The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-12-21
GONPERS REFLECTED.
Popular Labor Leader Still Heads
the American Federation.
ONLY ONE VOTE AGAINST Him.

The federation votes Against the Pro-
posed Tax on Factories Employing
Women and Children. on the Ground
That It Would Legalizc Child Labor.
Gompers was yesterday reelected
president of the American Federation
OF, Labor by. practically unanimous
Vote at the closing session OF the 18th
annual convention of that organization.
The convention, which had been In ses-
Cion for eight days, adjourned sine die
at 6 o'clock last evening. Detroit,
Mich, was decided upon as the next
place of meeting.
During the election of president Will
lam J. O'Bren, of New York, was in
the chair. George Il. McNeill, of Bos-
ton. placed Mr.. Gompers In nomina-
tion. He said he might never again
attend convention Of the Federation
and he wanted the honor Of naming
Mr.. Gompers for the place. He said:
'Mr. Gompers has been tried and found
true. He can not be corrupted When
we get good man in a place we should
keep him there"
The greatest applause followed Mr..
LcNeill's remarks.
John Kirby, of Ouray, Colo, said the
miners of the west were looking more
to Mr.. Gompers to aid them In their
struggles than any one else.
There We're no other nominees. and
Henry Lloyd of Massachusetts, moved
that the vtfte OF the convention be cast
for Mr.. Gompers This was done amid
great cheering. Isaac Cowan, the Cleve-
land socialist, objected and his vote
was recorded against Mr.. Gompers.
With the exception Of the fourth.
Nth and, sixth vice presidents and
three fraternal delegates the rest OF
the old officers were elected without
any opposition. The remainder of the
ticket follows: First vice president, p.
j. Mcclure, Philadelphia; second vice
president James Duncan, Baltimore;
third vice president, James O'Connell.
Chicago; fourth vice president, John
F. Mitchell, Indianapolis; fifth vice
president. Max Morris. Denver; sixth
vice president. Thomas !. Kidd, Chi
cago: secretary. Frank Morrison, Chi
cago; treasurer, John b. Lennon,
Bloomington, Ills.
Fraternal delegates-To the Union
Congress of GreaL Britain: Thomas r.
Tracey, New York, of the Cigarmakera
union, and James O'Connell, Chicago,
of the Machinists' union. TO the Trade
and Labor Congress of Canada: John
#. CSullivan, Boston, Of the Massa-
chusetts state branch.
The convention spent most of yes
terday in amending its constitution and
providing means for widening the scope
of its work. The Federation increased
the per capita tax upon members of
trades union organizations from three
fourths of / per cent to five cents per
month. the money to be used to sup
port the Federation.
President Gompers himself objected
10 this. but the delegates were strongly
in favor of it. On every hand they de-
clared that an increased revenue was
needed to carry on the work Of or
ganization so as to strengthen the
labor cause.
The resolution Of J. r. O'Sullivan, of
Boston looking to bill In congress to
Impose internal revenue tax against all
factories employing women and chill
dren overtime was killed.
The committee on laws reported
against the measure on the ground
that 1t would legalize the employment
of children as laborers. In support of
his resolution Mr.. O'Sullivan said that
he had been before the legislature of
Massachusetts, when lawyers argued
the constitutionality of an act to tax
factories which employed children. He
said that these lawyers all agreed that
such 4 tax was constitutional. and that
1t was generally agreed that the only
way to stop factory keepers from hir-
ing children was to tax them out Of
existence. Mr.. O'SullIvan proposed that
such factories be made to pay an in
ternal revenue tax Of so per cent OF
their gross products.
George e. McKiLts had some doubt
as TO the efficacy Of such law. "And
further" said he, ut will simply IL
cense the employment of children. We
will he put in the light of recognizing
what we know to be an evil"
Mr.. O'Sullivan said he believed that
the employment of children could never
be checked until the women workers
Of the land identified themselves with
the trades unions. He was certain
too. that women would never receiv3
equal pay with men until they showed
a strength united enough to force 1t
upon their employers.
Isaac Governs resolution asking that
the discussion by affiliated unions OF
the King -I;latchford and Eyer plans OF
financial federation he recommended by
the American Federation was killed
Without discussion, and a number OF
measures not of general interest were
disposed Of
Before adjourning the convention lis
tened to farewell addresses by British
Delegates William lnsklp and William
Thorn.
! Death of II Retired Naval Captain.
NTF.t