The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1893-12-16
SONS OF TOLL At CHICAGO.
Shorter Hours Of Labor Prescribed
for Bad Times.
The worklngman Is the Principal Consume,
Of the Goods Which Fill ,hs Factories
-.ciye Him Employment and
the Problem Is Solved.

..Cye Him Employment and
the Problem Is Solved.
CHICAGO, Dec. 1l.-Representative
Of organized labor from all parts of ths
country and identified with combin.
aticns OF wage workers having an
aggregate membership of 1900. 600, as.
sembled in the council chamber of the
city hall this morning and formally in.
augurated the thirteenth annual con,
vention Of the American Fed.
Grafton OF Labor. Promptly al
~ o'clock President Gon.per,
of New York called the
assemblage to order. In few words
Presldent j. j. McGrath of the Chicago
trades assembly, representing 5000
wage workers, extended fraternal
greetings to the delegates and ther
gave wav to w. c. Pomeroy. who read
an address Of welcome on behalf of this
same organization. 1t was couched in
radical language that evoked re
peated and loud expressions OF
approval. "We would wish to bid
you welcome" he said, ITO a prosper
GUS city, but truth will not justify the
assertion. Things are here as they are
elsewhere. but not as they should be,
We bid you welcome in the name Of 8
hundred monopolists, and OF $4,000
tramps, here where mammon hold.
high carnival in palaces. while mothers
are heart broken, children are starving
and men are looking in vain for work.
President M. II. Madden of the state
federation of labor welcomed the dele
gates in calm, conservative speech
laying stress upon the Importance Of
political action.
President Gompers responded on be
half OF the federation.
Samuel Ross, p. II. Metcalf, William
Anderson and l.. NJ. Part were desig
mated as the committee on credentials
After the noon recess President Com
pers submitted his annual report.
The annual address of Presiden,
Gompers is lengthy document
and in its entirety would fl
nearly page of metropoli
tan newspaper. 1t deals with the in
dustrial depression, its effect upon la
Dor organizations, the necessity fol
harmony, child labor, political action
the organization Of new unions, federal
labor legislation and kindred topics.
His utterances on the industrial do
preston are Of interest ut this Juno
ture. On this topic he says:
Since August 8 this year we have beeL
in the greatest industrial depression this
country has ever witnessed. 1t is no eu
aggeration to say that more than three
millions OF our fellow toilers through
out the country are without employ.
ment and have been so since the tima
named, The lamentable industrial condt
tion is attributed by many to various,
causes. From the time industry began t.
emerge from the panic of ls7379 ther.
began the Introduction Of vastly improved
machinery, tools and methods of produc
ton, the inventions in electricity and tn,
general application OF this force to in
dustry. That in the end the great body
of workers comprise those who must ol
necessity consume the production wal
given no consideration whatever by ou,
great storehouses are glutted with tho
very articles required by the people, with
out ltheir ability or rather the .oppor
tunit, to obtain to consume them. Does
1t require more than ordinary observa
tion to discern that from conditions so alb
normal and abominable industrial stag
nation must ensnel We. MS represent.
atives OF tho organized toiling masses ol
the country, have offered the only
reasonable. practicable tangible solution
to meet the changed conditions OF in.
dustry The federation in 1884 declared
for the movement to reduce tho hours ol
labor. It is unnecessary, to repeat the
the eight hour movement OF 1855
But In 800, the Federation of Labor.
true to its mission, resolved te
engage In the movement to gradually en-.
force the eight hour work day, In which
we were partially successful. Had we
IxAnv 1Hntt |, lncc 10 -:
talist class and by those who should have
been friends it is safe to say that the
panic of 1893 would have been averted
deferred and certainly rendered less in.
tense. The only method in which prac.
tical, just and safe equilibrium car
be preserved in the industrial world To-,
the fast and ever increasing introduction
of machinery is u commensurate te reduction
of the hours OF labor. am very sura
that II employers were to substitute a
division of the work required among all
their workers instead OF the discharge OF
a number wn would emerge from the
present industrial and commercial stag.
nation.
Upon the subject OF political action
Mr.. Gompers says:
The last convention recommended ia
the organized workmen that they take
such action politically as shall secure the
best results to labor. and place the
movement upon higher plane I
desire to record not only that In
my Judgment the trend will soon 10 in
that direction, but that every earnest eff.
fort made has met with the cooperation
of the members OF the executive council
Let us elect men from the ranks OF lab Dor
to represent us in congress and the legis.
lstures whenever and wherever the oppor
tunity offers. Let us never be recrean,
to our trust, and regardless of political
affiliations or predictions always vote
against those whose interests nre mimic.
able to labor. The greatest factor in an
tagonizing the demands of labor is this
In economic disputes with employers
or In tho controversies arising
, therefrom in the courts and il
the legislative halls this factor is used te
the detriment Of the entire bndy Of wass
workers. Nor Is this cause ri complaint
confined to the unorganized wage carncrs
that Is to say on political lines. Should
the wage earners Of our country act moro
In harmony with each other In this field
of their duties we would rest more
assured that Legislation sought in the in.
terest of labor would be more readily
Forthcoming. and we would have less II
any necessity to oppose and resist legis.
lative, repressive or nnttgonistic in Its
character Our fellow wnrters have, to
too large an extent, .,..en partisans
first and wage earncrs after.
Let US hope that rs the
result of our efforts to organize, cdncate
and secure concessions for the tolling
masses that they will not only reverse
the order OF their former actions, hut he
as politically independent as they desire
to be economically free. I.
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No Truth in the Rumor.
Vi ~