Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-07-15
IT is TOTTERING.
The Labor Congress on Its
Last Legs.
DRIFTING INTO A POLITICAL BODY.

The Carpenters withdraw. Others Will
Follow. and Probably Another Ossauizs-
tIon VIII be Formed.
From present indications it is only
a question OF a short time until the
Tri-City Labor congress will have
dwindled down in membership to
the few individuals and their friends
who have finally succeeded in con
trolling the body, which has become
more of n political organization than
the purpose for which it WAS formed.
This state OF affairs has Disguised
the Carpenters and Joincrs' union
into abandoning the congress. aud
there is every prospect of the ma jor-
ity of the other labor organizations
following. as the manner in which
the congress meetings are conducted
is entirely foreign to the interests of
labor and contrary to the priuci-
pies upon which the mission is es.
tablished. tbs high time the laboring
people were awakening to a realiza-
tion of the consequences which will
inevitably follow their association
with and submission to the desires of
such people. The congress was or
ganizcd to enhance the cause of
labor; to better the condition of the
working classes; to seek to adjust
matters between employee and em-
ployer when called upon to do SO by
an organization deserving of it's CO.
operation, and to keep aloot from
politics and religion. and endeavor to
keep the cmbers of friendship burn
ing between the workingman and his
employer, showing partiality to no
one extending recognition to its
cause.
IguoriEG Its Principles.
But far from keeping within the
limitation Of its principles has the
labor congress been. 1t has turned 4
deaf ear to the protestations of its own
fellow organizations, which sought
to prevent and afterwards to redress
wrongs committed to the utter dis
regard of harmony and bodily inter-
est. This is no more plainly illus
tratcd than in the idea of singing
out three papers-the Saturday Her
aid, Moline Mail and Populist-and
indorsing them as worthy the sup
port OF laboring men. The natural
Inference would be that the balance
Of the publications. recognizing union
labor were not entitled to the friend
ship of the labor cause, whereas all
OF them carry the union label, there
by manifesting Il spirit of coopera.
ton with union rules, and al of
them. with the exception of the pro-
prietor of the Populist, whose paper
has been so generously favored, EN-
ploying union men and paying union
pri ces. The three papers were il
| dorsed few meetings ago. and when
the printers and members of other
organizations learned of the facts
they became indignant, called meet
ing and adopted resolutions demand
ing a reconsideration of the matter,
holding that one OF the papers IA
vored was partisan organ and that
the interests OF unionism were AS
well taken care of by one political
paper as by another. The printers
appeared before the congress and ex-
planned the injustice of such move,
requesting reconsideration of the
newspaper Endorsement. But their
appeal was in vain.
! Another Futile Attempt.
The question was again brought
up at yesterdays meeting and res
olution presented by W. N. Hanna to
rescind all former action bearing on
the Endorsement OF any paper. This
brought DIR. c. L. Lindley and
L. H. Ellis to their feet. They
of course deprecated the idea
as it would interfere with the
future welfare of the peoples
party and the Populist. although
they did not so express themselves.
They pulled the wool over enough
others eyes to defeat the move by
/ tabling it. An amendment extend-
ing the good will of the congress to
to all publications was passed. how.
ever.
The printers are disgusted, as a-e
other organizations, with the unfair
t'ndency of the congress, and the
oppression %. concentration NGSCCr-
day will probably lead up to move
ment to organize new central body
which will represent labor prir-
ciples.
| Officers Elected.
Officers for the ensuing six months
were elected as follows, it being the
semi-annual meeting of the congress:
President-W. Ii. Griffin, Daven-
port.
Vice PRESIDENT. z. Olney, Mo-
line.
Recording Secretary-W. H. Schil-
| linger. Rock Island.
Financial Secretary-N. Herman,
| Rock Island.
Treasurer-T. II. Ellis, Rock ISL
and.
Trustees-E. f. Ziegler. w. N.
Hanna, Rock Island: W. &. Myers,
Davenport.
Sereeant-at-arms-J e. Daven-
port, Rock Island.
Statisticiau H. Pfabe, Daven-
mort