The herald., 1898-12-20
FEDERATED LABORfRS
STOP SPEECH MAKING AND DO
BUSINESS
THE RESOLUTIONS AS PASSED
Demand Government Ownership Of
Telegraphs and Equal Pay for
Work Done by Women
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Dec. l9.-The
American Federation of Labor opened the
second week of its annual convention today,
with many resolutions still unpassed upon.
Today there was shown a desire to hurry
through with the business, and speech
Iraking was left for another time.
One of the resolutions was for government
ownership of system of telegraph lines and
the adoption OF postal telegraph system
This latter resolution was the same stere-
otyped resolution introduced in the annual
convention, and provides for a system OF
telegraph lines supervised by the postoltice
department.
John NJ. Hunter, president OF the United
Iron Workers OF Illinois, shook the con-
vention up by reviewing the strike at ' ir-
den, where the strikers only obtained d
victory after battle and bloodshed. He
thanked Governor Tanner for not calling
out troops to protect the mine owners.
The convention again put itself on record
concerning the woman worker problem by
adopting this resolution:
in view of the awful condition under
which women are compelled to toll, this,
the eighteenth annual convention Of the
American Federation of Labor strongly
urges the more general formation Of trade
unions of wage working women, to the end
that they may scientifically and permanently
aboiish the terrible evils accompanying
their weakness because not organized, and
we emphatcally reterate the trade union
demand that women receive equal compen
sation for equal labor performed
The executive council was instructed to
petition President Mckinley for the par
don OF E. W. Clarke, who is serving a life
sentence at Thonaston, Maine. Clarke was
one OF the crew OF the ship jefferson Bor-
den, which mutined between New Orleans
and Liverpool and murdered the ships mate
in 1876. Three of the crew were arrested,
and one, an Englishman, receiving assistance
from the British government, got off with
ten.year sentence. Clark and sailor
named Miller were sent to jal for lie.
Miller died and Clark is an imbecile. A
plea will be made for his pardon
Ihe federation struck from its constitu-
ton the two cents per mile per capita tax
to support striking organizations.
The iron-bound boycott of the Cigar
makers union against Carl Hoffman, the
New York cigarmaker, was indorsed by the
federation.
1he report of the committee, which was
against action on the question of jursdic-
ton IN the typographical case until the re-
suit OF the |. L. u. referendum should be
announced on January l, 1899, and suggest
ing concillatlon, was finally adopted with
but three dissenting votes. These were
OConnel of Chicago, Warner and Reid of
New Nork.
Samuel b. Donnelly of New York. presi
dent OF the Typographical union, who led
the hight against the machinists and fought
for the adoption of the committee resolu.
ton, claims the vote to be victory for the
union.
1t was decided today to bring the struggle
OF an eight-hour day by inserting provision
the 1O(M Mn,- 1et - H..
the granite cutters of America will ask their
employers to choose between yielding to
their demands Tor an eight hour day or
suffering the consequences of a general
strike.
James Duncan, the delegate to the conven-
ton from the granite workers, announced
their decision on the floor of the convention
this evening, and asked the support of the
federation. He said the granite workers had
committed themselves to the introduction
otan elght-hour day by inserting aprovisjon
to that end i'll their constitution.
Following Luncan's statement the conven-
tlon adopted unanimously a report sub
mitted by David Black, chairman of the
committee on an eight-hour work day,
pledgng to the granite cutters in their com,
ing struggle the moral and material support
OF all affiliated organizations of the Amerl-
can Federation OF Labor. The speeches
on the subject indicated general belief that
the employing granite cutters will not stand
out against the demand
Another work of Importance accomplished
by the convention Today was the settlement
OF the contention between the local and ma
tional organizations of walters. Acting upon
the report OF the board of arbitration ap-
pointed last week, the convention ordered
the holding of a general convention Of
waters local unions in Chicago on March
9th, next, at which it is expected all dif-
tierences will be adjusted, both factions
having pledged the arbitration board TO
ABIDE by the legislation of the Chicago
convention. The arbiarators also de,
manded, and were promised, that the con
illctlng local unions in Chicago and st. Louis
should be amalgamated at once. This dis
pute of the walters has extended throughout
the country, and at one time threatened TO
disrupt the federation. W
lhe socialist delegates were again sat
down upon by the convention TODAY. They
urged the federation to send delegates to an
International trades union congress to bo
held in Paris in 1900 A delegate. seeking
Information, asked of Messrs. 1borne and
inskeep the fraternal delegates here from
the British trades congress, their onin;nn
OF the proposed Paris congress. The Enn'
ilshmen both expressed the opinion that
1t would be composed chiefly of socialists
and advised the federation to have notb;ng
to do with it. Their rccommendotions
were concurred in by an ovcrwheming
vote. 'i'''"s