Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-12-16
FEDERATION SAYS NO
To the Propositions Involved In
the Accomplishments of
Expansion.
ASSEMBLY Is NEARLY UNANIMOUS.
But One Delegate Raising His Voice for
the Washington PoIicy-speciaI Oppo-
sition to a Standing Army-But Three
or -Four Votes Against the Anti-Expan-
sion neutrality-suspicious. Declares
Against Alliance W ith John Bull

Kansas City, Mo, Dec. 16.-At its
annual convention yesterday the Amer
lean Federation of Labor declared, by
almost unanimous vote. against a
standing army in the United states.
viii, I is in reality recognized as pro-
test against expansion, or the spirit of
Imperialism as it was termed by the dele
gates This action was taken after five
hours OF debate on every phase Of the
question At times many of the speak
ers became eloquent in their utterances
and received unstinted applause from
the delegates. The issue came to the
hands of the convention through a reso-
luton which grew out of suggestions in
President Gompers annual report.
The debate opened when the commit
tee Of which Henry Lloyd. of Boston, is
chairman, offered this resolutions:
Whereas, AS a result of the recent
war with Spain a new and far-reach-
ing policy known Imperialism or ex-
pansion is about to thrust upon US a
large and standing army, an autocratic
navy. this convention offers its protest
and calls upon its officers to use all pow
er to defeat it,
One Speaker for the Policy.
Samuel =. Donnelly, of New York,
president of the International Typo
graphical Union, was the first speaker
and practically the only delegate who in
any way defended the cause of expan-
sion. "Expansionists have always won"
said he in the course of his remarks
because it is in the interest CT a higher
civilization. Don't believe that the 65,-
100000 people who do rot belong to
trades unions in this country are gCine
to bow down to a syste m of Imperialism
or pay homage to a crown. / know |
this policy against expansion / want to
go farther and declare against this
peace alliance with Great Britain" Don
nelly was frequently interrupted by ap-
plause, but the delegates were not III
sympathy with his argument.
Many Speak in Opposition.
Delegate Lloyd, of Boston, was
against expansion and said he would
have the Federation of Labor serve
notice upon every politician in the coun-
try that any man voting for expansion
would place himself in deadly enmity to
organized labor. and that organizs d la
Dor would work for his defeat at the
polls.
S. J. Kent. labor commissioner. of Ne
braskh, spoke along the same lines as
did Lloyd. arraying himself directly
against expansion. Gompers made &
remark that embodied the same ideas
his annual address. There were SD sches
CGainst expansion by a large nG.aber of
delegates.
Wants Ships IEuiIt by Union Labor.
Stewart Reed, of the Maohirists OF
Chicago, declared that his union was
opposed to uH increase of the army or
of the navy. He slid the mach nfsts
wanted the Cn,te STATE TO have Unit
ed states wLrships bci.t by un on labor.
but they did not want an increased
navy. When a vote was finally taken
the resolution was adopted with but
three or fur dissenting votes.
Illinois Allen Law Condemned.
a resolution condemning the Allen
law of Illinois and cCmplimenting the
people of Chicago on their fight against
the street railway companies was
adopted. Before adjournment President
Gompers read a telegram from Atlanta
Ga. stating that the trade unionists
there had refused to take part in a
peace jubilee from which colored trade
unionists had ben excluded and con-
Guiding with these words: THE color
line is not drawn in labor unions in the