River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-12-24
oomPERs REELECTED.
Again Honored by the Federation of La
characterization for Free Coinage.

introduced wednesday, " DeleSdtc
Ashe. of Boston, came up under special
order:
Resolved. That we. the delegates OF the
American Federation of Labor. in con-
vention assembled. demand such amend
menis 10 the constitution OF tne United
States. and the constitutions OF the sever
al states thereof. as will Deprive the
supreme courts Of the United States and OF
the several states OF power, to set as1 laws
sentatives OF the people. as we believe the
proper function OF courts to be 10 ex-
pound and administer law, but not 10
make IT"
The resolution ELECTED much dis
cussion. the preponderance of which
was that il would be construed as
rejecting upon the courts Of the coun-
try. and especially the United States
supreme court. and throw The Fedora
ton of Labor in a position before the
public which it did not wish TO occupy.
The vote resulted in the defeat of the
resolution by vote of ~ to 81.
Delegate Weisemann offered a reso-
luton that the former action of the fed
Grafton favoring free coinage of silver at
sixteen to one be reconsidered, and the
resolutions committee through which
it was presented TO the convention rec
ommend that as the subject was enc on
which working men had become divided
the best interests Ut the federation
would be best served by refusing TO give
ii any consideration.
A motion that the whole matter be laid
on the table was lost by vote of 81 10
931. Delegate Yarnell offered substi-
tute reafirming the former action of
the federation on the silver question,
and again the opportunity for oratory
was freely made use of, the benefits the
workingmen would have from free
coinage being presented in about the
same manner as on the stump during
the campaign.
Delegate John B. Lennon, of the
Journeymen Tailors, offered as sub
siitute TO the resolutions printed by
Delegate Yarnell, resolution reaffirm-
ing the stand taken by the American
Federation of Labor at its three past
conventions, favoring the free and un-
limited coinage of silver at the ratio
o. sixteen to one by the United
States, without the consent or approval
OF any other nation, and disayowing
any intention that this action should be
construed as indorsing any political
party. The discussion of free sill
yer, and the propriety of the conven-
tion making declaration OF any kind
with relation to free and unlimited
coinage of the white metal, continued
with more or less forensic eloquence
until within a few minutes of the time
set for adjournment, when debate was
stopped by a motion for the previous
| question, which was promptly second
ed. The Lennon substitute was car
red by a vote of 1885 against BOZ.
Attic Thursday afternoon session the
special order for the annual election was
deferred to hear the report of the COM
mittee on the presidents report. Ii in
dorsed all the recommendations of Pres
ident Gompers in every instance, and
was Endorsed by a unanimous vote of the
convention. The following officers were
then elected, in every case the secretary
being instructed to cast the unanimous
vote of the convention for the nominee:
| President, Samuel Gompers. of New
| York; first vice president, r. j. Mcclure.
OF Philadelphia; second vice president,
James Duncan, of Baltimore; third vice
Spresident, James O'Connell of Chicago;
fourth vice president. NJ. NJ. Garland; of
| rison, of Chicago, ILL.,; treasurer, John ID
Lennon. of Bloomington. Ill.
Nashville, Tenn, was selected as the
location for the next session, the vote
being: Nashville, 1,61s; Kansas City,
1856; Salt Lake City, 2G2; st. Louis. $50.
Cincinnati, Dec. 2l.-The convention
of the American Federation of Labor
opened promptly at nine o'clock Sat
urday morning. with nearly all dele
gates present.
The committee on presidents report
recommended that the action of grant
ing of charter to the American Fedora
ton of Musicians, which now has a
membership of nearly 5000, be Endorsed.
and the recommendation was unani-
mously concurred in.
Committee on reorganization recon-
mended tina; the National Association
of Electrical Workers be granted
utilization. and cooperation of the
| American Federation of Labor in the
work of organization. and the recon-
mendation was concurred in.
Consideration of the report of the
| special committee on the eight-hour
movementNsa taken up, the convention
acting on each recommendation sepa-
rately, and indorsing each unanimously
until the one favoring a committee of
two to go 10 Washington was reached.
MIR. Lloyd moved that the two repre-
sentatives to visit Washington to work
for the eight-hour bill be selected by
the convention instead of being appoint
ed by the executive council; carried
by the close vote of yeas. "a; nays, 33.
| When the committee on law reported
in favor of removing the headquarters
| from indianapolis there was long
fight precipitated. 1t required Two
thirds vote to strike out indianapolis"
from the constitutional provision for
the location of headquarters, and only
majority vote was necessary TO in
sert the name of another city. One ct
the objections made against lndianap-
oils was its lack of facilities for dis
seminating information or news and
orders from the general officers through
/ the press associations. The first bal
lot resulted: Washington, 1,705; Chi
cago, 4s7.