St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-08
THE SAINT PAUL DAILY GLOBE: TUESDAY MORNING JULY 1890

lows: One delegate from every union
or assembly having 200 members or less,
and one extra delegate for each addi-
tional 200 delegates, or major fraction
thereof.
The federation agreed to meet twice
each year, at the call of the executive
committee.
The chairman will be selected at each
meeting, the other officers to be elected
at the first meeting of each year.
There was some discussion in regard
to the method of appointing the chair
man. The alliance delegates favored a
permanent chairman, but the trades
unions and Knights of Labor delegates
thought it would be more prudent to Sc
lect the chairman at each meeting and
avoid any danger of an abuse of power
during political campaign. The farm
ers' delegates finally agreed to the
proposition. During one of the discus
sions President Hall, of the Farmers
/ Alliance. spoke of the convention to be
held by that body July l6. He asked
the federation, and, in fact, all labor
organizations, to send delegates. and
promised that they would be recog-
nized. Secretary athrop foil wed in
an earnest address, stating that the
nation was drifting toward anarchy un-
less saved by intelligent political action
on the part of the industrial masses.
He hoped the Workingmen would join
with the farmers. This called forth
some discussion from the workingmen.
They objected to having the federation
committed to political action, nor
would any union or assembly do so,
because such action is usually
forbidden by their local conditions. 1t
was, however, probable that good
many workingmen would attend the
farmers convention as individuals. The
farmers seemed satisfied with this.
President Hall stated that he would do
all in his power to have the alliance
work in harmony with the federation.
One section OF the constitution pro-
vides that if complaint from delegate
is entered that any employees are en-
dangered in life or health by their sur
roundingS the federation shall aid the
proper authorities in securing better
conditions.
Another section shuts out political
discussion by providing that no sub
jectS shall be discussed except those in
the interest of labor, and the merits OF
dement's of any political subject shall
never be discussed.
Compulsory education was the burden
of w. W. HotchkiSs' resolution, and the
somewhat famous exponent of the Bella
my system of affairs of the government
eSpOused the resolution in lengthy
speech. AS he proceeded mis- eloquence
warmed and reached a climax in the
declaration that the state should clothe
and feed school children in the event
that the parents were too poor to make
such provisions. j. 7. McGaughey,
Miss Eva Mcdonald and M. Bantz took
issue with the proposition. They took
the ground that such laws are imprac-
ticable and that they cannot be en-
forced where they already exist. They
argued that establishing proper
economic conditions would leave chill
dren in position to attend school and
not be obliged to work in the factory.
The opposition was so fervent and logi-
cal that it defeated the resolution when
it went to vote.
A resolution, however, was passed
favoring law providing for free text
books.
An executive board was appointed as
follows: Messrs. Ward, Lucas, Miss
Mcdonald, Hotchkiss, Bantz. Bradley,
McNally. Ives and Goldblum. The
next meeting of the federation will be
held at the call of the executive board