St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-12
WILL GOMPERS GO DOWN?
LABOR DELEGATES WANT THE PRES
LDENcY TO COME WEST
ANNUAL MEETING I'm CHICAGO

Vigorous Contest Over the Union
Label on Account of Legal
Decisions Against the Fedora.
tion-Poverty Among the Toll
ers Discussed-interes Re-
ports Presented.
CHICAGO, Dec. 1.-THE thirteenth
annual convention Of the American
Federation of Labor opened in the city
council chamber today. Over uinety
delegates from all parts of the country
were present when President Samuel
Gompers called the convention to order.
There was apparent feeling among
the Western delegates that the honor
of the presidency of the organization
which has renamed in the East for sew
eral years, should be conferred OH
Western leader, and gossip was cur
rent IN the convention hall as to
strong fight at the time of the election
of officers. A delegate high in the order
admitted that there was considerable
dissatisfaction among the Western
unions. A parade had been planned
for today, but because of the bad
weather the idea was abandoned, and
the delegates marched from their head
quarters to the council chamber with
out display. w. 2. Pemeroy welcomed
the delegates in a lengthy speech, in
which he set forth the pitiable cOndi-
ton of many of Chicago's laboring men.
Ten thousand hungry. homeless men
lont "
speaker, land will expect you to
SOUND TO THE NATION
the note of alarm. and will look to you
for aid in their present desperate copdi-
tion." Gov. Altgeld (Dem.) and Acting
Mayor Swift (Rep.) had been invited to
speak at the opening session, but at the
eleventh hour they were informed that
they would not Oe permitted to address
the delegation. The reason given for
the action was provision in the fedora
TONS constitution prohibiting address
by men holding public positions, bat
| p. j. Maas, secretary of the Chicago ar
rangements committee, intinated that
| the affair had grown out of the fight on
| President Gompers. Gov. Altgeld was
| not Informed that his presence was not
| desired until Just before the con vention
was called to order.
President Madden, of the state fed
Grafton, made short address, and
| President Gompers replied to the
speeches of welcome, and after refer
ring to the homeless and starving
| thousands throughout the coun try, con-
| tinued: "The men responsible for
these conditions. who send out pro-
tests, in which we join, against
| the throwing of bomb in BARGE
lena and Paris, and against assas-
| sins in Chicago, must cOncede to the
solutions of the problem. which the or.
ganized labor presents for the develop
| ment of the human family or be con-
fronted with this kind of guerrilla war
| fare"
The burden Of gossip regarding the
election of officers was that
THE WESTERN MEN
| believed GomperS should be "turued
| down" because of his attitude on the
silver queStiOn-a position that did not
meet the views of the silver states. The
Eastern delegates are, however. appar
emily solid for Gompers and the election
During the meeting there will also be a
vigorous contest Tor and against the
union label. Recent legal decisions
have been against the federation. and
authority to take the matter into the
highest court will be sought.
1t is claimed for the label that since
its adoption the federation has greatly
prospered, and that the label has had
| much to do with the success achieved
The label. however, meets with opposi
ton in some quarters, and consider
able contingent is opposed to eXpend
ing any more money in pushing tht
case in the courts.
President GoInpers' annual repor
was an interesting document, and ais,
contained references to the destitutiOi
at present existing among the laborinl
classes.
lit is no eXaggeration to say" he de
clares, ''that more than S,000,000 of GU
| fellow toilerS throughout the countr,
are without employment"
The responsibility for this condition
of things the report charged npon capi
tai and iabor-saving machinery, which
regardless of the working classes, over
stocked the markets of the world with
out furnishing the latter with mean
with which to purchase the vast store.
PRESIDENT GOMPERS
thought the present depression wa
having a deleterious effect upon tn
| labor organizations. He believed
measure of relief might have been OBJ
tanned by an adoption of an eight-hou
day. Speaking of the federation in it
relation to politics, President Gomper
said:
The last convention recommends
to the organized workingmen that the
take such action politically as shall Sc
I cure the best results to labor and plac
the movement upon higher plane.
desire to recommend that not only il
my judgment the trend will soon
that direction, but that every earneS
effort made has met with the cordia
cooperation of the members OF the eX
ecutiye council. An intelligent use @
the ballot by the toilers in their own iii
terest must largely contribute to lighte
the burden of our economic struggles
Let us elect men from the ranks @
labor to represent us in congress an
the legislatures wherever and wheneve
the opportunity presents itself"
The report also contained some per
, tinent remarks on the car-cOupler Law
the Chinese exclusion act, governmer
| ownership of the telegraph, railroa
strikes, child labor and other matters 0
industrial interest.
The report of Secretary Evans wa
| mainly interesting from the fact that
furnished detailed statement of tn
! money received ana EXPENDED In til
interest OF the Homestead legal defens
fund. At mass-meetng called by th
6 executive council in Pittsbur
it was determined to raise
fund to assist the Amalgamate
Association of Iron and Steel Worl
ers in their fight with the Carnegi
company and to that end circular
soliciting subscriptions were sent ou
, AS result of this appeal the sum c
S7,043 was subscribed. Of this amour
: 1854 was expended, leaving balanc
of 50, ,47S. During the year ending Oc
81 charters were granted to POS variou
labor organizations, six of which wer
national unions. Several amendment
to the constitution were suggested b
the secretary.
IS The report of Treasurer John B. Lei
: non showed that the total income fl
i the year ending Oct. 81 was S2l, ,4S7, an
q l..