Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-12-17
COLOR LINE DEBATED
labor Federation Men { axe tx.
ceptions to Remarks by
Booker 7. Washington.
APPEAL TO THE ORDERS RECORD.

40 oHro'e ihat IL Has Drawn No Color Line,
and That washington's Statements Are
Cntrue-southern Delegate As.aiIs Com
PER-. Who Finally Shuts on the Talk Per.
emptorily-"True Uniformity" Coal OPP
orators Meet-Report Poor Progress.
Nashville. Dec. 1.-THE negro Ques-
ton occupied the major portion Of the
session Of the Federation of Labor yes
terday and a heated discussion was
grought on bya resolution ntroduced by
Henry Lloyd. reaffirming the declara.
tons Of the federation that all labor.
without regard to color. is welcome to
Its ranks; denouncing as untrue in fact
the reported statement Of Booker T.
washington that the trades unions were
placing obstacles in the way Of the ma.
terial advancement of the negro and
appealing to the records of the federation
conventions as complete answers to
such false assertions. This resolution
caused much spirited discussion. Dele
gate Jones, Of Augusta. Ca, spoke
claiming that the white laborer could
! not compete with the negro laborer,
though organization would improve con-
ditions materially. President Gompers
took part in the discussion, explaining
that the movement was not against the
negro laborer, but against the cheap
Iaborer and that the textile workers of
the east had been compelled to con.
tribute most of their means to teach la
Dorcrs In the south the benefits of or
ganization.
Southerncr Attacks l;ompers.
Henry Lloyd said he did not ask white
laborers to take negro laborers into
their own homes, but true trade union
ism did not ask questions as to color:
that the Intention Of the resolution was
! not 10 bring up the question of the color
line. but IL was against the words Of
Booker T. Washington that the resolu-
tion was aimed. c. L. Frahey. a Nash
| Vile delegate. insisted that the negro
was not the equal Of the white mans o.
cially or industrially. He grew warm in
Speaking of President Gompers' re.
| marks regarding the negro in the labor
movement. and stated that the president
had not revoked the commission of a
national organizer who had patronized
O non-union white barber shop in prefer
ence to union negro barber shop. The
organizer had simply been allowed to
resign, and no publicity had been given
the matter. IL answer to q question de-
string the nams Of the party. Frahey
| stated that II was Jesse johnson, presi-
dent Of the pressrnen.
Gompers stops the Discussion.
W. II. Mahon charged tha. Jones was
not representative Of southern trades
unionism. having just Joined the ranks.
Jones then, in his own behalf, declared
he did not oppose the negro. but did
contend that the negro laborer was low
er than the white. citing an Atlanta
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 un-
ion labor. President Gompers then
ruled that the discussion must cease.
The resolution which had caused the
heated debate was adopted and the DEL
egates went into executive session.
Report on Convict Labcr.
One Of the most important reports Of
the session was that OF the special COM
mittee on convict labor. 1t was the
sense OF the committee that the employ
ment OF convict labor should be prinar-
lily for self-support and fer making
| goods which should be used In state in
4 stitutions.