The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-10

supine enough, or corrupt enough, to per-
NIT the Government to be held up and
plundered, as ours has been plundered dur
ing the last year and half. In the earlier
days of this Government, when statesmen
and not politicians were guiding the ship
of State. the banks were subordinate to the
Government, but to-day the Government
is at the mercy of the banks, and the
bankers dictate our system of finance and
laugh at the protests OF the people against
the tyranny of their rule. You should not
only protest by resolution against the
crime committed, but bring your influence
to bear upon your representatives IN Con-
gress, to the end that they may provide
against a repetition or a continuance of
this great crime.
"What stronger evidence can be given 70
the world to demonstrate that the spirit of
liberty and progress still lives than that of
Cuba, formerly the slave mart of the
Western World, now shaken from center
to circumference by revolt for freedom
on the part of the men, or sons of men,
who few years ago were sold as slaves to
the highest bidder? The Cuban revolt is
in itself deserving of consideration and
recognition al our hands; bat when we re-
member that the Spanish dynasty has al
ways evidenced hostility to republican
governm ents, even in the case OF this
country, we should be all the more de-
termined to insist upon fair treatment be-
ing extended by the Congress of the
. nited States to the revolutionists of
Cuba, and | trust ere this convention ad-
journs you will have adopted resolutions
petitioning Congress to at least recognize
Cubans as belligerents.
'While there has been, and is now, a ma
terial improvement in trade conditions as
compared to those of the previous two and
a half years, yet the improvement has
not been as pronounced as press reports
would lead us to believe, and such as 1t
was, beneficial as it has been, it did not re-
lieve the strain upon the American Fedora
.tion of Labor until late III the year.
Regardless of the many disadvantages
under which the federation labored
during the year, such progress was
made IN our work that am able to con-
graduate you upon the fact that both
numerically and financially the American
Federation is stronger to-day than 1t was
at the end of 1894, and to assure you that
the prospects for the future are full of
promise for the success of the trades union
movement.
1.-THE year 1895 has been noted for the
large number of small or local. rather
than large prolonged strikes. The most
pleasing feature of contests of this charac-
ter between employer and employed was
the uniform success met with in the way
of obtaining higher wages and improved
conditions of employment.
1.-The constitution OF the National and
many of the State governments stands to-
day as a monument to the past greatness
and grandness of our country. These con-
situations were made and adopted for the
purpose OF protecting men and methods
now dead. They are not suited for the
industrial conditions and i'm
proved mental status of the present time,
hence if the modern environments of labor
are to be ame1iorated by legislation, in
keeping with the progress of our people
along commercial and industrial lines, it
might be we'll to turn our attention to the
cutting away of these constitutional bar
riers which invalidate legislation enacted
in the peoples interests"
The reports of the secretary and treas
urer followed. The report of the secretary
says in part:
1.-The receipts of the fiscal year, begin
ming November 1, 1894, and ending Octo-
Der 81, 1895, have not been as good as the
average of recent years. The causes of this
are well known to all OF you. The effects
of the panic of 1894 extend far into this
current year, and many of our unions,
while holding up bravely, have suffered
considerably, nevertheless, in common
with all industry. Our mem bers thrown
out of employment wandered into other
fields, and thus the unions lost their sup
port. Lately, however, signs OF improve
ment have been noticed. Our unions
are reviving slowly but surely, and many
advances have been made, increasing wages
and reducing hours, during the past few
months, and we can confidently hope for
better things in the near future. During
the year we spent for the defense of miners
and other unions, for the defepse of Debs,
the occurring tour of Burns and Holmes,
etc, $3467. The receipts for the year were
SIS ,493 "a; expenses, $15,612 AZ; leaving
balance on hand October 81, 1895, of
1881 u The total amount contributed to
the Debs fund this year and last was
$1386 Al"
He continues: "Wbie we cannot report
any great apparent gains in the field of
labor during the past year, the agitation
and education that is progressing along
economic lines is particularly noticeable"
The report OF John B. Lennon, treasurer,
shows that the total income during the
year was $1S,493 "a; total expense,
$15,612 AZ; balance in hand of treasurer,
1881 II.
At the conclusion of the reading of the
reports, John Swinton, the well-known
writer on labor subjects, addressed the
convention. The speaker denounced the
methods of treating strikers by the authori-
ties and instanced the sending of troops
to Chicago by the "unspeakable Cleve-
land" The militia, he said, had become
the tools OF plutocracy so base that no
army in Europe would "do the dirty work
of shooting women, as they did in Brook
Ign. Conlin, the chief of the New York
police" he continued, had talked of
grape and canister for the suppression of
strikes.
"Shame upon that creature Conlin,' ex-
claimed the speaker, "who is a meaner