Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-19
A Bitter Fight in the American
Mechanics National Council
ON A PROPOSED CHANGE OF NAME.
Attack on a Pittsburg Organ Resented By
Keystone Delegates.
A MAJORITY OF "a FOR THE CHANGE
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH, :,

presented RESOLUTION IOr cnange OF the
name of the organization. But their orig
inal intention to have the change made
final on the floor of the National Council
without submitting it to vote of the mem
bership at large, was modified so as to allow
the action of the national body to be sub
mitted to the councils for approval or dis.
approval.
1t was this resolution that created the dis.
turbance, which lasted good part of the
day. If Pennsylvania had stood solidly
together it would have been able to carry OF
defeat the measure as it chose, but what
made the fight more interesting was the fact
that about third of the Keystone dele
gates were opposed to the change this year.
They were all anxious to see the change, but
they thought by letting the matter rest a
year it could be taken with less risk of a
third successive defeat. Quite number of
representatives who had gone into the con-
vention with their minds made up to vote
against the change, changed their vote after
the discussion had taken place.
Attack on Pittsburg Organ.
This change of mind was brought through
an attack made on the publishers of the
american, the organ of the organization
of the last vote on the proposed change of
name, there was heated discussion among
the various councils and in the periodicals
of the order by those interested in both
sides of the vote. The american invited q
free discussion in its columns by the men,
bers, and H. w. Buser, of Philadelphia,
charged the publishers to-day with ignoring
communications sent to them opposed to
the change, while every issue was filled up
with matter favoring the proposition.
MIR. Buser opposed the resolution vigor-
ously ana applied some severe language to
the Pittsburg journal He was called to
task by D. G. Evans, of Pittsburg, who is
interested in the american, and who
claimed that everything ever sent them was
published. A war of words then ensued for
several minutes between the Pittsburg and
Philadelphia representatives, which only
ended by the National Councillor enforcing
a Tom Reed rule on both of them.
The resolution presented by the Illinois
representatives passed by majority of "a
and, as the matter stands, if this action is
approved by the councils, after July 1, 1892,
the order will be known as the Order of
United Americans.
Taking Sides on the Question.
In the discussion on the matter, John W.
Calver, of Philadelphia, leagued with w.
H. Buser in opposing the measure, while
the Pittsburg delegates and DR.. Cooper,
from Texas, took side with the Illinois and
New Jersey people in supporting it. State
Councillor Collins, Past State Councillor
Deilley and number of other Pennsyl-
vania delegates believe the action will be
indorsed, as it only requires majority vote
toindorse the action of the National Council
Mr.. Buser says he will stump Pennsylvania
in 70 fbo !
was 4,637 against the change, and he saws
Pennsylvania will give larger majority
than that against it. :
Fred j. Shaler said tonight that the reso-
luton could have passed without referring
the matter to subordinate councils, but he
was well aware what disruption it would
have caused, and he preferred giving the
membership chance to say first, last and
all the time whether they wanted change
or not.
The plan emanating from the Deputy
State Council of Pittsburg, relative to the
creation of a fund for the employment of a
National organizer, was also adopted with
some notifications. Instead of providing
for tax of cent month per member it
calls for cents year, payable semi-an-
nually from the treasures of subordinate
councils; and instead of employing three
organizers, but one will be engaged for the
first year at salary of 81, 800, he to be Sc
lected by and work under the direction of
the National Board of Officers.
American Defense Fund Defeated.
The scheme to appropriate funds to the
American Defense Association in Philadel-
phia failed, because the latter organization
was inclined too much to politics. In this
respect the following extract from Deputy
National Councillor Shaler's report sub
mitted from Chicago is interesting:
"The permission granted by this Ma
tional Council to our members to enter
politics was accepted by us, and through
the influence of our members a satisfactory
organization of all patriotic orders was
effected, known as the Citizens Committee
of One Hundred, and we feel that the de-
termined stand taken by the Jr. O. U. A.
NJ. in the fall elections of 1890 did much to
bring our order favorably before the public
as an organization for the protection Of our
public schools
''Since that time, however, the organiza-
tion known as the Citizens Committee of
One Hundred has had occasion to depart
from its original intention of creating a
public sentiment in favor of American in
stitutions; was merged into political party
with their own candidates, and for reasons
consistent with the principles of our order
the State Board of Officers has withdrawn
the representatives
Standing by the Public Schools.
''The educational question in the State of
Illinois is one that has opened the eyes of
many people disinclined to believe the
existence of any organization whose object
was to undermine our public school system,
but the attempts made by the last State
Legislature of Illinois to this undesirable end
was, in the eyes of every true American,
alarming, and it will be for this body to de-
termine whether we shall allow future at
tempts of like nature to go without word
of protest or some counter action on our
part"
This opened up the question as to whether
or not the organization is to be allowed to
take part in political campaigns when it is
considered that the interests of the public
school are at stake, which was practically
decided in the affirmative.
A Busy All-NiGht Session.
A night session is being held, and it will
be long after midnight before the National
Council adjourns. Matters are being rushed
through lively, resolutions and changes in
laws and Endorsements of numerous matters
are being voted upon without debate. The
only matter that has yet received any con-
was a resolution presented by H.
r. Peck, of Pittsburg, recognizing the o.
U. A. NJ. as a uniformed rank of the Jr. o.
U. A. NJ There was considerable opposi-
ton to it, but it finally went through BY
small majority. The Daughters of Liberty
was indorsed by the adoption of the resolu-
tion sent up from Pittsburg.
The matter of the American Defense As
sociation was again taken up and the organ
ization was Endorsed, but the National
Council stood by its former action in refus-
ing to appropriate funds for the prosecu-
ton of its work. Councils have been given
I L.. .,Iano Limit o,, Tho :.