Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-12-04
HON. j. H.BURTT.
HIS CHANCES FOR ELECTION AS PRESIDENT
OF THE FEDERATION OF LABOR.
Mr.. Burtt Declines 10 Talk About the Matter
But Gives Some Interesting Facts About
the Corning Strike.

Labor approaches, the friends Of Mr.. j.
II. Burtt, the well-known glass worker
OF this city, are renewing their efforts
on behalf of his candidacy for the posi-
ton OF President Of that organization.
The Convention will meet on the 14th of
this month, in Birmingham, Ala, and
the contest for the position Of presiding
officer of the Federation, promises to
be spirited and interesting. There will
be about two thousand votes represent
ed in the Convention, on the basis Of
one vote for each 100 members. Each
national organization elects delegates,
each one of whom casts an equal pro-
portion of the entire vote of the organ
! ization.
There is great deal of dissatisfac-
tion with President Samuel Gompers,
! growing out of his action in the Pitts
| burg carpenters strike, and other mat
tiers, and the effort to defeat his re-elec-
tion will probably be successful. The
antagonism toward the present head OF
the Federation has been manifested
principally in Pittsburg, and the labor
leaders in that city, in looking about
for an available candidate selected Mr..
! Burtt, who will have almost the entire
strength of the Pittsburg votes to back
! him in the convention. All the indus
trial organs speak in fattering terms of
| Mr.. Burtt and commend him for his
Ind nd q n
position.
There are two other candidates
| against Mr.. Gompers, John Mcbride,
ex-President of the Mine Workers I'M
ion OF Ohio and at present State Labor
! Commissioner, and Thomas Morgan, OF
Chicago. McBride's candidacy is said
to be contingent upon an increase in the
salary attached to the position. The
present salary is about 81, 400, and Nc
Bride thinks the position is worth ST.
! 700 or 81, 800. Chris. Evans, who is Sec
rotary Of the Mine Workers Union, is
also Secretary of the American Fedora
| ton, and, as he is candidate for re
election, it is probable that McBride's
candidacy for Gompers' position will
cause a split in the vote OF the Mine
Workers Union. An additional dis
| turbing factor is the candidacy OF John
! b. Rae, the present head of the Ohio
Miners, for the position of Labor Com
missioner under Governor Mckinley.
Mcbride is Democrat, and Rae isa Re-
publican. II the former can be elected
President of the Federation, he
will resign his position as
Labor Commissioner, and Rae will step
into his shoes, thereby saving Mckinley
any embarrassment. 1t will be readily
seen that the complicated situation In
regard to McBride's candidacy material
~ strengthens Mr.. Burtt's chances. Mr..
Patrick Moran, of this city, the we'll
known State President Of the United
Mine Workers, is one Of the seven dele
gates who will represent that national
organization in the convention.
''Tommy" Morgan represents the So
cialistic element, and was the Socialist
candidate for Mayor of Chicago at the
last municipal election. About one
third of the members of the Federation
are German in sentiment, and the So
cialistlc element prevails among them.
Morgan was candidate against Comp
ers before the last convention. His
principal support will come from Chi
cago, but he is not regarded as q strong
candidate.
From present indications It appears
that an organized effort will be made to
defeat Gompers, and the friends OF Mr..
Burt confidently expect to see him
elected. He was brought out by the
Pittsburg Flints, and the Carpenters
Brotherhood, and lodges OF the Anal
gamation in that city, fell into line,
and have supported and worked for
him ever since. He will have the sup
port Of Pittsburg and Wheeling, and
the entire Ohio Valley, and also Phila-
delphia and New York.
A reporter for the REGISTER called
upon Mr.. Burtt yesterday, but he posi-
lively declined to say anything regard
ing his candidacy. Mr.. Burtt has just
returned from Corning, n. Y, where
he has been for eight weeks, taking
care Of the striking glass workers in
that city. He was relieved by Presi-
dent Smith, of the American Flints.
THE CORNING STRIKE.
'In what condition was the strike
when you left" asked the scribe.
Every good, with bright prospects
for a final victory" replied Mr.. Burtt.
Mr.. Burt gave the following inter-
esting history of the trouble: The Corn
ing Glass Works manufactured electric
light bulbs and had a practical monop-
oily of the business, operating eight 10
pot furnaces, and having the tounda-
lions finished for two, additional fur
naces at the time OF the strike. The
managers refused TO grant union prices
or operate the factory according to
union principles, and the Flints called
out 3l5 men about the middle of Decem-
Der, of last year. Their places were
| filed by inexperienced men, while fac
tories at Flndlay, O., and Tarentun,
Pa, engaged in the business OF manu-
featuring bulbs and found en-
ployment for all but about 40 OF the
! striking men, who were not skilled
yorkmen. The men were called out by
the Flints for the purpose Of gripping
the factory, and therefore haC TO be
taken care Of by the organization.
President Smith has had some person
| In Corning at all times during the
| strike. and the weekly benefits paid to
those who are yet unemployed amounts
| to between 5000 and 500.
| The new men went TO work, under
contract with the firm, by which 1t OBJ
/ ligated itself TO teach them the trade.
/ In the meantime, the other factories