Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-12-31

a ne n eocTatiOu ' obeS Against the t-Tc-
posed Tax on Factories Employing
Women and Children, on the Ground
That It Would Legalize 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 s o'clock last evening. Detroit.
Mich, was decided upon as the next
place Of meeting.
During the election Of president Will
lam ]. O'Brien. of New York, was in
the chair. George f. McNeill, of Bos-
ton, placed Mr.. Gompers in nomina-
ton. He said he might never again
attend a convention OF the Federation
and he wanted the honor of naming
Dir. 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 place we should
keep him there
The greatest applause followed Mr..
McNeill's remarks.
John Kirby, of Ouray, Colo, said the
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.
]. Mcguire, 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 L. Kidd, Chi
cage; secretary. Frank Morrison. Chi
cago; treasurer. John b. Lennon
Bloomington, Ills.
F'raternal deiegates-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'Suliivan. Boston. OF the Massa-
chusetts state branch.
The convention spent most of yes
terday in amending it's constitution anC
providing means for widening the scop,
| 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 pei
month, the money TO be used to sup
port the Federation.
| The resolution of J. +. O'Sullivan, o.
Boston. looking TO a bill In congress 4
| Impose internal revenue tax against al
factories employing women and chill
dren overtime was killed.
| The committee on laws reported
against the measure on the grouns
that * would legallze the employment
OF children as laborers. In support o
his resolution Mr.. O'Sullivan said tina
he had been before the legislature o
Massachusetts when lawyers argued
the constituti0nality OF an act TO ia,
factories which employed children. II
said that these lawyers all agreed tina
such tax was constitutional, and tina
it was generally agreed that the onl.
way to stop factory keepers from hir
ing children was to tax them out O
existence. Mr.. O'Sullivan proposed tina
such factories be made TO pay an in
| ternal revenue tax of so per cent o
| their gross products.