The Saint Paul globe., 1898-06-05
LABOR AGAINST ALLIANCE
STATE FEDERATION OPPOSES
ANGLO-AMERICAN ENTENTE

.ANGLO-AMERICAN ENTENTE
Amendment to the Constitution
adopted at WinOna Providing for
Annual Instead of Semi-Annuai
Sessions - Address of President
Collins the Feature of the NORM
ing sessiOn--Routine off the
Meeting.
Special to The st. Paul Globe
WINONA, Mimi, June 4.-The six
teenth convention of the Minnesota
Federation of Labor opened in Winona
this morning with an attendance of
close on to 100 delegates. The sessions
are being held in Labor hall.
The convention was called to order
by ID. z. Kerr, president of the Winona
Trades and Labor counsel, who intro
duced Mayor Tarbell to give an ad-
dress Of welcome. Mr.. Kerr then in
troduced President Collins
Mr.. Collins acknowledged the well
come and then declared the convention
open for business.
The appointment of a credentials
committee came first. and the chair
named Messrs. ]. o. Watson, of Mime
apolis; e. D. Lott, of St. Paul, and
Walter Johnson, Of Duluth.
STANDING COMMITTEES.
The report Of the committee showed
the following st. Paul delegates present:
St. PauEHenry Giese Jr., E. B. Lott,
son1 son6 KiauS Ma j. GsFaghty H. Beck
J; j. KSrengel Ernest Menssen. c. H.. Bonn.
Emil Pearl. Henry Leyder George c. Col
lins.. Cornelius Quincy.
President Collins named the follow
ing sta anding committees:
, Resolutions-P. j. Geraghty, st. Paul. M.
p. Neary. Minneapolis; D. Ross. Duluth; j.
F. McAulay. st. Cloud: John Spuhler, Wi
mona: j. R.. Campbell Clyde.
Flnance[G. F. Meyers. Minneapolis: H.
W. birmingham. Winona A. Gibreadth, St.
Cloud
Officers Reports-D. D. McInnis. Duluth
H. Feyder. st. Paul; Hugh Jennings, Mime
apolis; N. Willwerscheid, st. Paul; W. a.
Miller, Minneapolis.
Rules and Order of Business-C. H. Bonn.
st: Paul; F. P. Carson. Red Wing; A. Field,
Minneapolis.
Constitution and By-Laws-Charles Leytze.
Minneapolis; D. Evans, Duluth; M. E. Muir
ray, st. Paul.
l.,
covering in an exhaustive manner the
work OF the past year. and was follow
co by Secretary McEwan.
PRESIDENTS REPORT.
President Collins warned the fedora
tion against discord and argued strong
ly against the time check system adopt
ed by lumbermen of the state. In lieu
CT the present arrangement compelling
the president to appoint organizers in
five different cities Of the state, he sug-
gested that he be empowered to select
them from any portion of the state or
from any city he may deem advisable
Mr.. Collins suggested the publication Of
the names of men in the legislature re-
frsing to vote for union measures He
recommended the formation of women's S
auXiliaries composed of mothers, wives
daughters, sisters and other female
relatives of union men, whose duty it
shall be to create demand for goods
bearing the union label, and who shall
themselves be pledged to purchase no
other kind when 1t is possible to obtain
them.
80 On the subject Of contract labor he
said:
'I believe this convention should take
radical measures to eradicate the evil
Which is confronting the working class
es; in Minnesota through the competI-
tion of WorkhOuSe and prison labor 1
would, therefore, suggest that the in
coming Federation council be given au-
thority to formulate or have formu,at ted
a bill doing away with the competition
Of penal institutions with free labor
that the same be- submitted to all labor
organizations for their approval before
the next election, and that nominees
for the legislature be requested to
pledge themselves in favor cf the bill
Those who refuse to do so should be
antagonized with candidates from our
own ranks, and every effort put forth
to defeat them.
AGAINST ILLINOIS.
The afternoon session was devoted to
regular business The first special resc-
luton presented by this committee was
as follows:
Resolved, That we. the Minnesota State
Federation Of Labor. representing $4,000 peo-
pie of the state of Minnesota, pledge our
prosecuting the present war for the liberation
of Cuba. but that we are unalterably op-
posed to any entangling alliance with that
hostility in the hour Of our peril we were
so recently saved. And that the present
proposed so-called Anglo-Saxon alliance,
viewed in the light of history, is an insult to
The resolution amended to read, "Any
foreign power" instead of Great Brit
ain. was adopted after some debate.
The charter commission amendment
to the state constitution to be voted
upon by the people was indorsed. A
resolution, presented by ST. Cloud, ad-
vocating the use CT home stone for the
state capital was adopted, as was also
one in favor of assessing real and
personal property at it's full value. The
postal savings bank bill was indorsed.
The Farmers Alliance delegates here
withdrew, inasmuch as they differed
from the federation, being a political
organization, while the federation was
not.
A committee was, however, named
to attend the alliance convention at
Minneapolis. Several amendments to
the constitution were adopted, the most
for annual instead of semi
annual sessions.
At the evening session the following
officers were elected: President, G. c..
Collins. ST. Paul; vice presidents, D. P
Kerr, Winona; H. Giese Jr, Minneap-
oils; secretary-treasurer, William E.
McEwen, Duluth. Minneapolis was Sc
lected for the next federation council
city. Duluth was selected as the con-
vention city next June. The Mime
apolis delegation elected Hugh Jen-
nings John Rogan,' Arthur Field, Max
Conrad and George F. Meyer as fed
Grafton council.
The council will draft labor legisla-
tion for the next legislature.