Evening star., 1898-12-13
GOMPERS ANNUAL REPORT
President Of A. F. of L. Addresses Conyen-
tion at Kansas City.
He Takes Strong Position in Opposi.
tiOn to the Holding of New
Territories.


vention of the American Federation of La
Dor at Kansas City yesterday, President
Gompers said: During the year 2O3 charters
We're issued directly from the American
Federation of Labor. OF this number nine
We're granted to national and international
unions as follows: Mosaic and Encaustic
Tile Layers and Helpers International
Union, Building Laborers' International
Protective Union of America, Interna-
tional Brotherhood of Bookbnders, Interna-
tonal Wood Carvers' Association of North
America, Window Glass Flatteners' Asso-
cation of North America, Window Glass
cutters League of America, Amalgamated
society OF Engineers, National Steel and
copper Plate Printers of the United States,
Trunk and Bag Workers International
Union Of America. Tive We charters were
issued to the following city central bodies:
Sacramento, Cal. Memphis, Tenn. Gal
Ind; Sault Ste. Marie, Mich; Collnsville,
ILL.,; Atlanta. Ga; Bay City, Mich; Sche-
nectady, N. Y. Port Huron Mich; Elgin,
H.; and 1S2 charters to local trade unions
and federal labor unions.
There are now in direct affliation with
the American Federation of Labor: Nation
al and international unions with 1O5DD
local unions attached, 81; state fedora tions,
io' city central labor unions and trades
assemblies. 50: local trade unions (having
no nationals), tl5: federal labor unions 100.
regarding the question of legis alton for
general eight-hour law, he says: 1t is
question IN my mind whether it is the part
OF wisdom on our part to urge Congress to
secure more power on lines of legislation
regarding the hours of labor until it has
eHerted the power it already has, more
especially since there is ground for the sus-
plclon that the one is used to hide opposi-
ton to the other
1t is only fair to say that Representative
Lowering, the author of the constitutional
ION
bill.
Washington for Headquarters
On the subject of headquarters he saws:
During the past year particular y, the wis
dom of placing the headquarters at WASH
lhgton. ID. c., has been fully demonstrated.
not only by the assistance promptly and
more easily rendered the legislative COM
mittee in the various hearings upon bills
or to secure favorable consideration of our
measures by opposing or Indifferent lee;sIa-
tors, out also the opportunities to be of
practical assistance to promote or protect
the interests of labor in matter of orders
contracts and work pending before The
various departments.
After paying high tribute to the men
who went to the front for the honor of
the nag during the late war with Spain
ffesldent Gompers says Out of the war
nave grown questions of the most serious
treatment to our people generally and of
duect interest to the wage workers par
tlcularly Is it not strange that after en-
terlnS upon war with Spain to obtain the
freedom and independence of Cuba now
that victory has been achieved the ones
ton OF Cuban independence is often secuted
Our people were ardent and honest in ad-
VoCacy OF Cuban freedom and are impatient
az any attempt to juggle with the question
W hen the people of Cuba desire annexa-
tion to our country it is time to discuss
the subject; and in the meantime the fruits
OF the victory for which they have strven
so long and so Vaiiantly. and for which
we went to war to aid them to achieve
must not be ruthlessly taken from them.
l take 1t that when the A. F. of L. de-
cIared against the wisdom of annexing Ha-
wall. it was based upon the high principle
of American republican Institutions as well
as fear Of the dangers with which the
toilers of our country would be threatened
by coolie slave contract labor.
If our attitude upon that question was in
line with the history, traditions and pr+n-
ciples of our government, surely we cannot
be wrong when we urge that ii is a greater
departure from the institutions of our
country and the principles upon which our
government is based to take by force of
arms a people fighting for independence
If our interests as wage-earners were en-
dan"ered by the annexation of an island
with ION 600 inhabitants, how much more
is the danger in taking group of islands
inhabited by S,H0.00) of people, perhaps
nearer the condition of savages and bar
other civilized nation on earth.
DESTROYS of avoiding in this report
lengthy argument. I propose stating as
succinctly as possible the grounds of our
opposition to the so-called policy of i'm
perialism and expansion
Opposition to Expansion.
We cannot annex the Philippines without
a large increase in our standing army.
A large standing army is repugnant to
republican institutions and a menace to the
liberty OF our own people.
If we annex the Philippines, we shall
have to conquer the Filipinos by the force
of arms. and thereby deny to them what We
claim for ourSelveS-the right of Self-gov-
ernment
We shall surrender the present safe and
independent position by which we are guar
anteed the tranquility and the fruits of
peace and force ourselves into European
and Asiatic entanglements, implying war
and the preparation for war.
We shall become a militant instead of a
peace loving nation.
We shall seek to conquer by the force
of arms instead of by our own industry,
commerce and superior mentality and civil
ization. We shall be compelled to open the
gates and admit the Chinese Malays and
slave laborers who may come from our
new possessions since the Constitution of
the United States forbids the Introduction
of the free entry of men and their products
between our states and our territories.
What Expansion Means.
Expansion of trade abroad has for it's
basis the contraction of the stomachs of
men, women and children at home. The
policy of Imperialism is declaration
that self-goyernment has failed and that
the people cannot be trusted; that
the dollar is of more consequence than
man, and plutocracy and miitarism nobler
than humanity. The attempt to divert the
attention of our people from the ills from
which we suffer at home to foreign ques-
| tions will fail. The principles of liberty and
justice have been imbibed by our people
| too many years to permit them to be cheat
| ed out of their brthright The institutions
| of our republic have taken root too deeply
| in the minds and hearts of our people to
permit us to become nation of conquerors
| or to dominate by force of arms a people
struggling for liberty and independence.
The possessors of the wealth Of our coun-
| try enjoy liberty and freedom, matter
| where they may be or wherever they may
go. 1t has always been the hewers of wood
| and the carriers of water, the wealth pro-
ducerS, whose mission it has been not only
| to struggle for freedom, but to be ever vigil
| liant to maintain the liberty or freedom
achieved; and it behooves the representa-