Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-10-19
LABOR EDITORS CONGRESS.
A Permanent Organization for the I'm.
proyement of the Labor Press.


The labor press needs improving in
many respects. We need more, and
thoroughly reliable, news from the field
of the great industrial struggle We
need uniformity of action; and we
need perfect clearness and understanding
in regard to fundamental principles.
To supply these wants a conference Of
labor editors has been held few days
ago in New York. Charles Guy Brown,
of the Union Printer, had sent out the
invitations. The conference took place
in Old Science Hall, where the Central
Labor Union was born, and where, in
the Identical hall, there is now gam
bling den. The editors met up stairs in
dingy room, from which the gas fix
lures had been removed, so that the
evening sessions had to take place by
the dim light of an old lantern supplied
by the janitor,
OF the $50 papers published in the
United States the following were repre-
scented: The WoRKMEN'S ADVOCATE, the
Conmoner and GlaSSu0rker, the Ldster,
the Granite Cutters Journal, the Tailor,
| the Industrial Age, the Journdlof United
Labor. the Union, the Record, the Lining
| Issue, the Craftsman the FolksSeitung,
| the Labor Standard, the Labor Leader,
| the Nationalist, the Bakers Journal, and
| the Hartford Examiner The cities rep
| resented in the conference were New
York, Washington, Philadelphia, Bos-
ton, Pttsburg, Chicago, Cincinnati.
Duluth, Mimi, and Barre, Vt. j. P.
Mcdonnell, of the Paterson Labor
| Standard, was made chairman, and
Charles G. Brown, of the Union Printer,
of this city, acted as secretary, After a
general exchange of opinions COM
mittee of three was appointed to prepare
plan for an associated labor press, the
object of which will be to furnish labor
news and correspondence to the papers
composing the association. A resolu-
ton was also adopted that it be the
sense of the conference that all labor
papers exchange with each other, as a
German editor complained that some of
his English speaking comrades were
lacking in courtesy. Mrs Mary L. Getfs,
representing the Liring Issue, organ of
the District Assembly As, Knights of
Labor, at Cincinnati, made an able adj
dress upon the necessity for labor edi-
tors to agree upon certain lines of policy,
as, for instance, the discussion of the
eight-hour movement. All delegates
present assented.
The election for permanent officers
resulted as follows: j. p. Mcdonnell,
president; Charles Guy Brown, secre-
tary; II. B. Bisbee, of the Craftsman
treasurer; A. w. Wright, of the Journal
of United Labor; Mrs. NJ l.. Gets, of the
Liting Issue; John Ehmann, of the
National Glass Budget; and E. F. Nc
Sweeny, of the Ldster, directors. The
board of directors, of which the presi-
dent, the secretary and the treasurer are
members eT-C1icio, was instructed to
draft plan of organization, which will
be submitted to the labor papers through
out the United States for their approval.
The plan is to comprise practical sys-
TEN for the gathering of labor news,
the securing of advertisements, and the
publication of articles upon questions
of social reforms by writer's of acknowl-
edged ability.
On the afternoon of the second day of
the conference Sam. Gompers, president
of the American Federation of Labor,
made an address upon the eight hour
question, in which he declared that the
outlook for May /, 1890, was very bright,
and that he was confident that certain
trades would secure the coveted eight
hours; but Mr.. Gompers refrained from
naming these certain trades. In regard
to the movement in 1886, Mr.. Gompers
said that the aggregate worktime of
the American workmen had been re-
duced over ten million hours annually
by that movement. When questioned
whether or not the present stagnation
in the general movement had been
caused by the alleged failure in 1886,
Mr.. Gompers refused to admit that a
failure had taken place.
Messrs. G.. w. Austin, of the National
list, and Prof. Daniel de Leon then spoke
upon the subject of Nationalism, and
they were heartily applauded by all
present. There was not dissenting
voice as to the necessity Of rationale
ing the industries of the country.
The conference adjourned sine die &c
meet on the second Saturday in 1890
the place of meeting to be determined
by the board of directors.