The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-12-20
FEDERATION OF LABOR.
President Gompers Reviews the State
of the Order Throughout
the Country.
Socialist Delegate Barrcd Out--scores Of
Resolutions Introduced - Oompers
Rc-elected President and Birm-
ingham, Ala, Selected ms
the Next Place OF
Meeting.

DETROIT, Mich, Dec. 9.-The national
convention of tho American Federation
Of Labor opened here Monday with
ninety delegates in attendance. Acting
Mayor Griggs extended an official well
come. President Dolan, Of the local
Trades Council, also spoke. President
Gompers in responding said: "Put none
but union men on guard. We know
| what we want and think we know how
to go about to get it" After the
speeches the convention took q recess.
President Gompers' annual address
advised the convention to avoid contro-
versial questions and concentrate effort
upon such issues as the members are
| most agreed. That such course is
best is evidenced by the success of the
eight-hour movement since the last con-
vention. The agitation for that reform
has been successful in 1877 cities and has
benefited 46,1o7 workmen in the car
penters' trade, besides countless others
in other branches of the building trades.
The dem and for an eight-hour day will
be made by the other trades in series
and its final success can not be ques-
toned. The next industry to make the
demand will be the coal miners. They
will move May 1, 1891.
During the year the Federation has
established 274 local branches and the
National Trades Union reports 913 local
branches established. Existing branches
have added from Ave to thirty-ave per
cent. in membership. The address de-
clares in favor of the system of national
unions of individual trades.
During the year 1,163 authorized
strikes have taken place. OF these $50
succeeded, 76 failed and 9s were COM
promised. Many concessions were
gained without resort to strikes. The
people who propose strike are warned
that bluster will not win, and that they
must be prepared for whatever battle
they propose. The Federation is not
always prepared to assist strikes fnan-
cially.
DETROIT, Mich, Dec. 10.-The con-
vention of the American Federation OF
Labor resumed its session Tuesday
morning. The announcement of the
formation of two national unions--the
retail clerks and the walters and bar
tenders'-was received with applause.
The treasurer's report shows receipts
for the year of s24, 1854; expenditures,
S21, ,O75.57.
Most of the morning was taken up
with receiving resolutions, they being
introduced on nearly every subject.
Among them were: To levy tax OF ten
cents to support men out on strike; to
organize State branches of tho Fedora
ton; protesting against the action of
the Amalgamated Association against
the pattern makers of Cleveland; indors-
ing the eight-hour adjustment act now
before the Senate; calling for Govern
ment control of telegraphs; providing
for worlds labor congress in Chicago
in 1898; to declare against tho knights
of Labor; protesting against use of
soldiers, policemen and Pinkerton
thugs to intimidate labor.
The committee in charge of the mat
ter of admitting Lucian Sanial as repre-
senting the Central Federation of Labor
of New York, reported against admit
ting the representative of the Socialistic
wing. The debate on the report took
up the rest of the morning session and
was not completed when the convention
adjourned for dinner
| The convention assembled at two
o'clock. The roll was called and the
minutes of the morning session read and
approved. A resolution was offered re-
jecting the report of the committee and
granting the Central Federation of La
boris petition for charter and giving
| ,;o1 in t1n
latter part of this motion was ruled out
of order by the president, who called j.
]. DAILY to the chair and, taking the
floor, offered to give the convention his
statement of the affair, which until this
time he had persistently refused to
make. His offer was accepted After
much discussion the previous question
was called for and poll vote asked for.
This resulted in so delegates casting
1850 votes for the adoption of the COM
mittee's report, while 20 delegates, with
total of 535 votes, cast them negative
ly. The report was thus declared adop-
ted and the American Federation of La
Dor had taken its stand upon the Social
istic elements entrance into its organi-
Zation.
DETROIT. Mich, Dec 11.-There was
but short session of the Federation OF
Labor convention Wednesday morning.
At the afternoon session the report OF
the committee on resolutions was taken
up and each resolution freely discussed.
The first one, being for the establish
ment of an organ of the Federation with
headquarters in Chicago, was defeated
by large majority The committee re-
ported adversely ON Brownschweig IS
resolution that no address be tolerated
from politicians or other representatives
of the capitalistic class The commit
tee submitted report condemning the
hiring of Pinkerton men in time OF
strikes and the unjust use of the police.
The resolution was so indefinite that II
was recommitted with instructions to
bring in resolution more definite in
its character and stronger in its denun'
citation of the use OF Pinkerton meR
The warmest discussion of the session
came ON the report of the committees
to print the reports in both English
and German. 1t was finally voted te
print in German only when the demand
was great enough to justify theexpense
The report of the committee recon-
mended that the Executive Board bs
ordered to petition President Harrison
for tho pardon of e. w. Clark ant
George Miller, who were sentenced t.
life imprisonment in 1875 for mutiny OF
| L...t ,ao. L., lriT1iup Jaff anton ~.