Evening star., 1895-09-09
The Proposed Local Branch; Of the
American Federation.
REASONS WHY IT IS DESIRABLE
Why Mr.. Blake and Others o.
pose This Movement.
U N ION M E TIN G. S

leader in the movement for the estab-
nshment of the proposed branch of the
American Federation of Labor In the Dis
trict of Columbia is authority for the state
ment that a meeting having this end in
view will be held al a suitable hall in the
central part of'the city in the course of
the next ten days. and that the proper or
ganizer of the A. F. of L. will be present
| that all steps taken may be in accordance
with the rules of the American Federation
| and that there shall be no hitch in the
proceedings. 7-.r
1t is claimed that at this meeting not less
than fourteen. and perhaps more, organiza-
tions will be represented. There will then
be elected according to present plans, a
| president vice president and all the other
| necessary officers. who, together with five
delegates and two alternates from each
organization, will constitute the central
body The idea of having the alternates
| Is that each society represented In the body
snail, unless something quite out of the
ordinary transpires, at all times have five
votes to cast on any question that may
come UP for discussion and settlement.
There is no cessation Of interest in labor
circles in reference to this new move, or
rather revival OF an attempt of a similar
character made few years ago, but which
then failed for reasons which, it is asserted,
do not now exist, and in speaking Of the
matter yesterday to Star reporter one of
the veterans in the ranks of organized la
bor, who has devoted more than a quarter
of century of his life to the upbuilding of
the cause, said:
One Leaders, Opinion.
''The organization of a branch of the
American Federation in this District has
been a matter of rumor for some time
The Star should he commended for giving
us the facts and thus calling the attention
organized IN a linn
ter. 1 have not given the rumors much at
tentton, though the matter Is of great IN
terest, and deserves the serious, intelligent
consideration of every organized worker in
the District.
Il do not know how long we can maintain
our federation on a local basis, or what
conditions may arise that will bring the
question of national affiliation to the favor
able attention of the labor bodies of the
District. l do not know If there would be
any serious effective objection to the char
tering of branch of the American Fedora
ton In this city. -
During the period of tho leadership of
Powderly and Gompers. when the two
great divisions of labor-the American Fed
Grafton and the Knights of Labor-main-
famed an armed truce, when not engaged
In active hostility, every effort to organize
federation in the District under the aus
pices Of the national body was unsuccess-
been deposed and amicable and harmonious
relations exist between the two great
bodies. there could be no valid reason given.
why the Federation of Labor of this Dis
trict should not become part of the 3JU,1e0:
fellow workers Of the. national body. g..
No objection could be consistently made
by those belonging to assemblies, focatheyi
have District Assembly, No. 66. Knights of
Labor, as a representative body, and have
behind them the whole force Of national or
ganiZation. The trades unions should be in
the same position. -
Excess of Trade Union Membersbip.
Numerically, the trade union member
ship in this District is far In excess of that
o. all organizations, at least Is per cent of
organized workers belonging to trade
unions. They largely compose the Fedora
tion of Labor, yet they. have no support
beyond the District. The union organiza-
tons really have no federated body in this
city, though they number twenty-eight :of
the fifty-two organizations In the District,
and twenty of the forty represented in the
Federation of Labor. 1t is evident that the
union organizations are the largest and
mcst potent labor factors in the District,
and as a federated body they would be In
q position to demand the ySupport,7of thes
federated unions of the whole country.
THIS need not disturb the very harmonious
relations that have always. existed IN this
District between unions and assemones.
There could be earnest and effective Coop
Grafton in all local effort and much more
could be accomplished than Is possible un-
der the present conditions. .
&C mbine the union organizations in rep
resentative body and thus secure co-opera-
tive effort with District Assembly, No. W,
which, being distlnctively K. of L., pre-
Guided all other bodies from representa-
ton. This, however, should neither destroy
the ideGlity of the union organization or in
the least be bar from organizing at any
time a federation of trade unions upon
local basis or upon the broader plane of
national association.
Unrepi esented Union Organizations.
so far as 1 know, there are nine legiti-
mate union organizations here not repre-
serted in the federation, while every as
emily of the K. of L. is either represented
in that body or In d. A. &C. Approximate
", these nine organizations aggregate in
mt mbership 1000 or more. 1t is desirable
that this large number of organized work
ers should be brought into affiliation with
the other organizations, but present condi-
tions are such that entire federation Is i'm
possible. l believe the matter deserves
consideration, and after 1t has been given
earnest. intelligent attention 1t will be dis
POSED of satisfactorily to the majority of
the organized wage earners of the Dis
trict.'
Mr.. Blake's Opposition.
There are, however some of the leaders
who will oppose union of the federation
of the District with the American Fedora
ton of Labor under the conditions as they
exist at this time, and prominent among
them is Mr.. E. NJ. Blake, who says: The
local Federation of Labor elected delegates
to the convention of the American Fedora
ton of Labor, which met in Baltimore a
few years ago. These delegates were re-
fused admission and until the American
Federation adopts more friendly feeling
toward the local federation, or until the
local federation votes to go into the Amer
lean Federation IN a body, shall be op-
posed to organizing branch of that body
here, and am unaterably opposed to affll-
iating with Columbia Musical Union until
1t organizes on trade union principles Its
constitution now forbids the members play
ing with members of other unions, which Is
contradictory to every trade union principle.
! can see no reason why every legitimate
local organization should not be represented