The Topeka state journal., 1897-09-09
CLEMENS IS SATISFIED.
He Pronounces the St Louis Conven.
tion Success and of Great
TmnOrfanca.


Speaking of the st. Louis convention.
G. G Clemens, who has returned home
from trip in southwestern Kansas to-
day. says:
.sThe St. Louis convention justified
my opinion of it expressed before il as
sembled. I said it would be a fiasco or
ii would become historic 1t was not a
haSco. Not only were its results i'm
portant, but their Importance has re-
ceived conspicuous recognition by the
press of the country and by thinking
public men. The recorded action of the
convention was not it's most important
feature. Its atmosphere is what his
tory VIII remember. Men came into that
atmosphere conservative trade union
lists and left it radical socialists. One
OF the conversions of which I had per-
Sona1 knowledge was wonderful as the
result of less than Sc hours of agitation.
I see Gompers feels called upon to
explain his absence. We could easily
spare the president of the Federation
of Labor when. the unions which COM
pose the federation were present The
president of the International Typo
graphical Union was chairman of the
convention, and the president of the
Mine Workers and the president of the
Street Car Union served with me on
the committee on resolutions. Among
the other unions represented by dele
gates were the Stone MaSonS Interna-
tiOnal Union, the Brotherhood of Paint
ers and Decorators, the Brotherhood of
Bottle Blowers, the Building Trades,
the Brotherhood of Track Foremen, the
Machinists and the international Cigar
makers Union.
Some delegates represented the Fed
Grafton of Labor itself. Sovereign, the
the head of the Knights of Labor, was
there and was an active participant.
The Social Democrats were repre-
sented by Debs, their national presi-
dent. and by number of delegates
from various states.
As 1 have said, the important thing
about the convention was its atmos-
phere of liberty and radical thought
and feeling. There was some revOlu-
ment was that of absolute confidence
that no power on earth can stand
against united public opinion and
aroused public conscience; that the
truth needs only be spoken-spoken to
the heart as well as the head-and So
cialistS need not worry over the means
of bringing about socialiSm-that when
wanted, it will come; that institutions
and constitutions will vanish like tissue
paper in a furnace when they oppose
themselves to the determined will of
the people.
One valuable result of the conven-
ton was the meeting of men who help
mould public opinion. After the con-
vention, several men remained in con-
sultation till Saturday, became thor
oughly acquainted and exchanged
views. The effect of that subsequent
conference will be apparent in the near
future and it's importance will be made
plain.
Perhaps the most important action
of the convention was the calling of an
other convention at Chicago. September
q, to be made up of delegates from
among the people themselves as we'll
as from labor organizations. farmers
and the intellectual proletariat' of the
press, the bar, the pulpit the school
room and the college will have a voice
in that convention Kansas will doubt
less send a delegation which will be
heard from. Letters and personal in
0l1iries have kept me busy since my
return, and 1 know the interest in the
coming convention is intense. What
will it do? I do not know All classes
will be represented, and doubt not,
a movement will be inaugurated which
will make the mere practical politician
hide out for awhile. An agitation for
the actual realization of socialism will
begin which will shake this continent
as it has not been shaken for more than
a hundred years. 1t will not be agIta-
ton for cast iron socialism, either. but
for socialism with individual liberty.