The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-07-30
a NEW LEAGUE.
Business Men in the West Propose
to Protect Themselves.

CHICAGO, July 29.-Council No. 1, Conser-
vators' League of America, held an open
meeting Wednesday night, for the purpose of
discussing the object and aims of the organl-
zation. Judge Mark Bangs in stating the
character of the League, said that the recent
so-called labor troubles that had been SO dis
astrous, and which threaten still further pa
ralysis to business, had arisen from vital
misapprehensions of the true relation sus-
tanned by all classes to the business interests
of the country, and greatly aggravated ratl-
er than relieved the evils complained OF. 10
counteract these injurious results and to pro-
tect these all important business interests
and thus prove the highest good OF the coun,
try, the "ConservatorS' League OF Amerlca"
had been organized under charter OF lnc0r-
poration from the State of Illinois, the pur-
pose of which is to unite in one organization
all men who believe in the supremacy OF law
and are willing to join in putting IN motion
great moral voice to uphold the law and TO
conserve alike the rights of the employer
and employed. To protect business from
disorders and from all unlawful interference n,;
and to promote better understanding OF the
true relation of employer and employe, main
tanning the rights of each and adjusting
their differences.
Referring to the power of the Knights OF
Labor and similar organizations, he sad II
and guard against any attempt by them 10
capture the ballOt-bOX and control legislation
to stand between and antagonlZe Utoplan
schemes of the class who seek to overthrow
the present order of things, and to say TO
members of such organizations, "Inus lar
shalt thou go and no farther"
w. H. Vanornum read paper In advocacy
of the League. Labor organizations had
reached point where they dictated to firms
and individual employers what wages should
be paid, hours of work, number of employees
and kind of work to be done, and now bold
ly announce that they propose to secure by
the use of the ballot certain legislation
which would take away the last remaining
safeguards of business men and destroy the
commercial interests of the country. 1t all
tended towards anarchy and the overthrow
of the present order of civil and POLITICAL
liberty enjoyed by the people at large. 10
meet these schemes the business man has no
organization, and has, in fact, overlooked
the signs of the times.
To supply this deficiency and furnish
means to combat the new and dangerous en-,
emy Of the business world the Conseryators
League has been formed. Its councils had
already reached into four Western States,
and there was little doubt but that it was
destined to be the largest and strongest OF
any exclusively secular organization In the
world. The business men present expressed
themselves in favor of the League. The
League was organized April 24th, by the
foundation of a supreme council. SuDsldl-
airy councils are being formed under the con-
troll and advice of the supreme council, the
Chicago Council No. 1, having several hum
dred members. The proceedings of the
councils are to be kept secret.