St. Paul daily globe., 1886-05-03
SIMPLY SEEKING STRENGTH.
Meaning of the Trades Union Meet
ing Called 10 PHILADELPHIA.


CLEVELAND, May 2.-P. J. Mcclure,
general secretary of the Brotherhood of
Carpenter and Joiners, whose name heads
the list of signatures to the secret circular
made public yesterday in Pittsburg, was
interviewed to-day regarding the object of
the conference of trades unions. Being
asked who was the author of the circular.
Mr.. Mcclure said:
Now that the matter has been brought
into print, will not hesitate to admit that
am the author OF the call for the proposed
conference OF the chief officers Of all the
tional and international trades unions. The
conference will be held at Philadelphia on the
eighteenth of this month, and since it's issue
many hearty responses favorable to the call
have been received ut my office. l prepared
the circular after due consultation in
various cities with many prominent labor
men, alike trades unionists and Knights Of
LABOR. Had it been matter of public con-
Germ would have most gladly given the cir
cular to the newspapers at the start. From
all indications some ind screet or misguided
person in PittSburg furnished the circular to
certain daily in that city. and since then
have been beSieged with letters and tele-
grams concerning it. There is no cause for
any undue alarm, and q far less need for SEN
satiUndi announcements OF q labor war or of
O bitter struggle between the trades unions
and the knights Of Labor. No such thought
ever entered my mind for mo-
melt, nor is it the intent of the signers
of the call. Nothing would afford the
enemies of organized labor more pleasure
than to see the trades unions and knights of
Labor precipitated into open hostilities or en-
gagged in an internecine quarrel, which, it is
needless to say, would be mutually hurtful, if
not largely suicidal
what is the object of the conference?"
LAS understand it, the object of the pro-
posed trades unions conference, and it is dis
tinctly stated in the call, is to devise plan
for
CLOSER ALLIANCE
and submit the same to the general officers of
the knights OF Labor for their adoption 1t
is hoped that in this way both orders can
enter into reciprocal agreement or under
standing to work together in parallel lines
without any collision and without encroach-
ing each others legitimate work For
want of this difficulties have cropped I'D in a
number of instances, and unless something
is done there is every likelihood of their re-
currence i'll the future. There is a certain
raw, impatient and inexperienced element
that has recently floated into the labor
movement. This element is hostile
to the patient constructive, conservative
methods of trades unions, and as is said in
the call for the trades union conference under
cover of the knights of Labor, and as far as
we can learn without authority from that
body this element pursues to evil work. Now
it is with view to checking this Strife-breed-
ing anarchic element and to arrive at a har-
monious understanding with the knights of
Labor and the trades unions desire to eStab-
hsh the closest terms OF fraternity, a COM
plete solidity of interests, and in
this I speak member of both orders
and like myself most of the trades
union officials are Knights of Labor. Was
there any real hostility between the two Or