The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1892-12-17
THE FEDERATION OF LABOR
Meeting of the Twelfth Annual
Congress at Philadelphia.
Nearly Every Labor Organization in the
United States Represented...speech
OF President compers...secre.
tary Evans Report.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 13.--In histor.
ical Independence hall, where, more
than century ago, the fathers of the
republic assembled to throw off the
yoke of British authority, there were
gathered together Monday the rep.
resentatives OF a powerful move.
nent for the emancipation, uplifting
and dignifying of labor--the American
Federation of Labor. The opening
scenes of the twelfth annual congress
very much resembled those of the pre-
ceding one. There We're many new
faces among the delegates, and also
many old faces, and hearty greetings
We're exchanged as acquaintances that
had been formed at last years convcn-
tion at Birmingham, Ala, and pre-
vious gatherings were renewed. Among
the cities represented by delegates
were New York, st. Paul, st. Louis,
Detroit, Indianapolis, Pittsburg,
Wheeling, Louisville, San Francisco,
Cincinnati, Columbus, Milwaukee,
Omaha, Chicago, Hot spings, Little
Rock, Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, Den
vcr, Duluth, and Birmingham, Ala;
while among the organizations repre-
sented were the following: Bakers In
ternational union, BARRIERS lnterna.
tional union. Boilermalsers' lnterna-
tional union, Boot and Shoe Workers
International union, Brewery Workers
National union, Carpenters and join
ers of America, Carpenters and Joiners
Amalgamated society, Cigarnalsers' In
terntional union, Clerks GetaiD Ma
tlonal Protective Association of Amer
lca. Furniture Workers international
union, Glass Employees National asso-
clation, Garment workers, Horse Cot-
larmakers' National union, Iron Mould
crs' Union of North America. Iron and
steel Workers. Lasters' Protective
union, Mine workers, Quarrymens Ma
tional union. Saddle and Harnessmak-
ers National association, Tnilors'
U. of A., Tanners and Curriers' Broth
erhood, and Federated Trades Council,
of Milwaukee: Typographical Germany, {,
Typographical international union,
Wood Workers International union,
Electrical Street Car Employees, Elcc-
trical Linemcn and Wiremen,s union,
Federated Labor Unions, Firemens
Protective union, Hod Carriers union,
Musicians Protective union, Musicians
Mutual Benefit association, Street Rail
way Employees, Central Labor unions of
Boston and Cleveland. Federations of
Labor, of Baltimore, Dallas and New
York; Federated Trades Assembly, of
Portland. o.; Council of Federated
Trades of the Pacific coast; Trade and
Labor assemblies of st. Louis. Denver
and Chicago; Trade and Labor uniol.
of Detroit; Trades Assembly,o of Duluth,
and the Trades Council. of Birming-
ham, Ala.
The convention was called to order
at 1880 o'clock by President Gompel's.
II. l.. Miner, of Philadelphia Typo
graphical union No 9. introduced Geo.
il. Chance, president of the union, who
delivered the address of welcome.
The annual address of President
Gompers in full would fill an entire
page of newspaper, but its chief in
terest lies in his remarks upon the great
labor disturbances of the past year. He
took up in succession the Tennessee
miners troubles, the Homestead affair.
the Buffalo switchmen's strike
and the CGur d'Alenc mining
disturbances. Referring to the
Homestead strike Mr.. Gompcrs
characterized the Pinlserton men as
ian armed band of rarauders, sailing
under no flag, owing allegiance to no
state or country. and consequently by,
the laws of all nations considered
pirates" He denounced in most severe
terms the action of Judge Paxson in,
sitting as a committing magistrate and
cited the different treatment accorded
the indicted mill men and the
capitalists as n striking commentary on
the constitutional declaration that all
men are equal before the law.
IN the Buffalo strike Gompers de-
clnred that because some irresponsible
persons, not strikers, destroyed some
worthless cars the entire militia of the
state of New York was called out to
compel men to go to work regardless of
their inclinations.
Referring to the Couer d Aienc strike
he declared thatthc United States judge
and the commander of the federal
troops combined to prevent the consti-
tution;tl right of free assemblage and
enforced their edict that an employer
should not carry on his business if he
employed union men. In this connec-
tion he recommended that a demand be
made for an investigation of the CON
duct of the judicial and military affairs
in the mining regions of Idaho.
President GoInpers dealt briefly with
the question of unrestricted immigra-'
ton, which lie declared to be Il great
injury to the country. He urged that
the alien contract labor law should be
made more stringent.
The relations of the federation with
the Knights of Labor he regretted to
say were not cordial, ewing to the in
sulting attitude of the knights at the
Birmingham convention. Mr.. Gompcrs
closed with an appeal for concerted
political action in and among working
men. :,
Secretary Evans report in substance
is as follows:
Der 81, 1891, and ending October 81,
1892, 277 charters have been issued, in
Guiding local unions, central bodies
and state fedcrntions in thirty-two
states of the union. In addition to the
above, eight charters have been issued
to national unions, making total of
Sco lor inc year, The largest
number of charters that have
been issued during any one
year since the American Federation OF
Luhor has been organized. The total
receipts and expenses for the year end
ing October 81, 1892, were: Receipts,
R25. .090.57: expenses, $1s,324.6o; balance
on hand, $7,G66.1s.
The report concludes with the recon-
mendation that the government take
some action towards reducing the num-
Der of unemployed men by agitating
cod IL.