The Pittsburgh Press (October 15, 1944)
Lewis ‘prescription’ fails –
Hard coal miners don’t swallow GOP
Union rank-and-file still behind Roosevelt
By Robert Taylor, Pittsburgh Press staff writer
Robert Taylor, an experienced Pennsylvania political writer, is touring the state to get a line on election sentiment.
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania – (Oct. 14)
John L. Lewis’ bitter opposition to the federal administration and New Deal labor policies hasn’t altered the political opinions of the rank-and-file of miners in Pennsylvania’s hard coalmining region.
The miner is still for President Roosevelt. He’ll back up Mr. Lewis on union policy. He feels that Mr. Lewis has been kicked around by the Roosevelt administration while he was fighting for the miners, but he isn’t following the UMWA boss in politics.
Not personally popular
As President of the Mine Workers, he’s okay – as something else, that’s another matter,” is the way miners summarize it.
Mr. Lewis isn’t personally popular in the hard coal section. In the past 20 years there have been three rump movements aimed at forming a separate anthracite workers’ union, to break away from what the hard coal miner believes is union domination by soft coal men.
The UMWA boss came out on top in all three fights, but there was violence and bloodshed in some. Three years ago, one of the three hard coal UMWA districts lost its autonomy in a revolt by district officers against the Lewis administration.
Haven’t profited by war
The hard coal miner’s devotion to Mr. Lewis, accordingly, is purely on an economic basis. The same reasoning applies to his political sentiments – the New Deal record of pro-labor legislation in the nation and the state counts with the miner. So, he supports Mr. Lewis in union matters; Mr. Roosevelt politically.
This might indicate that the five hard coal counties which, in 1940, produced a majority of almost 50,000 for the President, will repeat again in the fourth term campaign, but the majorities are not expected to be as large.
The hard coal section is the state’s only major industrial area which has continued under depression conditions during the war. Few war industries moved in; the coal industry has been going down for years, and thousands have moved out of the area in the past few years to take war jobs elsewhere.
Population losses have been sharp – local residents don’t like to estimate how sharp. Added to effects of the military draft, they have stripped the hard coal counties of thousands of their younger workers. The losses show up in the registration figures – particularly in the Democratic column.
Luzerne County typical
Luzerne County has almost 40,000 miners – nearly half the total in the anthracite region. In 1940, it had 126,580 registered Republicans and 94,884 Democrats and produced a majority of 21,892 for Mr. Roosevelt. This year, the registration is: 121,247 Republicans; 61,955 Democrats – a loss of 38,000 voters, only 5,000 of them Republicans.
Lackawanna County produced a majority of 16,412 for Mr. Roosevelt four years ago, when the registration stood 80,448 Democrats and 71,031 Republicans. This year’s registration, not yet totaled, will run about 74,700 Democrats and 63,500 Republicans – a loss of more than 13,000.
Schuylkill County has been near the break-even point in recent elections. In 1940, it gave Mr. Roosevelt a 5,234 majority in more than 92,000 votes. Last year’s registration was 61,441 Republicans, 35,172 Democrats.
GOP organization strong
Carbon and Northumberland counties produced majorities of 2,159 and 3,401 for the Democratic candidate in 1940. Both have Republican registration majorities and both went Republican in the 1942 governorship election.
Throughout the hard coal district, the Republican organization is well knit, well financed and backed by state and, in most district’s local patronage. The Democratic organization, built on a WPA base in 1936, is hampered now by lack of patronage and money.
Labor, however, is working together in the anthracite region for Mr. Roosevelt. The CIO Political Action Committee is campaigning among 80 CIO locals in the silk, textile, clothing and other minor industries of the region. AFL and Railway Brotherhood groups are cooperating, and some rank-and-file miners help.
GOP rallies well attended
Both Governor John W. Bricker, GOP vice-presidential nominee, and Vice President Henry A. Wallace drew large crowds in Wilkes-Barre. UMWA District officials – miners refer to them as the Lewis “payroll” – attend all rallies for Governor Thomas E. Dewey.
Despite the drop in total registration of voters, attributable to the population loss, the registration of new voters was heavy in the hard coal section, indicating unusual interest in the election and a heavy vote.