Midwest MCF Faces First Test
Martinson, WILLARD and Mary
Midwest MCF Faces First Test By WILLARD and Mary Martinson QbritOIT. Th* Michigan Commonwealth Federation, fa) third party of Michigan, was organized eight anatn* ago. Its first show of strength...
...A great number of secondary leaders in UAW locals, who are not now actively identified with tha MCF have promised to affiliate following November 7th...
...The MCF it ¦tarn because of two policies established by its eonsti-ptatn: stating that it will not endorse candidates from mf ether political party and that it will not accept dash affiliates from outside organizations . . . these ptsiee sat a new precedent in political action...
...Same negative factors are the hostility of the Communist Political Association, and the growing sentiment anong certain labor circles that the latere ia rich with the prospect of capturing the ^¦eeratie Parly...
...Election results will condition the post election growth...
...Lincoln, who is widely known as America's leading coopcrator...
...The technique brings with it dividends f training and group morale valuable to a new party...
...Capturing the Democratic Party, although a possibility is one that would bring arid results nationally as well as internal dissension within the labor movement...
...Tha situation in ¦•r industrial areas in Michigan is similar...
...TlIK most important farmers' organications In tha state state Is the Ohio Farm Bureau, headed by Murray Dr...
...The reason for thia waa glean with attar aincerity when aha aaid, "We're farmers.'' The traditional tie-ap between the farmer* and the Republican Party hasn't yet been broken, even whan the practical programs arc la conflict...
...We are advised that the present course is to continue a skeleton organization although anything may happen...
...heard describing the bureau °» co-op achievement...
...Its first show of strength will be Novem-*a>7th with five randidatea running for the State l-eg-saamr* and on* Congressional candidate...
...Southern Ohio, with Cincinnati as its largest city, Is traditionally Republican...
...The formation of a third party by the PAC Citizens Committee nationally will make many.a worker akeptical about bureau*rati* control of CIO political action...
...However, the MCF has not been tied to tha CIO because of a large percentage of MCF members eataida of the CIO...
...If tha PAC continue* on its present course than th* present endorsements have sat the stage for future endorsements...
...Ohio state institutions have been aptly described as medieval...
...With equal or greater registrations, and greater effort to turnout the vote, the 7,000 lead that Willkic had over Roosevelt in 1940 is expected to be reversed...
...Social services in general are shockingly low and the Republican machine is not above cynically exploiting their recipients around election time...
...Publicity has been primarily limited to two leaflets, utlets in sympathetic union papers, and an excep-ionally large quantity of self-screened signs made by olunteer help from the party membership...
...It remains to be seen however, whether the Dewey-Bricker-Taft ticket will win...
...And aha admitted that there waa a great similarity between her views and those of tha Scandinavian aecial-democrata...
...Three possibilities present themselves, none of which involve going bark to political passivity...
...If Roosevelt carries Ohio, as Vice-President Wr"aca predicted after the registration figures came in, ft will largely be due to the effective work of the trade unions...
...Ijibor in Ohio is united against Taft and the state AFL has joined the campaign for Roosevelt along with Hie CIO and Railroad Trainmen Registration in the industrial centers such as Cleveland, Toledo, Akron and Cincinnati was far greater than anyone expected...
...This provision is a threat to every Ohio community, which hopes to make any local improvement...
...The MCF is taking no chances with this, its first and racial election...
...Before registrations were closed, the Republican political analysts were predicting a small vote and a large Republican plurality...
...Tha chief concern is over Mathew Hammond, rhair-aaa of the party, in his race for Congress in the )7th NMrict...
...Ohio Cities vs...
...Unlike the national Farm Bureau, the Ohio organisation is a vigorous one with a liberal program...
...His opponent is Cincinnati's Mayor James Garfield Stewart, an Ohio Republican imitation of Jimmy Walker, without the letter's talents, sophistication and charm...
...A technique has been worked out (•combining all possible volunteers on Sunday when hay are free and forming a campaigning caravan, hmsbells are rung, voters interviewed, literature passed aa> Thus two weeks ago thirty workers covered 6,000 ***** in Pei tidal* and 100 workers coveted Pontiac war by door...
...The future of PAC is a matter of serious concern to the CIO and to the nation at large...
...Tha key to this judg-|g* hy tha registration figures and the unparalled by PAC for getting out the vote...
...Lincoln is also chairman of tha Cooperative League of America, the consumers' co-op organisation...
...Less straight htte votes are expected in Michigan because of the •lion of the Michigan Republican legislature to print hi National and State ballots on separate form...
...The MCF does not expect any great farm vote for a other reason than geography, finances, and gas tanning...
...The buildings are dilapidated and outmoded and there are too few to provide anything that approaches proper care for the sick and the handicapped...
...Even at this Ista date the unions ire fighting sn uphill battle against the paternalism and company unionism which is still the dominant tone of industrial relationa in most of the comparatively small owner-operated plants...
...A large surplus in the slate treasury is their chief claim to fame...
...With members scattered through the ¦tensive 17th, which includes the largest ward of latreit with 48,000 registered voters, the problem of ww to reach the voters was enormous...
...Rural Areas By NATHANIEL COLEMAN Cl.EVELANI...
...two, an attempt to capture the Democratic Party (a frank possibility in Michigsn...
...As Wallace said in reference to tha PAC in Ohio recently, "We know who's responsible for tha lace i. g-Istration...
...Large-scale mass production industry is still rather tha exception, though the war ha* brought such innovations...
...The Communist* recognizing* ,k* growing and potential strength of the MCF were recently compelled to take tha air over a "ctroit station to condemn the MCF for ruining •aa chances of Hicks, the 'democratic" liberal from defeating Dondero...
...The J* Tate fatal in Wayne County waa 732.W9...
...MCF leaders feel that this is tha wisest course of action...
...And while these funds sit idly in the stste's coffers, providing a wonderful audit statement of budget balancing, Ohio's public institution* have been allowed to go to rot and ruin...
...How thorough the preparations for getting out the voters have may be judged from tha fact that PAC will have a turnout of 1,600 workers, challengers, drivers, slate passen in Pontiac alone which ha* 33 precinct* and 32,000 registered voter...
...At this writing, it is hard to predict the out-i*m* of th* three cornered race between Hammond, Hiss, a democratic nonentity (claims life-long ac-amintanee with Cordell Hull and thinks a national poll ax would be a good source of taxation revenue I and salationist Republican George Dondero...
...The statutory requirement of a 66 per cent vote on local bond issues is another example of Kepublican policy...
...flAMMOND has been endorsed by PAC...
...With Ohio's Governor Btickei campaigning for the vice-presidency, we were certain of the ranting about New Deal radicalism, the evils of the CIO-PAC, th* sacredness of free enterprise...
...However, this will probably be the peak effort in the 17th...
...But what they don't shout about is that the source of tha surplus is a state sales tax, which exercises great pressure on the wage earner and small farmer...
...The Kepublican machine, headed by Ed Schorr of Cincinnati, reportedly has a $1,300,000 slush fund to spend this year...
...It's a small-shop machine tool area, industrially, and dominated by the manufacturer's association, which made it notorious as an open shop center in years past...
...Besides being the center of old guard Republican strength, southern Ohio has also given birth to such movements as the "Mothers of Sons...
...Party lit-raUur* emphasizes the platform of the MCF going so sr as to call for the retention of government-owned ilanta and machinery...
...It is evident that some CIO leaders, including UAW leadership, is favorable to tha MCP...
...For local bond issues can be defeated, at thry have been, by a small minority of Hie electorate...
...How much his means depends upon the PAC straight slate vote, lesktes Hammond, five Republicans have been endorsed, lera are large numbers of CIO members in the 17th...
...North of the state capitol, the Democratic pluralities of the large industrial cities are usually sufficient to swamp the Republican vote in the rural areas...
...That they don't entirely believe it themselves can be seen from the formation of "citizens committees" in smsll industrial towns, whose function it is to smear the CIO's political activities...
...Yet, only a few weeks ago, the attempt by General Motors to build an auto body plant in Cincinnatti was stopped by the pressure placed on it...
...However, the re-P»nse to Hammond before such groups as the league I Women Voters and the American Federation of eschars has been sympathetic...
...The AFL in its official endorsements passed **r the MCF candidates in silence...
...In 1940, Cincinnati wan the only large city in the country tn go Republican...
...Now, they are attempting to prove that the unexpected large registration was not in response to the activities of the CIO-PAC, but came from white collar middle class neighborhoods...
...Th* political implication, of the cooperative movement, however, have not been drawn...
...Ohio, under the Bricker administration, is an example of the Republican stalwarts in action...
...However, by November'7th over 40,000 homes will awe been canvassed, primarily in the sreas inhabited iy-industrial workers...
...The gubernatorial campaign' this year is an indication of the division...
...Since the large city veto will be the determining factor in this doubtful state, the effectiveness of the trade union support of Roosevelt will sea the test on November 7. g...
...Northern Ohio, on tha other hand, has the important rubber industry of Akron, bo-sides the large-scale industries of Cleveland, Youngs-town snd Toledo...
...Yet when naked how aha voted, aha aald Republican...
...The various pre-election polls have placed Ohio's 23 electoral college votes in the doubtful column...
...The friendly relations among the Ohio unions, made possible by Phil Hannah, secretary of the Ohio AFL, makes for a more unified front of the t ado unions' political expressions...
...aaeau that the Democrats will fare well, with the **»Mhai carrying the atate...
...MCPers greet this latest rec-•galUea of its strength in labor eircles snd the trataiteaa publicity...
...State hospitals have been cramming 62 people into a room for 36...
...ay delivery from 30% upwards would undoubtedly •as* an MCF victory when added to the independent ¦arts of the party, and the great union prestige of iammond, particularly in the UAW...
...The registration in Wayne County is 1,060,006 and *C expects a 96 per cent turnout...
...The Democratic candidate is Mayor Frsnk Launch* of Cleveland, whose only organized support in the primary was the CIO-PAC...
...An ardent Ohio Farm Bureau worker waa...
...three, the formation of an independent party...
...One is continuing PAC as s skeleton organization with it* preient policies, reviving it when elections come...
...Politically, Ohio can be divided into a Democratic north and a Republican south, with the dividing line running through Columbus...
Vol. 27 • November 1944 • No. 45
