Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-13


whatever name known.
The conventions OF the organized toilers
should declare for certain political as wei
as economic demands, and require OF, ana
they will certainly receive, the support and
cooperation of organized labor at the ballot
box as well as in the factory, field and mine
We should rather be q unit in our demands
than political party.
Evils of Unrestricted Immigration.
There can be no question but unrestricted
immigration is working great injury to the
people of our country. Organizations sup
posed to be beneficial and charitable In
their nature and supposed philanthropists
simply gather hordes of people. pack them
in vessels worse than cattle, with no room
or ventilation, where even the decencles OF
life cannot be observed, and in that frignt
full condition thrust upon our shores, there
to be forced into the mines, railroads ana
sweat shops OF our country.
In our efforts to carry out the 1nstructlon
OF the last convention petitions signed Dy
more than 100000 organized workingmen
were forwarded to Congress requesting that
hody to refrain from acting upon the Ques-
tion of opening or closing the WORLDS falr
on Sundays. Notwithstanding the petition
and our protest Congress practically closed
the Fair upon the day most readily at tne
disposition of the workers. As matter OF
Iuct the days the wage earners will have the
best opportunity to visit the Worlds Fair
will be on Sundays. visit to it, an exam
ination of the product OF the genius or man,
cannot tend to demorallze or depraVe a
visit to the Exposition and a view OF the
arts and handicrafts of the peoples OF all
nations can only tend to ennoble the VISITOR,
enlarge the sphere of his intelligence ana
broaden his sympathetic nature. There Is
no idea nor thought for the desecratfon OF
the Sabbath, but we insist that Congress
should have refrained;from legislating upon
a subject entirely foreign TO it's sphere.
The Board of Directors OF the Fair have
pledged themselves that no employe shall
allowed work
the week if Congress will repeal the Sunday
closing clause. In my Judgment we shoulu
urge Congress to repeal the clause ana dele-
gate the matter where it rightfully belongs
to the Board of Directors.
The Trouble With the K. of L.
In obedience to the unanimously adopted
instruction, the counter proposition to those
submitted by the &. of L. were transmitted
to the general officers OF that order, accom-
panied by courteous note suggesting that
conference might be held TO discuss their
original and our counter propositions. The
officers answer was discourteous and inso-
lent Since then we have heard nothing in
reference to the subject matter.
In compliance with the instructions of the
last convention, the Executive Council en-
tered into a correspondence and held con-
ferences with the attorneys selected by
Typographical Union No. z, of Pittsburg, in
the injunction cases of Murdock Kerr
versus Eugene Wilson ct nj. At first the re-
quest came to the council that the $1,000 be
turned over in bulk to Union No. T. This
was in violation OF the expressed provision
OF the resolutions upon the subject and de-
MED. The final arrangements made were
that the attorneys for the union should re-
ceive from the A. F. OF L. a retainer of $3.50
and the balance of the l,5OO fee ($s50) when
the Supreme Court o the State or Pennsyl-
vania shall render decision in these cases.
Up to this writing no decision has been rem
dered by the court upon these cases.
The Views of John Swinton.
In a vehement address Mr.. Swinton de-
clared that he was not discouraged by the
abandonment of strikes at Buffalo, Home
stead, Ceur D'Alene, New Orleans and
other places in the past year. These eff
forts, he asserted, had the effect of check
ing aggression on the workingmen. He
said: "The labor of the country has been
paid millions of dollars this year, which it
would surely have lost without the help of
these striking brethren. Every man dis
abled in these wars OF labor should be re-
membered and honored for his services as
he who draws his pension for duty in the
camp" The speaker concluded with an
appeal for union of all labor organizations
on fundamental principles.
The Committee on Credentials reported
81 delegates entitled to admission and the
report was adopted. President Gompers
announced the membership of the various
committees.
Resolutions were introduced at the request
of Typographical Union No. 16 of Chicago
denounclng the proposed awarding of the
contract for the Worlds Fair catalogue to a
non-union publisher, 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 $780,
600 toward the Fair under the belief that it
would 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 antagonistic to union interests.
A Fight Over Resolutions.
The Chicago men made o determined
effort to get the resolutions through the
convention Immediately. Delegate Camp
bell, Of the International typographical
Union, observed, however, tina: the COM
plant was not officially presented, not hav-
ing the seal of any typographical union.
The chair then ruled out the resolutions, as
unanimous consent was refused. Appeal
was then taken from this decision, but the
Chair was sustained by small majority
Finally a temporary set of rules was
adopted and suspended for the purpose of
referring the Chicago resolutions to q COM
mittee of Chicago and International Typo
graphical delegates.
After remaining out an hour, the COM
mittee reported favorably on the resolution
with some modification, expressing friend
ship for the fair and an amendment was
offered substituting request that the work
be given stair" shop, instead of using the
words ''union shop" Although favored
by the committee and typographical dele
gates this amendment was defeated. The
resolutions were then passed
Ex-President Weihe, of the Amalga-
mated Association or Iron and Steel
Works, attracted good deal of notice. W.
A. Carney, his successor, also came in for
share of attention, as did all the men who
were engaged in the Homestead fight, who
occupied seats together close to the Presi-
dents desk. A portion of THURSDAYS ses-
sion will be devoted to the consideration of
that great conflict, and means will be de-
vised for the relief of the men who have
been thrown out of work by the strike.