Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-13


TONS OF THE WORLD.
Kansas City, Mo-, December r.
The eighteenth annual convention of
the American Federation of Labor was
called to order in Strope's hall to-day.
About i5c delegates from all parts of
this country and two from across the
| water, namely William Thorne and
William Inskip, of London, represent
ing the British Trade Union Congress,
were present. Delegate Inskip's mis-
sion is to plead for a closer alliance
between the United States and Great
Britain along industrial as well as
political lines. The work mapped out
for the opening day included the COM
mittee reports, the seating and rejec-
ton of contested delegates, of whom
there are several, and the annual adj
dress of President Samuel Gompers.
President Evans of the Kansas City
Commercial Club welcomed the dele
gates, President Gompers responding.
After the usual preliminary matters
of organization, President Gompers
delivered his address. The strictest
attention was accorded President
Gompers in the delivery of his address,
which was received by the delegates
with much enthusiasm. At its conclu-
sion a recess was taken.
Mr.. Gompers in his address, refer
ring to the growth of International
ity," said:
with the view of closer bond of
sympathy and unity among the organ
lied workers of the different countries,
correspondence with many of them
has been maintained and entered into
with a number of others. We should
endeavor by every means within our
power to cultivate fraternal feeling
and interest in the welfare of the wage
earnere of all countries, to aid and en-
courage every movement calculated to
materially, morally and socially i'm
prove the conditions of the workers,
no matter where they may be located.
From the officers OF our affiliated
unions come the satisfactory reports
that they are in closer touch with
their fellow trades uniOnists every
where and it is additionally crafty
ing that the mutual recognition, ex-
change and acceptance of union cards
is being adopted internationally.
with each step taken to strengthen
the bond of fraternity and recognition
of the soloditary of the international
labor movement we shall not only help
to bear each others burdens but con-
tinually make these burdens lighter
and be the lever for that international
nations shall be thing of the past,
and the song of the poet, the dream
of the philosopher and the hope Of the
philanthropist and humanitarian be
achieved.
Our fraternal delegates to the Brit
ish trade union congress, James Dun
can and Harry Lloyd, report that the
greetings which they received at the
hands of our fellow trade unionists
abroad were of a marked, generous
and gratifying character. Their re-
port, a most interesting document, will
be submitted to you. We have with
us to-day the return fraternal dele
gates from the British Trades Union
Congress to our convention, William
Inskip and William Thorn, men who
have given the best years of their lives
to the organization of the workers and
the uplifting of the masses of labor.
For the first time, the convention
last year elected fraternal delegate TO
the Trade and Labor Congress Of Can
ada, Thomas L. Kidd, who also re-
ports the cordially of his greeting and
the interest in his mission. Our Cana
dian fellow unionists have honored us
by electing a delegate to attend this
convention in the person Of d. A.
Carey. 1t should require no words at
my hands that our fraternal delegates
are heartily welcome; that their stay
among US may be full of interest TO
them and of advantage to our common
cause
Under the head Of mo duality
greater federation" he said:
LAS a result of the engineers strike
of Great Britain, combination and
amalgamation of union with union and
closer federation Of all is the one point
to which the labor movement there is
at present directed, and duality of or
ganization in one trade, so long pre-
vafling in Great Britain, is fast pass
ing away Our declaration that no two
organizations of one trade, claiming
equal Jurisdiction, can co-exist without
conflict and injury, the principle long
ago recognized and established of one
union of one trade has been taken as
the slogan of the labor movement of
Great Britain, and we shall soon see a
solodified army of labor there upon the
most perfect lines TO achieve success.
And this state Of affairs teaches US