Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-12-12
FOR EIGHT HOURS A DAY.
The Principal Theme of the
 Federated Convention.
PRESIDENT GoMpERs' ADDRESS.

He Makes Practical Suggestions for a
 General Eight Hour Agitation and the Committee Takes the Subject in Hand. Criticisms of trc x. of l. ST LOUIS, Dec l3--The convention of the American Federation of Labor was called to order iy President Gompers at noon in Central Turner nail! s. S. Bass and President C. L. Wuo iyHIi, Of Washington university, made a:i !r,.>sas If welcome, re- sponded to by Fresill ,nt GonIpers. com mittee on crrd4rtia!s was appointed, after which the convention adjourned until 5 o'clock About iO0 delegates are i'll attend ance.
 At the afternoon sson the committee on credentials reported seating forty seven delegates, representing thirty three bodies. The committee OF rules reported fixing the hours of the sessirp from 2 q. n to l2 noon, and from unti! D. m, The Federation got quickly to work, and i'll ltss than half an hour from calling the ession to order Presi- dent Gompers called First Vice President Daniel Mclaughlin, Of Braidwood, Ills, to the chair and took the floor to read his an nual report.
 The report opens by dec.arilg the purpose of the meeting to ba to plan for the full amelioration of the wrongs now existing and the bcttelmont of tae entire industrial body. Considerable space is given to the eight hour working day. Upon this subject MT. Gompcrs says: "ln connection with the eight hour movement permit me to direct your attention to what believe some of the actions of this convention should be toward achieving success. We should not content ourselves with the passage of resolution meaning nothing If this con Yention should decide to engage the attention Of tas work ing people to the adoption of the eight hour work day, it should take such steps as would lead to practical action and results would suggest further that we should encourage the formation of eight hour leagues ill every city and town throughout the entire coun- Ty, and that the trade unions should be epresented in them, not to conflict with the local Central Labor unions or trade coun- cils, but to concentrate their efforts upon the eight hour movement alone. l suggest further that certain day be set apart, some holiday, probably Feb, p, 1889, on which mass meetings shall be held simultapeously throughout the entire country for the dis cussion of this subject, and resolutions of a similar character be submitted to each of these meetings. There are other matters of detail connected with this subject which it is unnecessary to refer tQ."
 MT. Gompers strikes hard ct autecracy in the labor movement and declares that "auto- cracy is as dangerous in labor unions as it is in the state."
 As to strikes he says: "For quite time a great deal has been said in condemnation of strikes by labor or pseudo-labor men with which I confess I have no patience. It is true that no man who has given the question of strikes and the labor movement any thought can look upon strikes with favor but to be continually condemn g them is kl- strike and particularly when not to strike is a science not yet fully understood. Mouth ing condemnation of strikes, we find by ex- perience, does not abolish or even reduce their number. AS a consistent opponent of strikes, though, do find that those organiza- tions of labor which have best provided themselves with the means to strike have continually less occasion to indulge in them. The most potent factor to prevent or re- duce the number of strikes is well organ ized trade union, with full treasury, ready to strike should the necessity arise" i Of relation to other organizations tho re- port says: "Our position has not and is not likely to materially change. The Federation, being the representative of the trade union movement, can afford to be generous, even to its enemies The trade unions have no fatulent existence They were not called into being by any necromancy. Their exist ence is the natural and historically developed result of our economic conditions and en- vironments."
 | The report charges that Powderly, after asking for a conference looking to harmony between the Knigh hts of Labor and the Feder- ation, failed to meet the Federation repre- sentauiyes Throughout the report bitter ness is shown against the Knights of Labor which, however, seemed to meet with little response from the delegates. It says: .tOf the Knights of Labor can merely say that their conduct toward the trade unions within the past year has not improved It has seemed, whether by design or otherwise, to be their purpose that when trades union has had dispute between their employer and themselves to throw the influence of their organization against the toilersn
 The report closes with grateful recogni- tion of the assistance and support the presi- dent has received from the various branches, and strongly urges for the future strict autonomy of trades, yet strong alliance of all. Hearty applause followed the close of the report
 Frank K. Foster, of the Central Labor union of Boston, moved to refer that part of the report relating to the eight hour question to special committee, to report upon the feasibility of the recommendation, and if found feasible to report ways and means for its enforcement.
 After some debate, which brought out the
 eight hour day question as the central one ot the session, it was carried.
 The delegates attended a banquet last night
 rendered by the Trades and Labor assembly of this city.
 MT. Ingalls, Denial.
 WASHINGTON, Dec. 12-Senator Ingall.