The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-21
President of Labor Federation Was
Unanimously Reelected.
CLOSE OF CONVENTION
DAY SPENT IN AMENDING THE
CONSTITUTION.
Per Capita Tax Increased From
Three-fourths to Five Cents Per
Month, In Spite of Gompers' OPP
position-Proposition to Tax Fact
ories Employing Women.

Kansas City, Dec. 20.-Samuel Com
pers was today reelected president of
the American Federation of Labor by
a practically unanimous vote at the
closing session of the thirteenth annual
convention of that organization. The
convention, which had been in session
for eight days, adjourned sine die at 6
o'clock. Detroit, Mich, was decided
upon as the next place of meeting.
During the election of president, Will
| liam ]. O'Brien of New York was in the
| chair. George Z. Mcneil of Boston
placed Mr.. Gompers in nomination. He
said he might never again attend a
convention of the federation, and he
wanted the honor of naming Mr.. Com
pers for the place. He said:
Mr.. Gompers has been tried and
found true. He cannot be corrupted.
When we get a good man in place we
should keep him there"
The greatest applause followed Mr.,
! AcNeill'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 anyone else.
There were no other nominees and
Henry Lloyd of Massachusetts moved
| that the vote Of the convention be cast
for Mr.. Gompers. This was done, amid
great cheering. Isaac Cowan, the So
cialist of Cleveland, objected, and his
! vote was recorded against Mr.. Com
pers. Mr.. Gompers declined to make
any remarks upon his reelection.
With the exception OF the fourth, fifth
and sixth vice presidents, and the three
! fraternal delegates, the rest Of the old
officers were reelected without any op-
position. The remainder of the ticket
follows:
First vice president, P. ]. 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 I. Kidd, Chicago; secretary,
| Frank Morrison, Chicago; treasurer,
| John B. Lennon, Bloomington, Ills.
! F'raternal delegates: To the Union Con-
gresS of Great Britain, Thomas f.
| Tracy, New York, of the CigarTnakers'
union, and James O'Connen Of the Ma
chinists' union; to the trade and labor
convention of Canada, James Z. O'Sul-
Ivan of Boston Of the Massachusetts
state branch.
CONSTITUTION AMENDED.
The convention spent most of the day
| in amending it's constitution and pro-
/ viding means for widening the scope Of
/ it's work. The federation increased the
/ per capita tax upon members of trades
union organizations from three-fourths
| of l cent to cents per month, the
money to be used to support the fede-
ration. President Gompers himself OBJ
/ jected to this. but the delegates were
! strongly in favor Of it. On every hand
| they declared that an increased revenue
| was needed to carry on the work of or
! ganization, so as to strengthen the Ia
| Dor cause.
The resolution of ]. F. O'SulIivan of
! Boston, looking to bill in congress to
| impose an internal revenue tax against
all factories employing women and chill
| dren overtime, was killed. The COM
mittee on laws reported against the
/ measure on the ground that it 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 that such a tax was
constitutional, and that it was gen
orally agreed that the only way to stop
factorykeepers from hiring children
was to tax them out of existence. Mr..
| O'Sullivan proposed that such factories
be made to pay an internal revenue tax
Of 80 per cent on their gross receipts.
George e. McNeill said he had some
doubts as to the efficacy of such law.
| And further" said he, ''it will simply
license the employment of children. We
will be put in the light of recognizing
what we know to be an evil"
Mr.. OSullivan 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 receive equal
pay with men until they showed a
strength united enough to force it upon
their employers.
Isaac Cowan's resolution, asking that
the discussion by affiliated unions OF
the King -Blanchford and Eyer plans of
official federation be recommended by
the American Federation. was killed
without discussion, and a number VI
measures, not of general interest, were
disposed of.
Before adiourning the convention lis
tened to farewell addresses by the
British delegates, William Inskip and
William Thorn.
Detroit was selected as the next place
of meeting.