Evening star., 1896-03-23
Branch Of the American Federation
Of Labor Formed Here.
PRESIDENT MILFORD SPOHN'S ADDRESS
Severe indictment of the Old
Labor Leadership.
OFF e RS ELE IT E D

The meeting OF delegates from various
trade union organizations, which was held
yesterday at Typographical Hall, for the
purpose of organizing a branch of the
American Federation of Labor. was one
of the most enthusiastic labor meetings
that has occurred in Washington for a long
time.
Milford Spohn, president pro tenn, and a COM
mittee, composed of Messrs. ]. P. McCrink.
John G. Wolfe and Thomas McCarty, was
appointed by the chair to examine the ere
dentials of those present and claiming seats
In the body.
The following organizations were found to
be represented by the delegates named:
Amalgamated Society Of Carpenters and
Joiners. 1. d. Mckay. E. Bireley. w. c.
Brung; Granite Cutters Union. VIM. Silver
J. j.. Crowley. l. c. McKie: Electrical Work
ers. Union; l. P. McCrink. Henry Phillips
Geo. A. Malone; Bricklayers' Union, Mil
ford Spohn, NJ. P. Canty, John G. Wolfe;
Association of Steam Filters Helpers Fred
erick Brennan, VIM. Sherwood, G. w.
Heiay; Bakers and Confectionery Union.
lls Henry Volmer. Chris. Huppman, Henry
Ihiel; Stereotypers' Union, No. 10, A. Thos
Campbell. Thos. B. Waters, William A.
Smith; Columbia Musicians Protective AS
sociation; VIM: +. Weber. e. Gessler, Chas
John Willis. John Wingate: L. u, 1yO,
brotherhood OF Carpenters, Charles IA.
Scherer, y. Edmonston. J. NJ. Heisley; Co.
iumbia Typographical Union, I. La c.
Rodier. z. T. Jenkins, F. c. Roberts; Asso-
citation Of Steam Filters. l. A. Brett, Smith
Cant, VIM. Whyte; Pressmen, Ramsey,
Balser, Sprague; U. S. Engineers Union,
NO 1, William H. Dykes, r. F. Neal, H. F.
Mcqueen.
The Objects of the Organization.
In explaining the object of organizing the
proposed new central body of the A. f. of
L., Chairman Spohn delivered an extended
address. which was very enthusiastically
received, and in part was as follows:
I'VE have assembled today under a reso-
luton adopted at an adjourned meeting
held several weeks ago for the purpose of
forming representative body of trade
| unions in this District. At that preliminary
| meeting resolution was unanimously
adopted, declaring it to be the sense of
those then assembled that a central body
composed of trade unions and conducted
upon trade union lines was necessary to
preserve the best interests Of the organ
| iZed labor of this District Those who have
given any attention to trade matters in
this District have become convinced that
II there Is not change Of conditions
through the active consistent, honest and
| busness-like cooperation Of the trade
| unions diSorgdniZation and disintegratiol
| Will result. What is the Indictment? Boy
colt after boycott has been hastily and in
considerably imposed until 1O5 firms. cor
porations and individuals have been listed.
Grown mad with an Unsuitable desire for
forcible conquest along the lines of all that
Is vicious and senseless they have in some
| instances boycotted themselves; like the
angered scorpion they stung themselves.
One Possible Result of BOycotting.
"They have organized bodies, and before
they had learned the first lesson of organ
| ization they have imposed a boycott. It
has been admitted that the earth 10 the
Lords, and the fullness thereof, but they
have claimed the exclusive ownership of
the District of Columbia. They have so
| enlarged the boycott list that IL much
longer continued, We will he forced to do
our shopping and purchase our marketing
| in Baltimore. Unions have been boycotted.
and the members have been forced from
work by order Of the local federation. In
| many instances these boycotts have been
made the veriest farces. Members of as
semblies have continued to hold places in
scabbed' houses. Other assemblies have
| made special contracts with boycotted firms
and raised the boycott SO long as they were
employed. Others have worked for years
| with the scab craftsmen for the same firm.
Others have entered into competition with
| their own membership and proposed a
wage reduction Of fifty per cent to secure
preference. Many Of them have neither
labor organizations which had existed long
before this body had aimlessly CROPPED
| along the industrial way, have been de-
clared and branded as scabs. Last Septem-
| the organizer denounced the printers union
as body Of scabs. They have declared to
| business men that 1t would be to their in
| terest to employ only those recognized by
| d. A.. 90. that all others were scabs.
In Secret Session.
Behind closed doors in star chamber
session. led and Influenced by a set whose
point Of a common needle. they conspire to
| the Injury of the good name and stability
| of the labor Of the District. Unfortunate-
| ly, they are the essence of discord, and
| IL, through the utmost extension Of Gods
uEbounded mercy, they should ever be
permitted to pass through the upper gates
| into the land of eternal peace, they would
| their entrance. 1s the interest Of the labor
| Of the District to be placed in the keep
| ing Of those who unctiously have declared
that they didn't care II q firm desired to
| be fair; we have them in a hole-they are
| squealing, snd we will let them sQuear
Another leader-God save the mark!-de-
clares that q bukiness man has no rights
workingman is bound to respect; that
| all business men are thieves and robbers
| Another has declared that the union or
| ganization to which he belongs il making
| an effort to disrupt labor organiza ton
in this District, who has maliciously and
willfuily falsified in an attempt to injure
union organization, and who leads a cru
sade in defense of a move which is q crime
| against truth, an outrage upon honesty, an
assault upon justice and which is covered
| in the slime Of perjury.
To Change the Order of Things.
But enough Of this Indictment. We are
here to change this order Of things We
are here to form an alliance with our
fellow workers beyond the river front,
Benning and Tenleytown. We realize the
fact that there is an area of territory and
a population beyond our District boundary:
but in the future the success of the indus
| trial classes in our country depends on the
uniflcation Of all its forces; that no locality
| can successfully resist the mighty power
Of a capital singly and alone; that as the
cepitalistic power is natienalized, so must
the labor power become nationalized, under
rational auspices. Are We reasonable to
labor II We ctmbine for the objects declar-
ed by the A. F. of L.2
''In this capital we are political aliens;
we have no rights that others upon whom
we must depend are bound to respect. II
the organized labor forces of this republic
are to maintain a position in the fore and
abreast of those forces which are advanc-
ing toward a higher civilization. we must
assert ourselves through remedial legisla-
ton. To secure this We must look beyond
the shadow Of the capital We must look
to those whose interests are ours. the