The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-06-14
POLITICS AT A DISCOUNT.
THE CENTRAL L4BOR ASSEMBLY
HAS DECIDED views.
No Man Who Has Held ONCE or Run for
One Can BE Eligible as a Delegate
There VIII Be No Permanent Chair
mnn.

No Man Who Has Held Oface or Run for
One Can Be Eligible as a Delegate
There VIII Be No Permanent Chair
man.
This organization does not wish poll
tician as member While am not
politician in the strict sense of the term,
yet, as l have been candidate for Office
on two occasions, will withdraw as q
delegate, as do not by my participation
desire to leave a loophole for the entrance
of unscrupulous professionals who would
try to divert the functions of the Central
Union from their legitimate channels and
use it as a mere machine for their personal
advancement"
The above is the language used in.
Coopers' Hall last evening by James F.
Moran, who was elected a delegate to the
Central Labor Assembly from the Tin and
dressed to several of the delegates in the
hall before the meeting of the Central
Labor Assembly was called to order.
When the news of Mr.. Moran's
action became noised about the general
sentiment was that he.had acted manly
twice an independent candidate for the
Assembly, polling large vote upon each
occasion.
When Chairman Callahan pounded the
desk for order representatives of twenty
three organizations were present. The
minutes OF the previous meeting were
read and approved.
Several of the new delegates who were
present last evening seemed to think that
it was desirable that the central body
should, if it so desired, be able to actively
take part in politics. But in the discus
sion that followed they were apparently
convinced that the preponderance of senti-
ment was against politics or politicians
having any part in the proceedings, for
when Delegate Jackway, of the Jersey
Association. offered resolution to the
effect that no one should be eligible to act
as a delegate who had ever held or ran for
public office, it was carried unani-
mously.
The Assembly then passed resolution
requesting all labor organizations, in
electing delegates to the central body, to
refrain from sending those who were ac-
tive politicians, and thus relieve it Of the
disagreeable task ofrejecting them.
This led to slight discussion on the
part of delegate from the Early Closing
Association, and Delegate Burke, of the
Printers. The delegate from the Early
Closing Association maintained that poll
tics had never hurt the cause of labor
Delegate Burke, of the Printers.
pOAtOu oup oliGa tdSO tlittO POAlt1Co 1lttQ
caused the split in the Central Labor
Union in New York, and maintained that
the body would have prosperous exist
ence if it let politics severely alone, and
devoted its attention to purely labor mat
ters 1.-THE stigma attaching to the names
and actions of some of the prominent
members of the late Labor party" said
he, ''has seriously retarded the growth of
all labor organizations, and has disrupted
many Of the strongest unions in New
York city,"
This view was coincided in by Delegate
Flanagan and others. Mr. Flanagan said
that his organization had instructed its
delegates to refuse to have any part in the
organization upon the admfttance of poll
ticians.
This question having been effectually
disposed of to the satisfaction of all, the
Assembly settled down to regular busi-.
ness by appointing H. Trapper, J. L.
Burke, and delegate from the Jersey
Association as a. committee to prepare
constitution and bylaws to report at the
meeting next Thursday night.
The body will have no permanent chair
man, but each organization will select the
presiding officer in turns This will pre-
vent any one from making political capi-
tai out of the fact that he is the president
of the organization.
That this is the prevailing sentiment is
illustrated by the fact that Chairman
Callahan announced himself as decidedly
in favor of such action.
The meeting then adjourned.