The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-12-20
GOmperS Reelected.


alton of Labor for the twelfth con-
secutive time. 1t was a tight scratch
however. GOmpers had 1914 votes.
and John Mcbride OF Ohio had 1000
votes; GOmpers' majority being 81 in
a total vote Of 2.534. The opposition
to Gompers came from the west and
We understand was largely based on
the belief that Gompers had been
acting as a kind Of stalking-horse
or stOol-pigeon of the monOpolists
and cOrruptionists; and had done all
he could to prevent the wOrkingmen
uniting at the ballot box or taking
part in politics. We know nothing
as to whe ther these charges are true
Or false II they are true the close
call Mr.. Gompers has had will prob
ably teach him that you cannot tie
up the Niagara with a shoe-string
The world is moving and Gompers
will either have to move with it or
be rolled under amid the mud and
sand.
The other officers were all re-elcct-
cd as follows: First vice-presidcnt,
P.J. Mcclure, Philadelphia: second
vice-presidcnt, C.. l.. Drummond, TT.
Wayne; third vice-presidcnt, James
Brcttcl, Pittsburg; fourth vice-prcsi-
dent, Vim. II. Marden, Boston; secre-
tary, Chris Evans, n. York: treasurer,
J. L. Lennon, n. York.
But the convention took action
much more significant than the cleo
ton or defeat Of any one man could
be. They demanded the establish
ment Of the referendum" in lcgisla-
ton; and collective ownership of the
means of production and distribu-
tion. At the next meeting they are
to decide whether there shall be a
new political party or not, and in the
meantime the question is to be dis
cussed by the trade unions in every
city in the land The door is thus
opened to political action; and as the
association represents nearly a mil
lion wage workers the results may be
most important. The sun. he do
move.
\ Sick Crowd.
\ Mr.. j. II. Rose, OF Lisbon, y. d.
interviewed in st. Paul, says that
eff there was an election held to-
morrow there would not be demo
cratic vote cast in the state" This
is probably oyer-stating the case.
You could not kill Off all the fools
in six months. A small percentage
would escape the fool-killers, and
come out of the bushes on election
day, to vote as their fathers did.
But there is no doubt that the dem
ocratic party in the Northwest is
awfully sick. They are like Mark
Twain's fellow in the storm, who
after wretching for an hour, over
the ships bulwark, sworc he had
thrown up his everlasting soul. Or
we might compare them to that
other chap, who, under similar cir
cumstanceS, threw up his boots.
JefferSOnian democracy, with all its
noble principles, finds itself tied, like
tin-kettle, to the tail OF plutocra-
cy, and gathering down "the prim,
rose path to the everlasting bonfire y
II. y. Martin, OF the executive
board OF the Knights of Labor, has
been expected home by his family
since Wednesday last, but has not
yet returned. 1t is stated by his
| associates OF the knights OF Labor
that he will not be home for some
time, as they arc Informed that he
has gone on a Knights of Labor tour
with the chief OF the organization,
Master Workman Sovereign. 1t is
thought that the latter may soon
come to the northwest on an official
visit in the interest Of the organiza-
tion.- Exchange.
!, We have good deal OF confidence
in II. +. Martin. And it may be
that the reports, which say the new
Master Workman is not rs radical as
Mr.. POwderly was, do that gentle
man an injustice. We notice in
some OF his recent speeches he tells
the workmen that the remedy of
their wrongs is not In strikes, but in
the ballot box. We will watch and
learn.
Ens,n<v XVo s...h~,,S.r
We have been written to by several