Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-12-15
THECAUSE OF LABOR
The American Federation In
Session at Philadel-
phia
Sunday CIoSers Taken TO Task
in President Gomper's
Address.
The Homestead and Other Great
Strikes Reviewed.
Finances.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 12.-The twelfth
annual convention of tbs American
Federation of Labor was called to
order at 1915 o'clock this morning in
the common council chambers, indie
Peadence hall, by President Gompers.
Seventy five delegates, representing
400, 900 tradesmen of all kinds, were in
attendance. Ii. L. Mines of Philadel-
phia Typographical Union, No 2, in
troduced George L. Chance, President
Of the union, who delivered the aI-
dress of welcome. In his remarks Ee
aepre ciated the condition of the
workingman in Pennsylvania by
reason Of the low wages paid,
and said the laws of the
nation and State are partly responsible.
According to a, Judge Of the Supreme
court trades unions are tyrannies.
while the reasonable act of the Car
hegie corporation in making war upon
the State was perfectly Unsuitable.
1t is possible that through the blood
Of the men who died on the
banks Of the Monongahela last July
may come d realization of the true
condition of affairs and that the legisla-
ton of the future will be in favor of
the ma. ,es rather than for the aggran-
dizement Of the few. He called upon
the delegates to point out the way to
better this condition. His address was
warmly applauded.
President Gompers responded and
after few words of thanks said he
desired to express his appreciation of
the warning note sounded in Iennsyl-
vania. 1T is time he said, ''that
the workers who are producers should
formulate their demands and in no I'M
certain tones present them to those
who would seek the destruction of
chat spirit of independence which the
workers, the wealth producers of our
country, inherited from those brave
men who sacrificed their lives and
their all upon the altar of liberty more
than a century ago. 1t is lamenta BILE
that Judges will stoop so low as tc
aim at an end so despica Die as has been
recently witnessed in Pennsylvania.
Mr.. Gompers attributed the status Of
labor in this State to comparati tive la, K
of organization and to the fact THAI
the wageworkers have been owning
allegiance to political parties first and
to themselves, as a class, last
President Gompers then appointed
this committee on credentials: j. j.
Linchan, of the Carpenters and Join
ers' Union of Chicago; A. Toden"
hansen, Tailors' Union, Knoxville,
Tenn; Charles Reichers, United Car
meut Workers Of America, New York;
p. J. Mcintyre, International Typo
graphical Union, Denver, Col; A. l..
Nathan, Trade and Labor Assembly,
Pueblo, Col.
After the reading of cablegram of
friendly greeting from an organiza-
tion in Norway the convention took
recess until 2 p. m.
This afternoon President Gompers
delivered his address. Perhaps the
most interesting part of the document
is the review of shc labor troubles of
the past year. Mr.. Gompers scores the
authorities and employers and declares
chat in each of the labor struggles the
employers - the corporations - have
simply made request and the armed
forces of the State and of the United
Homestead trouble he says:
At Homestead, where tie iron and
steel wo. kers were offered wholesale
reduction in wages, an armed band of
marauders, sailing under no flag,
owing alleg ance to no State or coun-
try, and consequently by the law of
ali nations considered pirates, were
brought by the corporations to invade
that peaceful town, to Overawe and in
timidatc its citizens and workers, to
aid in the efforts to supplant their
labor by p 1orer and demoralized set
of human beings. The men of Home
stead, seeing their liberties endan-
Cered their lives, their families and
their homes menaced, took up arms
against the invaders and repealed them.
OF worlds fair Sunday closing Mr..
Gompers says:
In our efforts to carry out the in
struction of the last convention petit
tons signed by more than three hun
dred thousand organized workings
men We're forwarded to Congress
requesting that body to refrain from
acting upon the question of opening
or closing the worlds fair on Sundays
Notwithstanding the petition and our
protest, Congress practically CLOSED
the fair upon the day most readily az
the disposition Of the workers.
The Board Of Directors of the fair
has pledged itself that no employe
shall be allowed to work more than
six days of the week if Congress will
repeal the Sunday closing clause.
In my judgment we should urge Con-
gress to repeal the clause and delegate
the matter where it rightfully belongs
to the Board of Directors
Secretary Evans, in his annual re-
port said that during the year ending
Oct. 81, 277 charters had been issued
to local unions and State federations,
and eight charters to national unions.
The total receipts were S25, 800 and the
expenses $le.32A.
1T WASN'T