The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-12-13
Tho Annual Convention is Opened
in Philadelphia.
The LEADERS Do NOT MlNCE WORDS
In Dealing With tho Labor Situation.
Corporations and State and Federal
Authorities Violently Denounced.
President Gompers Reviews tho
Strikes of the Year and Talks Some
Very Plain EngIish..Tho Order ta a
Prosperous Condition.

4
Samuel Gompers opened the twelfth
annual 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. 8,
inwhich he said:
"Measured by tho wealth that has
been gathered, Pennsylvania is great,
prosperous and powerful. Contrasted
with tho condition of the producers Of
that wealth, the state is poor indeed.
81 have no hesitancy in saying that
ths laws of the nation and the state are
partly responsible for this condition Of
affairs. Trusts have been legalized and
fostered, while soulless corporations and
gigantic corporations arc the especial
wards OF the state; laws passed for the
benefit OF the masses are declared un-
constitutional, or decisions given that
render their provisions nugatory. These
! and other decisions force US to the be-
lief that therei is one law or rather con-
struction OF it for the poor man and an
other for the rich. When this fact be-
comes patent to the masses OF the peo-
pie, as it surely will, the remedy, or the
attempt at it, will be swift, and it may
be terrible. 1t is said that the blood OF
the martyrs was the seed OF the church; I;
it is possible that through the blood OF
men who died on the banks of the Mo-
nongahela last July may come q reali-
cation OF the true condition oil affairs,
and that the legislation will be in favor
of the masses rather than for the ag-
grandizement OF the few."
President Gompers replied briefly for
the Federation, thanking the taboring
men Of Philadelphia for their welcome
and for the admonition that had been
given.
"It is lamentable." he declared, shat
judges should stoop SO low to arrive at
such despicable ends as has been wit
messed recently in Pennsylvania"
He ascribed these wrongs to two
causes: The comparative lack OF organ
ization among the laboring men OF the
state, and the devotion Of wage-workers
TO partisans FIRST and to their class in
terests last.
A committee on credentials was an
nounced and the convention took re-
cess until 2 o'clock.
At the afternoon session the delegates
were entertained for half an hour by
John Swinton, the New York Journal
ist, in n savage attack on .blackleg-
ging," Pinkertonism and triakery. Mr..
Swinton declared ha was not discour-
aged by tho abandonment OF strikes at
Homestead, Buffalo, Coner d'Alene,
New Orleans and other places in the
last year. These efforts had been the
effect OF checking aggression on the
workingmen. ''rhe labor of the coun-
try" he continued, "has been paid mil
lions 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 honored for his
services as he who draws his daily dole
from his duty in the camp"
The speaker concluded with an ap-
peal for the union Of all labor organiza-
tions on fundamental principles.
The committee on credentials then
reported eighty-one delegates entitled
to admission and the report was
adopted.
Nh. COMPRESS ADDRESS.
President Gompers announced the
membership OF the various committees.
President Gompers then read his an
nuat report, which was in brief as
follows:
Events have transpired N the field Of
labor within the past six months which
have aroused public attention, because
the incidents connected with them have
been more or less OF an unusual charac-
ter. In each OF these labor struggles
the employers, the corporations, have
simply made request and the armed
forces OF the states and the United
States were at their bidding. In the
coal mines OF Tennessee, where the
minors are being gradually but surely
supplanted by the labor Of convicts, the
miners pleaded In vain to the legis-
legislature OF the state to stop this
nefarious traffic. Instead OF having
their wrongs redressed they are scorned.
At Homestead, where the iron and
steel workers were offered q wholesale
reduction in their wages, an armed
band OF marauders, sailing under no
flag, owing allegiance to no state or
country land consequently by the law
of all nations pirates) was brought by
the corporations to invade that peace
ful town, to overawe and intimidate its
citizens and workers, to aid in the effort
to supplant their labor by poorer and
demoralized set OF human beings. The
men OF Homestead, seeing their liber-
ties endangered, their lives, theirhomes
and families menaced, took up arms
against the invaders and repelled them.
At Buffalo about 450 switchmen used
all the peaceful, persuasive power men
we're capable Of for the purpose Of in
ducing their corporations to cease
working their employees, at their respon-
sible and often dangerous occupations,
n longer period than the laws OF the
state OF New York provides, ten hours.
They were treated contemptuously by
tho company, and as last resort struck
for the enforcement Of the law. The
militia OF the state was called out and
concentrated at Buffalo doing switch
mems work and even forcing men TO
work against them will.
At Ceur d'Alene, where the miners
had been suffering intense doprivations
during six long winter months, the men
who extracted the great wealth from
the bowels OF the earth were subjected
to reductions in wages, or the alter
native OF seeing their work passing
from their hands 10 the gangs and
hordes of people brought over 20 this
country under contract.