the remaining month of October we are, of course, discussing the "endorsement of individuals as described by the American Federation of Labor," and therefore the question of n Labor Party Is again out of order...

...1 regret that It has happened more than once in the past that our enthusiasm outweighed the intelligence of our tactics...

...The Situation Such is the situation and I have tried i to describe it coolly, for angry words will get us nowhere...

...As "nonpartisans" it was their bounden duty to give "favorable mention'' to both...

...The committee visited Democratic candidate Whitney, not to criticize him for running against a 100 per cent friend of labor but to ask him whether he would be a hundred per cent for labor if elected, and much to the delight of the committee he said "Yes...

...Some few years back it was the custom for each committee chairman to read off the names of every candidate endorsed and his political affiliation...

...By Emmerich Steinberger How the Non-Partisan Policy Works The New York Central Trade* Merely Conducts an Endorsing Machine for Tammany Candidates—Socialists Are in the Right, But Muit Use Tact to Win the Labor Movement to Correct Position...

...Did that discourage the committee...

...Therefore we must not resort to denunciations...

...Democratic Congressman X has been 100 per cent, and if we do not give him an exclusive endorsement, even though hia Socialist opponent Y is also doserving of support, what inducement is there for an elected offlcial to support our measures T You see, while we have nothing against Socialist candidate Y, wo must give all of our support to Democratic Congressmsn X as a reward and encouragement...

...This line of argument applies, however, only to Socialists who have the crust, gall or hutzpah to run for office...

...Did they endorse LaGuardia...

...This carte-blanche method saves time and at least strips the procedure of its farcical nature insofar as it purports to be non-partisan...

...When it happens, as it frequently does, that a Socialist party candidate is also a delegate to the Central Trades and Labor Council and he is running in the aame district with one of these Democratic "100 per centers" and some one inquires why the candidate who is a delegate to the Council and consequently unquestionably a "friend" of labor, is not endorsed, he is told that the policy Is to endorse only the incumbent with the 100 per cent record, so as to insure his re-election...

...As for example, the occasion when one of our comrades read off a part of the Democratic plank on unemployment and gave the impression thut what he read was all of It, whereas there was a great deal more, and thus gave the chairman of the council the chance to accuse the Socialists of being dishonest...

...The need for tact should be evident...

...And every once in a while when the excuses are exhausted we are gently reminded that after all the Democratic party Is a party of .11 classes and we cannot expect t h at we get what we want all the time...

...It is not the purpose of this article to reiterate those criticisms but to show how the Council always endorses Democrats in food standing with Tammany [all and its allied organizations in Greater New York...

...Damning those who do not agree with us as yet will avail us nothing, except to make enemies for us...

...However, in Nassau County, Republican Congressman Robert L. Bacon had a 100 per cent record and as such was endorsed by the A. F. of I. nationally...

...Off the Reservation If it should happen that a Tammany Brave, who is an officeholder, runs off the reservation rnd votes against labor, thus making him only 88 or 92'A per cent for labor, a promise to be a good boy in the future restores him t>> favor...

...In this case the Democratic candidate, Cornelius Vanderbilt ('Sonny') Whitney, had not held office and had no record...

...In recent years, therefore, when individual names of endorsed candidates are read off, we are regaled with names only...

...I hope to focus attention on the philosophy and arguitients used in arriving at those indorsements, over which a few Socialist delegates annually engage in comlrat...

...With penistence and the proper presentation of the facts and a wholehearted co-operation In th* constructive work of the council, we will eventually succeed In convincing our fellow members of ths trade union movement of the futility of the present policy, which it not viin jim Hun a and would ha wremg avtin if it wrt...

...Comrade Leonard C. Kaye In 1931 *»i refused an endorsement on the basis of the above "non-partisan logic...