The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-12-19
FEDERATION OF 1o|lERs
Delegates Representing Six Hun
bred Thousand Artisans.
Representative English Members Arc
Present = President Gompers'
Annual Address Full of
Interest to Labor.

Cincinnati, O., Dec. 15.-One hundred
and fifty delegates and four times that
number of onlookers were In
the auditorium of the Odd Fellows
temple this morning when Samuel
Gompers called to order the sixteenth
annual convention of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor. Under the revised al
lotment the number of delegates was
not larger han in previous years, but
the credentials handed in represented
q total membership of over 0 0,000. The
majority of the delegates We're men OF
national prominence in the ranks of or
ganized labor. Immediately upon call
ing the convention to order President
Gompers invited to the platform the
delegates from the English Trade Union
Congress. and amid rousing cheers Sam
uel Woods and John Manlinson stepped
to the stage. Next to John Burns no
labor leader in England is better known
OF has a more extended influence than
Samuel Woods. A miner by occupation,
he sat for several years In the house OF
commons as a representative OF n OF
the colliery districts of Lancashire. He
is now secretary of the parliamentary
committee of the trade congress, the
highest honor that organized b In
England can bestow upon n of its
fellows. Mr.. Woods is short and stout.
with small. keen eyes, smooth shaNen
and a round, jolly, Johnny Butt face.
When the delegates to the Federation
We're assembled after lunch, President
Gompers delivered his annual address.
He was loudly applauded when he
arose. The address was of unusua
M r ! nN,.1 t1,,Al-l eH,erNy fnn 49, ~ tho
labor question. In the opening he said:
Comrades AMI Fellow Workers:
With the cycle of time has come the an
nual gathering of the representatives of
the organized workers of our country.
We meet here today conscious of all the
sadness and all the pathos, as we'll as
all the righteousness, h heroism and
the glory for which our movement
n with which it is inalienably
interviewer. The wrongs of the work.
ers have not yet been o~bliterated nor
their rights yet attained. The myriads
of toilers of u country observe with a
quickened and most acute sense the
burdens which they have to bear, not
w~ithstanding the marvellous progress
which should tighten them. We see our
country b~lossomlng forth like a rose.
through u handiwor!., yet countless
thousands of our number with but the
sting. Of the thorn for their reward OF
their consolation. Encircled with the
w~iZard-like instruments, the result of
the concentrated genius of ages, to pro-
duce the necessities n urie of life.
still the struggle of life is most Intense
and often excruciating. Greed n In
humanity, providing they result in ac-
quired wealth, still regarded as human
of victory n respectability,
masses of the u and the innocent
ma suffer and decay in rhe process,
but this is of little concern, only that the
and yvaoJfI'c FNnCEAEgiNps Nv thN fnN-
is attained. BY all the memories which
bind us to the heroic sacrifices of past
struggles of the loWly, by the %recogni-
ton of the battles fought and won and
the Wounds received in the battles of
our day, by the nobility Of our purposes,
the freedom for which we strive for all,
success is as sure as that night follows
day and the day follows night"
The speaker prncseded to review at
length the labor legislation of congress,
which he characterized as only fair pro
gress. He concluded his remarks under
this head as follows: 81 would recon-
memo that this convention decide thai
the representatives of this Federation
be constantly at the seat of government
during the sessions of congress, to
guard and further the legislation which
IL organizations demand in the inter-
ests of abor. We can secure the abro-
cation of laws inimical to the interests
of the masses n the passage of 9TH
ers for their advancement and protec-
ton. The lines suggested have o
successful in every Instance in which
they have been fairly tried. and al
though we may all desire to secure the
purposes for which we are organized
through other methods. that should
not deter US from pursuing the course
which all experience demonstrates is
conducive to the best results. The
workers Of our country need immediate
relief, immediate improvements. They
cannot afford to wait until the millen-
UNI shall come, and in the meantime
suffer the wrongs which exist, more es-
peclally the opportunity Of secur-
ing that relief is at hand. We may not
always be favorably impressed with
the means by which that relief is OBJ
tained, but that it must be secured,
that it is necessary and essential to our
well being and progress, should be suf-
f1cient incentive to Seek it on such lines
and by such methods as promise and
assure success"
Reference was made to the fact that
when Utah was admitted into the union
a clause In the constitution authorized
the legislature to limit the hours OF la
Dor to eight per day. The legislature
complied. The mine owners were con-
victed Of violating the law, failed in an
appeal to The supreme court of the
state and have now taken the case to
lie oIiltu States supreme COllrf.
President Gompers recommended that
the Federation render financial assist
ance for the employment of competent
attorneys.
On the industrial situation the president
said: The present year has witnessed lit
tie Improvement over the two preceding
years; While industry and commerce
have just about merged from the panics of
1885. the changes or improvements have
that industrial revival looked and hof,ed
for, and which we had a right to antici-
pate after the crisis through which we
have passed. That our panic was not
more acute and did not do more harm
than it did. Is due more to our movement
than to all other elements and forces COM
bined. Industrial crises and s%tagnation
to consume more largely Of the product Of
their labor. A reduction in wages means
a lesser consumption of these products
thus rendering the labor Of other work ers
unnecessary, and throwing them out Of
employment. The crisis becomes intensi-
fed and prolonged. Whatever else the
against It, none can dispute but that the
organizations of labor lave very largely,
II not entirely, prevented a great reduc-
taken place. Hence. the world owes to
the trades-union movement a debt of
gratitude which 1t can never repay, for,
the miseries 1t has prevented and the OPP
p%ortunity that it presents for the natural
and gradua! progress of Industrial, social
and moral Influences
There was loud applause when the an
fliated with the Federation had gained
In round number over 100. 900 members
during the year. In dealing with this sub
iect the president said: I'm the case of tho
Brotherhood Of Locomotive .Firemen, tho
afiiliation Of that organization would ba
contaminated at thist time We're It not for
the fact that there is some feeling mani-
fncfhH 6v I've ~ ,1NN -.~~ 49, 49,