Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-11-02
ORGANIZED LABOR
WEEKLY MEETINGS OF THE
CENTRAL BODIES.

CENTRAL BODIES.
A Cunning Attempt to Capture the
Labor Vote Duly Frustrated,
Samuel Gompes Declines to be q
Senator - He Asks and Receives
the Advice of Organized Labor.
No More Street Bands General
News.
Last Sundays meeting of the
CENTRAL LABOR FEDERATION.
was of great importance for the entire
labor movement in this country. The
proceedings were highly interesting. A
delegate of N1illers and Millwrights'
Union No. ? presided. There was a
very large attendance Of delegates. An
invitation sent by the Rheinpfallzer
Mannerchor to its coming entertain
ment will be accepted if it be shown
that only union help is employed, and
union beer and cigars be sold on that
occasion.
1t was then announced that Samuel
Gompers, presi d ent of the American Fed.
GRAFTON of Labor, was present for the pur
pose of asking the advice of the delegates
in an eminently important matter. Mr..
Gompers was granted the floor, and he
said that what he had to lay before the
body might be of great Importance not
only for the workmen of New Y ork,
but of the whole country. He then
continued, to state that ID political NOM
ination had been rendered him by the
united Repu blicans and County Demo.
rum0r Of the contemplated nomlna tion
first reached him; but when he was
really approached by some politicians
he declined to definitely accept, as he
desired to consult some friends. He
was advised by them not to accept the
nomination until he had obtained the
opinion Of the labor organization of New
York He had been asked what he w ould
do in case he Were elected, and his an.
swer had been that he would go to the
Senate as free man, absolutely un.
trammellad by promises made to any
set Of politicians; he would pledge him.
self to nothing but the we'll known de-.
mands Of labor. AT all events he would
only accept if the Central Labor FEEDER
alton and the Central Labor Union told
him to do SO. He concluded, say ring:
81 am not going to make an attempt to
influence your decision you are to De.
eide as you deem fit in the interest OF
the labor movement shall abide by
your decision" Mr. Gompers' remarks
were warmly applauded.
lengthy discussion followed. One
of the delegates attempted to puff" the
candidacy Of one Roesch, the candidate
of rotten Tammany in Mr.. Gompers'
district but the attempt was nipped in
the bud by the chairman. Another
speaker declared that the constitution
of the Central Labor federation could
not be violated 10y indoping the nomin-
ations made by any of the old political
parties, and, before everything else,
1--WE cannot afford to lose Sam. @ ON
pors just yet!'' A third speaker was in
favor of leaving Mr.. Gompers to decide
for himself, W hiIe fourth speaker said:
"The PRESIDENT of the American Fed era
tion Of Labor comes to this body, which
is part of the organization he repre-
sents, to ask for our opinion. Accord
ing to my idea our answer ought to be:
Touch not pitch, lest you be defiIedr
From the individual standpoint we
ought to thank Mr.. Gompers for his
sincerity, and we should answer him
frankly and honesty. What could he
do for us if he were elected? The same
parties who have nominated him are
the ones who to day oppress labor. The
Senate is but a chamber of prostitution,
not to be touched by workmen unless
elected upon the labor ticket for the
direct purpose of putting an end to
such prostltutiOn. Let us tell Mr.. Com
pers that, if he desires to do his duty,
and all other workmen of this city do
theirs, New York will soon become the
center of great American Labor Party.
The Republicans and Democrats have
delivered this county into the clutches
of the monopolists, and for this reason
there can come no salvation to labor
from that side
Several other delegates followed in
the same strain; and only two spoke in
favor Of Mr.. Gompes accepting the
nomination, their argument being that
this would be a good opportunity of
electing representative Of Organized
Labor to the State legislature. a feat
several times ATTEMPTED upon a labor
platform, but always unsuccessfully-
Mr.. Gompers then formulated his ques.
tion thus: Does the Federation ad wise
Samuel Gompers to accept or decline
the nomination. offered him ~ The
vote stood as follows; 40 against and )
in favor of accepting; part of the dele
gates refrained from voting. w hen
Mr.. Gompers said, II thank you for
your advice. and / shall. of course. sub