St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-13
Opening Of the Annual SeS.
sion Of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor.
John SWinton Delivers an Ad-
dress on the Benefits Of
Strikes.
President Gompers Reviews
the Great Labor Troubles
Of the Year.
Growth Of the Order Shown
by the Report Of Seere-
tapy Evans.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 12.-Presldent
Samuel Gompers opened the twelfth an
nual session of the American Fedora
ton of Labor in Independence hall this
morning. An address Of welcome in
behalf of the United Labor league, of
this city, was delivered by George
Chance, of Typographical union No. 2,
III which he said:
Measured by the wealth that has
been gathered, Pennsylvania is great
prosperous and powerful. COntrasted
with the condition of the pro-
ducers of that wealth, then the state
is Door indeed. [ have no hesitancy
in saying that the laws OF the
nation and the state are partly re-
sponsiDle for this condition of affairs.
Trusts have been legalized and fostered,
while sOulless corporations and gigantic
plants are the special wards of the state;
laws passed for the benefit of the masses
are declared unconstitutional or decis-
ions given that render their provisions
nugatory. These and other decisions
force us to the belief that there is one
law, or rather construction of it, for the
poor man and
Another for the Rich.
When this fact becomes patent to the
mass of the people, as it surely will, the
remedy, or the attempt at it, will be
swift and it may be terrible. ut is said
that tine blood of the martyrs was the
seed of the church, it is possible that
through the blood Of the men who died
on the banks of the M onongahela last
July may come a realization OF the true
condition of affairs, and that the leglsla-
ton of the future will be in favor OF the
masses rather than for the aggrandize-
ment of the few"
President Gompers replied briefly for
the federation, thanking the laboring
men of Philadelphia for their welcome
and for the admOnitions that had been
given.
at is lamentable, too" he declared.
that judges should stoop so low to arrive
at such despicable ends, as has been
witnessed recently in Pennsylvania"
He ascribes these wrongs to TWO causes:
The comparative lack of organization
among the laborlng men Of the state;
and the devotion of wage workers to
partisans first and TO their class inter-
eSts last. A committee on credentials
was announced, and the convention
took a recess until O'Clock.
Addressed by John SVyinton.
At the afternoon session the delegates
were entertained for half an fsour by
John SNinton, the New York journalist,
in a savage attack on ''black-legged"
Pinkertonism and trickery. John SWIM
ton declared that he was not discour
aged by the abandonment of the strikes
at Homestead, Buffalo, C9ur d'Alene,
New Orleans and other places in the
last year. These efforts, he asserted.
had had the effect Of checking agrees
sion on the w0rkingmen. "The labor
of the country" lie continued. has
been paid millions of dollars this year
which it would surely have lost without
the help of these striking brethren.
Every man disabled in these wars of
labor should be remembered and hon
ored for his services as he who draws
his daily dole from his duty in the
camp" The speaker concluded with an
appeal for union of all labor organlZa-
tions on fundamental principles.
The committee on credentials reported
eighty-one delegates entitled to admis-
sion and the report was adopted. Presl-
dent Gompers announced the member
ship of the various committees. ReSolu-
lions were introduced at the request of
Typographical Union No. 6. of Chicago,
denouncng the proposed awarding of
the contract for the worlds fair cata-
logue to a non-union publishing house
and demanding that the work be given
to a union concern. 1t was stated in
behalf of the resolutions that the
Printers of ChicagO
had subscribed 100000 toward the fair
under the belief that itWould be of great
benefit to labor and that it was now
proposed to make the award to the only
printing house in Chicago which is an
tagonistic to labor interests. Unanimous
consent was asked for the consideration
of these resolutions, and several speak
ers urged the proposition. The Chicago
men made determined effort to get the
resolutions through the convention I'M
mediately.
Delegate Campbell, of the Interra-
tlonal Typographical union, observed,
however, that the complaint was not
officially presented. not having the seal
of any typographical union. Inc chalr
then ruled out thesresOlutions, as unan-
imous consent was refused. Appeal
was then taken from this decision, but
the chair was sustained by small ma
jority. Finally temporary set OF rules
was adopted, and suspended for the
purpose of referring the Chicago reso-
buttons to a committee of Chicago
International Typographical dele
gates After remaining out an hour
the committee reported favorably on
the resolution with some modification,
expressing friendship for the fair, and
an amendment was offered substituting
a request that the work be given a
fair shop instead of using the term
"unon" shop. Although favored by
the committee and International Typo
graphical union delegates this amend
ment was defeated. The resolutions
were then passed. President Gompers
then read his annual report, which was
in brief as follows:
Reviewed Labor's Troubles.
He took up in succession the Tennes-
see miners troubles, the Homestead af-
fair, the Buffalo sWitchmen's strike, and
the Ceur d. Alene mining disturbances.
Of the Tennessee matter he declared that
the miners did not resort to violence
until all legal means had failed. and
then shock to the public was the only
means they had remaining OF draw
ing attention to their wrongs.
Referring to the Homestead lock-
out, MIR. Gompers characterized the
Pinkerton men as san armed band of
marauders sailing under no flag, owing
allegiance to no state or country, and
consequently, by the laws of all nations.
considered pirates" He denounced in
the most severe terms the action OF
Supreme Judge Paxson. sitting as a
committing magistrate, and cited the
different treatments accorded the in
dlcted millmen and the capitalists as a
striking commentary upon the consttu-
tional declaration that all men are
equal before the law.
In the Buffalo strike, Mr.. GOmpers