The San Francisco call., 1898-01-04
REPLIES TO
 ANNEXATION
 ADVOCATES Trades Council of the Capital Scores
 Fitzgerald. Repeats the Charge That He Misrepresented the Sentim ent of Labor. Is a Foe to Workingnaen When He Urges the Admission
 of Hawaii A LETTER TO THE CRAFT. San Francisco Building Trades De- fense of the Commissioner
 Answered.
Is a Foe to Workingnaen When He Urges the Admission
 of Hawaii
A LETTER TO THE CRAFT.
San Francisco Building Trades De- fense of the Commissioner
 Answered.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SACRAMENTO, Jan. 3.-The Sacra- mento Council of Federated Trades tonight sent the following reply to the Building Trades Council of San Francisco:
 Sacramento. Cal. Jan. 3, 1897: Trades Council, San Francisco, Cal Brothers: Replying to your resolutions published in the Examiner of the 3lst ing abuse and vituperation at all times very poor argument, we adhere strictly to facts in presenting the following re-
 On December the Sacramento Fed erated Trades Council adopted resolu- tions setting forth the evils likely to fol- handled the subject solely from a labor standpoint, and in doing so did not directly or indirectly allude to the Building Trades Council or Labor Com missioner Fitzgerald. Yet your first whereas coYertly insinuates that we re- flected on your past actions and also on MT. Fitzgerald. In the second whereas you claim to know from what source this opposition emanates, dilaung upon State printing scandal and the Hast Legislature" You charge us with ac- ton at the behest of organs of the sugar trust. This we emphatcally deny, and challenge you to prove the charge.
 Your divergence from the truth grows apace with further asperSionS on our nO1NeS. LII relTOSp6CIluS the last LeSlS- lature you claim to see influences which at that time sought to relieve the State treasury of unnecessary and unreason- able amounts" to ''recompense political obligations and take care of certain branches of organized labor, have now allied themselves with the mouthpieces of the sugar trust in condemnation of Labor Commissioner Fitzgerald and the Building Trades Council
 The Sacramento Federated Trades Council denies the imputation and TelterateS ahOVR ever, we plead guilty to having at that and subsequent times eXerted our efforts toward averung distress which menaced organized labor. We failed; privation and want soon overlook many wage workers. Now every department of the state government is more or less crip- pied for want of printing and about I50 union printers, preSSmen and bOokbind- CTS are idle Can it be that these deDIor- able facts produce eXultation in your ranks? We accord you the benefit of the doubt. brothers, and vanish the thought
 Knowing that all building trade unions or odh tranclsco are not affiliated with your organization, and that outside of the metropolis you have no representa- uon, deeming yourself worthy and cap- able of expressing views as to the best interests of labor is an abSurdity You charge us with corruption because we plIIer with you on annexation. Better ex- tend similar accusations to the American federatlon Of Labor, whose numerical strength runs high into six figures and Is on record as opposed to annexatio NOW tell us which central labor body in the land besides the San Francisco Build Ing Trades Council favors annexation?
 As to your being ''untafnted with mo- llUcal 1nHuence,' also let us know if a. Dor Commissioner Fitzgerald and Den or politicians. -o-
 Then follows sweeping condemnation or labor organizations and the charge that iI 4bW we are re- tending to destroy harmony reiterated Trades Council has never S4o15. queSl!onea lef your sincerity or impugned 50ur InotiVes. Our organization honestly alns to elevate workingmen, and in serv- ing toward that end is aloof from at temptS to rule or ruin kindred orSa r;1o- tiOns. VI VI eo'1iiNel
 You reiterate former actions in refer ence to annexation and believe that it IS 10 the interest of American labor to workers, entertain different views; neY- ertheless We respect your conYicfions and do not condemn your action. If the annexation question can be definitely settled by the voice of labor we ask won To name committee of three from your 0rganlzaton 10 meet a like com. ..littee jury and abide by it's decision
 The last paragI aph of your resolutions 'deprecates ''the slur cast upon the action Of Labor Commissioner Fitzgerald" MT. t1tZgerald is a public servant and his field of duty is exclusively the State of California, where he can be kept very busy if attentive to his duties. While in Washington he grossly misrepresented us by claiming that all labor in California favored annexation. At our meeting of December 20 we denied the allegation, laconically repudiated the Labor Com miSsIonerS assertion and Sacramento Federated Trades Council stopped right then and there. Surely there was no slur in. that
 And now, brothers, having disposed of your resolutions in fraternal and friendly spirit, we will briefly deal with Labor Commissioner EitZgerald's official career, and possibly you will realize that he is elongating neither limbs in your organiza- tion- The Commissioner first showed his disregard for organized labor in the ap- pointment of Cleve Dam as deputy. We know not when or where MT. Dam ever labored, but possibly you can show up the merit of the appointee.
 The Commissioner, apparently anxious 10 aInehoratS the unhappy lot of down |. trodden labor, went to Hawaii last spring. Coincident with his return arose the cry of annexation. We do not charge that his trip was in the interest of mo- nopohes; we do not say that his eX- Eenses were defrayed by annexationists. We do say, however, that the smooth bait imported from Hawaii by Labor Commissioner Fitzgerald has not decoyed laborers into slavery in the cane fields of Hawaii.
 In the published account, which also contains Mir. Fitzgerald's report to your organization; he is quoted as saying, in speaking of his trip to Washington:
 T deny that l went under any sub tertuge l went as your accredited repre- sentative at your solicitation and with a full appreciation of the honor you did in asking me to act for you''
 If going to Washington ostensibIy to advocate an eight-hour day to secure granite work on the Postoffce and to help the Lodge immigration bill, and there log-rolling for annexation and ut tering misStatements thereon as to the attitude of California labor, is net sub- terfuge, pray, what is subterfuge? We infer that your instructions to Mir. Fitz- gerald did not embody the annexation is- sue, and the absence of this subject in ms report strengthens our belief.
 It IS evident to any one who reads pub Q Hshed accounts of your meeting that you oid not defray MT. Fitzgerald's expenses 10 or from Washington. It is also evil oent that, so far as carrying out your tructions-namely, for the eight-hour gay, granite work and imn1igration-the Labor Commissioner or any one else could have done as well without crossing the border of this State. He simply in- trusted his instructions to Senator White