The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-12-17
COLOR LINE IN LABOR.
4 Lively Debate in the American
Federation Of Labor.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON REFUTED

Labor Leaders Assail the Brilliant
Colored Professor and Reafllrm tho
Declaration That All Labor, Regard-
less OF Color, Is Welcomed.
7 Nashville, Tenn, Dec. 1.-THE negro
question occupied the greater part of
yesterday afternoons session of the
American Federation of Labor. A
heated discussion was brought on by
resolution of Henry Lloyd reaffirming
the declarations of the federation that
all labor, without regard to colcr, is
welcome to the ranks-denouncing as
untrue, in fact, the reported statements
of Booker T. Washington that the
trades unions were placing obstacles
in the way of the material advance
ment of the negro. and appealing to
the records of the federation conven-
tions as complete answers to such false
assertions.
Delegate Jones, of Augusta, Ca,
epoke. claiming that the white laborer
could not compete with the negro la
borer. though organization would i'm
prove conditions materially.
President Gompers took part In the
discussion, explaining that the move
ment was not against the negro Ia
borer but against the cheap laborer,
and that the textile workers of the
east had been compelled to contribute
most of their means to teach laborers
in the south the benefits of organiza-
tion. He also made the point that the
capitalist would profit by the failure
of the negro laborers to organize. thus
making the negro an impediment to
labor movements.
+ Henry Lloyd said he did not ask
white laborers to take negro laborers
into their homes, but true trade union
ism did not ask questions as to color,
that the Intention of the resolution was
not to bring UP the question of color
line, but it was against the words of
Booker T. Washington that the resolu-
ton was aimed.
. c. P, Frahey, a Nashville delegate,
insisted that the negro was not the
equal of the white man socially or in
hustrially. He grew warm in speaking
of President Gompers' remarks re-
garding the negro in the labor move
ment, and stated that the president
had not revoked the commission of
national organizer who had patronized
a non-union white barber shop in
preference to union negro barber
shop. The organizer had simply been
allowed to resign, and no publicity had
been given the matter. In answer to a
question desiring the name of the
party Frahey stated 1t was Jesse John
son, president of the presSmen
James O'Connell and P. ]. Mcclure
spoke for the resolution. The latter
insisted that Booker T. Washington
was attempting to put the negro before
the public as the victim of gross in
Justice and himself as the Moses of the
race. NJ. d. Ratchford insisted that
drawing the color line would be a blow
to the miners organization.
w. d. Mahon charged that Jones was
not a representative Of southern trades
unionism, having just joined the ranks.
Jones then. in his own defense, de-
clared he did not oppose the negro, but
did contend that the negro laborer was
lower than the white, citing an At
lanta case where whites and blacks
had been jointly employed and the
whites struck. He wanted to know if
there had been any efforts made in the
east to organize Chinese who came in
conflict with the union labor
President Gompers then ruled that
the discussion must cease.
The resolution which had caused the
heated debate was adopted. and the
delegates went into executive session.