The San Francisco call., 1897-12-21
Am erican Federation Of
Labor Favor the
Plan.
National Movement for the
Purification Of Primary
Elections Approved.
Secretary Cages Currency Bill, How
ever, Is Vigorously Opposed by
Resolution.
Special Dispatch to The Cali.

NASHVILLE, Tenn, Dec. 20.-When
the American Federation of Labor met
to-day a resolution relative to legisla-
ton on the postal savings bank sys-
TEN was presented by the committee
on resolutions. The resolution which
indorses the bill pending before Con-
gress favOring the establishment of pos
tai savings banks with the clause rel
ative to the National banks stricken
out. was adopted.
a resolution expressing approval Of
the national movement for the purifi-
cation of primary elections was
adopted.
Resolutions were adopted that an ef-
fort be made to organize firemen; that
special instructions for the organiza
ton of journeymen bakers and their
local unions be issued; that efforts be
made to organize the brickmasons,
who are as yet unorganized.
AT the afternoon session the st. Louis
convention and President Gompers' ac-
ton continued to be discussed. James
O'Connell said he attended the conven-
ton, though he had not, in fact signed
the call. He also claimed that men
who had been most active in attempt
ing to disrupt the movement during the
miners strike were being paid out of
funds contributed by the American
Federation of Labor. In answer to a
question he said none of the men he
referred to had remained on the scene
after lnJunctionS were issued, but the
organizers had remained.
Ernst kreft said if anything threat
ened the Federation at the ST. Louis
meeting it was the presidents duty to
have gone there anu protected the
Federation.
j. c. Burnell then offered a resolu-
ton approving the reasons given by
President Gompers for not attending
the st. Louis convention, which was
adopted.
A strong discussion over the commit
tee resolution indorstng independent
political action and declaring against
lnJunctions was participated in by Nc
Guire, the author of the resolution
kreft, Yarnell and Brennock, and after
defeating an amendment offered by
hrett, the resolution was adopted
The resolution in reference to the
free coinage of silver at 16 to 1 was
taken and a substitute on the Gage
bill was adopted, as follows:
Resolved, That we declare ourselves
most positively opposed to the Gage
financial bill, recently introduced in Con-
gress by the Secretary of the Treasury
1t is a measure that, if adopted as a law
VIII only all the more firmly rivet the
gold standard on the people of the coun-
try and perpetuate its disastrous effects
in every form
Resolved, That we pronounce the Gage
bill an undisguised effort to retire our
greenback currency and all Government
paper money with a view to the substi-
tuition of national bank notes in their
stead, and thus fasten the national bank
system for years upon the American peo-
pie.
A resolution calling for the removal
of the federation headquarters from
| Washington was reported unfavorably
and adopted.
Fraternal delegates from foreign
! countries were given privileges of voice
and vote in conventions. An effort to
change the time of the annual conven-
ton to the third Monday in September
of each year was defeated
The convention decided to increase
the per capita tax to cents, and the
/ change goes into effect February l,
1898. An amendment to the constitu-
ton, requiring officers hereafter to be
elected ON the last day of the conven-
ticn was adopted. The convention will
complete it's business tomorrow and
adjourn