The San Francisco call., 1896-12-21
LABOR LEADERS
MAKE ADDRESSES
President Gompers Appears
in Wesley Chapel
:" Pulpit.
In Glowing Words He Paints a
Picture of the Struggles
of Wage.EarDers.
Members of the Federation Are Active
in the Cause to Which They
Are Devoted.

CINCINNATI, OHIO, Dec. 20.-Although
there was no session of the sixteenth an
nual conference of the Federation of
Labor to-day many officers and delegates
of the organization were active in the
cause to which they are devoted, the ad-
vancement OF trades unionism. President
Gompers addressed large audience at
O'Clock this afternoon in Wesley Chapel,
Methodist Episcopal Church, his subject
being 1.-THE Rou b Struggle of Rugged
Life" During the course of his remarks
Mr.. Gompers reviewed the progress OF the
labor movement, especially in the United
States. He painted in glowing words a
picture OF almost innumerable obstacles
and discouragements that have been met
and overcome in the heroic struggle of
working classes 10 bring about condi-
ton that would insure to themselves
just and fair proportion of the earnings of
their labor, and told OF what it is hoped
will yet be accomplished through the
work and influence of trades unionism.
The advantages OF organization were
dwelt on at considerable length, and it
was pointed out that the benefits to be
gained are not for the age-earners alone,
proved so is society, and citizenship raised
to higher standard.
The manner in which National and in
ternationa organizations undertake to
bring about an adjustment of differences
between employees and local labor bodies
so as to give to each side in the contro-
versy its just dues, TO prevent Iockouts.
strikes, ETC., was explained and the necessity
of a universal eight-hour work day strongly
urged. Give to the great army OF labor,
said be, ''a work day of eight hours. COM
pensation that will enable the industrious
to have homes, reasonable comforts in
their homes, the full advantages OF
schools weekday and Sunday schools,
and churches for their families, and you
will have in this country the highest
standard of society and citizen ship ever
attained in this world.
''The Bible" said Mr.. Gompers, .'both
the Old and New Testaments, are full of
the doctrine We preach" He spoke for n
hour and thirty minutes, holding the
closest attention of his audience through
out and closed with an appeal to the min
istry and all Christian people to aid the
cause of labor by their influence and in
whatever manner it is possible for them
to dolso. 4
A mass meeting of bakers, organized
and unorganized, was held this morning
at o'clock. The speakers were President
Gompers, Delegate Henry Weismann of
the Bakers and ConfectIoners' Interna-
tional Union, Charles T. Bechtold of the
National Union of Brewery Workers and
w. d. Mahon of the Amalgamated Asso-
citation of Street Railway Employees. Del
egale Weismann has been active among
the bakers during the conference and has
organized three non-union bakeries, and
tonight said that he had reason for De-
lieving that every bakery in the city
would be organized before the close OF
this week.
At o'clock mass-meeting of carpen-
ters, which was largely attended and at
which there were many non-union men,
was held in Workmen's Hall and ad-
dressed by Vice President Mcclure and
Richard Cullinine OF the Lawrence (Mass.)
Central Labor Union.
The three most important matters to
come before the conference to- morrow are
the Olney arbitration bill. resolution on
foreign immigration and a resolution in
tended to commit the American Fedora
tion of Labor to the Socialist Labor party.
Pomeroy, the delegate of the Chicago
Hotel and Restaurant EN- ployes' Associa-
ton, who was refused seat in the confer
ence on account OF having issned parti-
and it is likely that he will be given the