Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-08-23
THE CONFERENCE.
FORTY-SlX ORGANIZATIONS
REPRESENTED.

employees ana all Bona Eide La
Dor Bodies Invited to Cooperate
Unanimous in Favor of Political
Action.
The Socialist Conference held its
second session at Clarendon Hall last
Thursday, Aug. 13. Alexander Jonas
occupied the chair.
Ernest BOhm, Secretary, read the
minutes of the last meeting, which were
unanimously adopted.
August Delabar presented the report
OF the committee previously appointed
to confer with a similar committee of
the Nationalsts. As already stated in
these columns, the proposition was to
have one ticket and to cooperate at the
polls and in the general agitation during
the campaign, while maintaining the
autonomy of the two bodies.
Hugo Vogt then took the floor. He
said that since the committees had con-
ferred an important event had occurred,
that materially altered the conditions
under which this body had appointed
committee with the hope of bringing
about union of forces The convention
called by the Nationalists had held its
second meeting, and it was found that
number of men who could not be trusted
had been received as delegates of notori-
ously bogus" organizations. The re-
sulting state of affairs had been con-
sidered at joint meeting of the socialist
sections of New York and summed up
in resolution adopted at the said meet
ing, which was now submitted with a
motion that the same he endorsed by the
conference. He then read the resolution,
as follows:
WHEREAS, The convention which met
in Cooper Union on August 7, 1890 was
largely composed of reactionary and
disreputable elements admitted as dele
gates from bogus and paper clubs
and
WHEREAS, The platform presented at
said convention is of confusing verbositv
and fails to set forth with cearness the
fundamental principles upon which
alone a sound political movement of
labor can be based and which have
heretofore been acknowledged by the
New York Nationalists themselves; and
WHEREAS, A controlling number of the
delegates present at said convention
openly declared their hostility to these
principles and secured the reference of
the platform to their bogus organiza-
tions with the evident determination of
further emasculating it;
ReSolled, That the American, German
and Jewish sections of the Socialist La
Dor Party of the city of New York, in
joint me ing assembled, decline to
have any..ng to do with the so.called
Commonwealth party, formed by the
said conventions; and
WHEREAS, The bona fde Nationalists
recognize, like ourselves, the abolition
of the wage compe titive system and the
replacement thereof by a co operative
industrial system as the only remedy
for the social evils from which the
people suffer, and whereas their affilia-
tion with the elements above described
is unnatural, unwise and liable to com-
promise them before the people; be it
ResolUed, That it is the duty of all
bona tde Nationalists to cut loose from
the so called Commonwealth party and
cooperate with the socialists, and we
invite them to send delegates to the
bona 6de, earnest and representative
conS ,ntion called by the Socialist Labor
Party.
An animated discussion followed. in
which many delegates took part. All,
however, agreed that the so called allies
of the Nationaists did not represent
bona tide organizations of labor, that
some of them were persons with whom
it was best to have nothing to do, and
that the commonwealth party should be
ignored. One member asked whether
the resolution in Its present form would
not put an end to all possibility OF agree
ment with the Nationalists themselves
if the latter should conclude to repudiate
their obnoxious associates and stand
firmly upon their own principles, but
did not at the same time send delegates
to the Socialist Conference and merge
themselves into this body. He thought
that in such a case not only the Ma
tionalists would be entitled to recogni-
ton and cooperation, but it might best
promote agitation to preserve the