Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-12-13
FARMERS AND LABoRERs.

American Ftuorhtton Oh LoDOr-Missomi
state Grange.
KANSAS STATE GRANGE
OLATnE, Kan, Dec 10-The nine
teenth annual session Of the Kansas
State Grange convened in Assembly
Hall in this city at 10 o'clock yesterday
morning.
The session was opened by Worthy
Master William Sims, OF Topeka, and
upon call OF the secretary the following
officers answered: Worthy Master Will
liam Sims, Worthy overseer E St
John OF Manhattan, Lecturer John G.
Otis Steward A. 7. Reader, and the
full complement OF other officers
At the afternoon session Worthy Mas
ter William Sims delivered his annual
address. Among other things he said:
"The Importance Of your order, or the
grange il you please as an educational
force, in which ample provisions have
been made for farmers meeting to-
gether, talking together, and for the
free and full consideration and discus
sion in q fraternal manner Of all ques-
tions pertaining not only to the farm
and its management but to public af-
fairs as we'll, can not we'll be overesti-
mated. And our success in this direc-
ton has certainly met the reasonable
expectations Of its strongest advocates,
as shown in the improvement OF our
laws, State and National, in many in
stances, but notably in what Is known
as the granger cases, subjecting trans
portation companies to legislative con-
troll in the interest Of the people and
forever settling the question in this
country.
I'm times Of general depression like
the present 1t is natural for persons to
assume and while this may or may not
be true Of agriculture at the present
time. yet can say, and that without
fear OF successful contradiction, that
the interest here represented is in q
very satisfactory condition"
Upon the currency question Mr. Sims
said: disguise the fact as you may,
the question OF money or currency re.
mains the same rs ever" Upon the
homestead question he suggested that
tho Legislature abridge the Constitu-
tional provisions so that the owner
could not mortgage his homestead at
will even with the consent OF his wife to
which practice might be directly at
more disappointment loss and
than could be traced to any
other single financial blunder from
which every one OF the people now suf-
fered.
FEDERATION OF LABOR
DETROIT, Mich, Dec. 10.-Some eighty
delegates Of the American Federation
OF Labor were in Clawson's, Hall when
President Gompers called the conven-
ton to order shortly after II o'clock.
The delegates were welcomed to the
city by the president OF the board Of
aldermen in the absence OF the mayor.
and President Gompers, Of the Fedora
tion. responded
President Gompers, in his annual ad-
dress, advised the convention to avoid
questions and to concen-
trate their efforts upon such issues as
the members were most agreed on.
That such course was best was evil
denced by the success Of the eight-hour
since the last convention.
Since the agitation had begun that re-
form had been very successful in 1877
cities and has benefited SO, or workmen
in the carpenters trade, besides count
less others in other branches OF the
building trade. The demand for an
day would be made for other
trades in succession and its final sue
cess could not be questioned. The next
industry to make the demand would be
the coal miners They would move
May l, 1891.
During the year the Federation has
274 local branches and the
National trades unions report report 9lS
local branches established. Existing
branches have added from to IS per
cent in membership The address de-
clares in favor Of the system Of National
unions Of individual trades During the
year l. 1873 authorized strikes have taken
place or these $50 succeeded, 20 failed
and % were compromised. Besides
many concessions were gained without
resort to strikes The people who pro-
pose o strike are warned that buster
will not win and that they must be pre-
pared for whatever battle they propose.
The Federation is not always able to
assist strikes financially.
President Gompers refers in common
dation to the project for an interna-
tional labor congress in 1893, to be CO.
Incident with the Worlds Fair; de-
mands the enforcement of the eight
hour law in Government work; asks for
4 suitable Federal contract labor law;
suggests observance OF Labor day as
National holiday; warns against child
labor and declares for an international
and ballot reform. He meets
the charge of excluding Socialists by
denying that he has ever tried to ex-
.lude any one for his economic opinions