The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-01

national Union .......... 20 1850
Jomneymen Plumbers and
Gasitters ................... COCO
Int. typographical Union..-. 275 $4,000
German American Typoxpa: 20 l,l00
brotherhood OF Railroad
Lasters' Protective Union. 60 0'50l
Mulespinners' Union. ....... 10000
Stonecutters' Union ........- % 1900
Journeymen Tailors' Union. 20 $500
brotherhood of Telegraphers. 5000
Textile Workers Progressive
Umbrella, Pipe and Cane
workers ................. S 1900
Woodcarvers' Union. ....... 1000
Foremost among the leaders OF labor who
will take part in the Boston convention will
be Grand Chief Peter NJ. B. Arthur of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.
When the elevated railroad engineers, sew
eral years ago, made their famous fight for
nine hours, Mr.. Arthur was their leader
and 1t was largely owing to his GOODNESS and
sagacity that they won. No indication of
the contemplated strike was permitted to
leak out, and it was unsupported till the mo-
ment when the delegation of engineers pre-
scented their bill of grievances and asked for
a conference. At that time all the engineers
on the entire system of elevated roads were
prepared to 60 out on the signal. At the
wish Of the managers of the roads the strike
was deferred till next day, when a confer
ence took place and the difficulty was ad-
justed. Concessions were made on both
sides, but the engineers had the best Of the
agreement, getting full pay for their work
and saving half an hour day. Mr.. Arthur
is an old surface engineer, and used to
handle the throttle on the Grand Trunk
road many years ago. His first experience
as labor arbitrator was while
he worked upon that road, and he
has SO high an opinion of arbi-
tratiol, and so poor an idea of strikes, that
he will never willingly give his consent to
the latter save as a last resort. Arthur is
a natural leader of men. Cool, conserva-
tive and clear-headed, he is the most
respected man among the 25, 900 members of
the brotherhood of which he is president.
He lives in handsome residence at Cleve-
land, O., which he owns. He has grown
old in the labor cause, and has no higher
struggles as long as he lives.
Another notable figure is that Of Mr.. A.
Strasser, the president Of the cigarmak-
ers' union, which numbers Is, 900 members.
Like Mr.. Arthur, Mr.. Strasser is strictly
conservative in his methods and has en-
deavored to carry out this principle as far
as possible, in dealing with the 260 local as
semblies that call him chief. But the cigar
makers are very different class from the
engineers. Principally foreigners, and
large proportion of them very poor and
uneducated, it is not surprising, that
their differences with employers
should frequently result In bitter
feeling and the precipitation Of strikes that
might, under calmer auspices, have been
averted. Still, with all this unframed ma
terial to embarrass him. President Strasser
has been singularly fortunate in bringing
up the union to high standard of success,
numerically and financially. He is devoted
to the work, and has the very fullest con-
fdence of his associates. He Is about 45
years of age, and has held the executive
has plotted the organization through
a half dozen serious strikes with rare gen.
eralship and good fortune.
y. Z. Evans is the controlling spirit in
the National Federation of Miners and
Miners Laborers, an organization with
membership of $4,000 men. This is distinct
from the three amalgamated associations of
miners in the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio,
and Indiana, which have $4,000 members
alone. Mr.. Evans is of Welsh descent, as
are thousands of others in the mines, south
and west. His presidency began about
three years ago, and he has since that time
pushed the miners national association to-
the very front of the labor organizations of
the country, only one other union-the
Brotherhood of Carpenters and JoIners-
exceeding it In point of actual membership.
A clever organizer and a capital orator,
President Evans will be heard from in the
coming convention should he attend as a
delegate
Other labor men who will come to the
front when the convention assemblies. and
who will make interesting reports to that
body concerning the condition of labor in
their respective trades, are Presidents E. F.
O'Shea of the Brotherhood of Brakemen,
I. O'Dea of the bricklayers and stone
masons, K. V. Debs of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Firemen. P. F. Fitzpatrick, of
the iron molders, w. Weihe Of the steel
workers, r. Howard of the mule spinners.
and the president of the smallest of all the
organized Bodies, A. III. Taylor Of the Wool
Hatters' National Union, which has roll
Of 900 members.
Among those who will be active par
Elephants in the debate on the eight-hour
law are Robert V. Ogg of Detroit, E. g.
Ives, st. Louis; John D. Vaughan, Den
yer; Thomas G.. Harrison, Philadelphia;
Hugo Miller, New York, all of the Inter
national Typographical Union; William
Norton, Pittsburg, iron and steel workers;
Henry Enrich, P. r. Fitzgerald and John s.
Weaver, iron molders; E. l.. DAILY, shoe
lasters; John B. Lennon, tailors; James
Grant, granite cutters; Samuel Gompers and
John s. Kirchner, cigarmakers; George
Jocelyn, harnessmakers; John j. EgaD,
knife grinders, and the following represent
ing the central unions: j. ID. Wade, Balti-
more; J. Hippick, Milwaukee; William
Newroth. Denver; j. w. Gray, Providence,
r. l.; ]. J. Linehan, Chicago; j. Klink-
hard and Frank K. Foster, Boston. 1t is
expected that during the session of the con-
vention, which will probably last several
days, the delegates named will speak as TO
the effect of the eight-hour crusade on the
several trades they represent.
With the adoption of platform distinctly
defining the programme Of the eight-hour
will be finished.
"We propose" said the secretary yester-
day, ito work Independently Of legislation
for the eight-hour day, and the plan to be
adopted by the convention will be arranged
with view to making the crusade short
and effective. No other subject of equal
moment will be discussed. We settle one
thing at time. The other business will be
of routine character. Then, proceeding
to the election of officers, we shall, in all
probability, re-elect Mr.. Gompers as presi-
dent. AS all the officers Of the federation
must be delegates to the convention at
which they are elected, it follows that some
of the minor officers, not having been
chosen as delegates, cannot be reelected"
Although the Boston gathering is to be
distinctively an eight-hour convention,
there are several other matters liable to
come under debate. These include winter
census, and a comprehensive inquiry by
government into the causes OF idleness and
crime Everything else however may be