The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-12-04
THE TRADES UNION
AT COLUMBUS
COLUMBUS,
The Amalgamated Association will Not be
Represented In the BOdy-ChIeagO
Knights of Labor Ignore
PowdeFly y'sASSsssmsnt Order,

PITTsBURGH, Dec, SIT was learned
from the most reliable sourcs this morn.
ing that the Amalgamated Association ol
Iron and Steel Workers will not be rep
resented at the Convention Of the Nation.
81 and international Trades Unions, which
will be held at Columbus, o., commencing
on next Wednesday. AS has been stated
before in the press the convention gave
promise OF being one OF the most import
ant that was ever held in this country
by labor representatives. The Knights
OF Labor, who have been quoted at
length, have been very suspicious OF
the object OF the convention, II was 90
generally thought that the Amalgamated
Association would be one Of the leaders at
the Columbus convention that the suss-
tiOp ottheir deciding not to, be represented
at q l was never even doubted by the
leading labor REPRESENTATIVES. AS the
call for the meeting ol the Trades Unions
had attached to II the name Of President
William Weihe, OF the Amalganated
Association, It was taken for granted that
bis oIganiz ltion would take an active
part at the Columbus convention.
When the writer informed q number OF
labor leaders this morning that the report
had come from o reliable source that the
AmslgSmRtsd psople would have nothing
whatever to do with the Trades Unions
Convention, they were edumhEounded, aud
at first were inclined TO doubt the state
ment. Said representative labor leaderi
III tho Amslgamated Association has
really decided not to ba represented at the
Convention, they have made grand mis-.
take. II they think that they can stand
by themselves they will soon Aad that
they are taking wrong step. But then
| cannot understand how such action Yss
decided upon. How comes II that their
President, William Weihe, has his name
attached TO the official call for the conven.
Iopp 1t seems very strange"
sEcRErARY MARTINS CONFIRMATION.
Secretary William Martin, oi the Amal-
gsmated Association, when seen said
eyes, it Is true that we will not be repre-.
sented at all at the Convention. Tue rea.
son that Mr.. Welhe's name is attached to
the call ior the Convention Is easily ex.
planned, You will remember that he rep.
resented us last May at the meeting oi
the Trades Upions at Philadelphia. II
vas there that the call was authorized.
Mr.. Mcclure was Secretary. In Issuing
the call he had Mr.. Weihe'a name attach.
ed to It. Our annual Convention was
held in this CITY tho next June. II was
there decided, i0H reasolg best known to
ourselves, not to go Into the Tradea
Unions Convention, at least Tor the
present"
Thomas A. Armstrong, when informed
Of the actiou Of the Amalgamsted Aeso.
citation, seemed very much surprised. He
said briefly, but to the point; ~ think
that II they are not represented 1t will be
q great, a terrible miatako."
Aleading msmber oi District Assembly
No. 8, Kuights Of Labor, was equally sur.
prissd when informed OF tho decision.
He smiled as though he considered that it
was point gained by the Knights Of
Labor over the trades unions in their call
Tor convention. He admitted that he
had heard q rumor OF the Amalgamated
Associations position, but had not bo.
lore heard anything definite. II don't
know" he said, "but It looks 10 me as
though this action was the result OF the
influence Of the members who are also
knights of Labor. This laptlon favor us,
and 1t would seem that they would regard
It as unwise to attend the convention, es.
that their organization Is
voting upon the question OF entering the
Knightsot Labor order" II was also ru-
mored to-day that the Brotherhood OF Lo-
engineers had taken the same
posit on as tho Amalgamated Association,
and they would not be represented next
week at the convention at Columbus.