The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-12-21
GOMPERS REELECTED.
Popular Labor Leader Still Heads
the American Federation.
ONLY ONE VOTE AGAINST HIM.


Women and children, on the Ground
That 1t Would Legallze Child Labor.
Kansas City, Mo-, Dec. 21.-Samuel
Gompers was yesterday reelected
president of the American Federation
of Labor by a practically unanimous
vote at the closing session of the 18th
annual convention of that organization.
The convention, which had been in ses-
sion for eight days, adjourned sine die
at o'clock last evening. Detroit,
Mich, was decided upon as the next
place of meeting.
During the election of president Will
lam j. O'Brien, of New York, was in
the chair. George E. Mcneil, of Bos-
ton, placed Mr.. Gompers in nOmina-
tion. He said he might never again
attend a 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 a good man in a place we should
keep him there"
The greatest applause followed Mr..
McNeills remarks.
John Kirby, of Ouray, Colo, said the
miners of the west We're looking more
to Mr.. Gompers to aid them in their
struggles than any one 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 Cleve-
land socialist, objected, and his vote
was recorded against Mr.. Gompers.
with the exception of the fourth,
fifth 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 I. Kidd, Chi
cagO; secretary, Frank Morrison, Chi
cago; treasurer, John b. Lennon,
Bloomington, Ills.
Fraternal delegates-To the Union
Congress Of Great Britain: Thomas f.
Tracey, New York, of the Cigarmakers
union, and James O'Connell Chicago,
of the Machinists' union. To the Trade
and Labor Congress of Canada: John
F. O'Sullivan, Boston, of the Massa-
chusetts state branch.
The convention spent most of yes
terday in amending it's constitution and
providing 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 per cent to five cents pei
month, the money to be used to sup
port the Federation.
President Gompers himself objected
to 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 ]. r. O'Sullivan, of
Boston, looking to a 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 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
I " y
the constitutionality of an act to tax
factories which employed children. He
said that these lawyers all agreed that
such a tax was constitutional, and that
it 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 thai
| such factories be made to pay an in
ternal revenue tax of so per cent o
their gross products.
George e. McKitts had some doub
as to the efficacy of such law. "An,
further" said he, ''it will simply Ii
cense the employment of children. W.
will be put in the light of recognizing
what we know to be an evil"
Mr. O'Sullivan said he believed tha
the employment of children could nevel
be checked until the women worker:
of the land identified themselves witt
| 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 /
upon their employers.
Isaac Governs resolution asking tina
the discussion by affiliated unions o
the King Blatchford and Eyer plans G
financial federation be recommended b
the American Federation was kille
without discussion, and a number O
measures not of general interest wer
disposed of.
Before adjourning the convention lis
tened to farewell addresses by Britis
Delegates William Inskip and William