The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-12-17
FEDERATION OF LABOR.
The Fight on President GOmPers Has
Not Developed.


KANSAS CITY, MO-, Dec. is.-Fhs
fight on President Samuel Gompers. Of
the American Federation Of LABOR,
which was talked Of by a minority At
the opening Of the annual convention,
has not developed any strength, The
election Of oaieers VIII probably be the
last business OF the convention. There
will very probably be some changes IN
the executive council, but there IS no
doubt % far as can be seen. chat Mt.
Gompers will be reelected. Mr. Cake
OF PIttsburg, who Is q leader In the con-
vention, declares that there can be no
doubt OF his retention at the head Of the
Federation.
1t Is generally believed that James
oconnell. of Chicago. and Thomas F.
Tracy, Of Boston, VIII be selected ss fra
ternal delegates to the British trades
congress next summer. II these selec-
tlons are made s. B. Donnelly. OF New
York, president OF the Typographical
Union. will probably succeed Mr.. o'con-
neil on the executive board.
To-days session was largely taken up
by fght for recognition between two
factions OF the painters union, resultlng
In neither being recognized.
The convention adopted resolutions
again condemning the tobacco trust.
The resolutions which were passed after
a spirited debate In which the delegates
set forth the alleged wrongs against or
ganized labor practiced by the trust,
follows:
Recognising the fact that the para
lyzlng hand OF the trust Is making in-
roads upon the rights and privileges OF
labor and humanity Is the most eeriou4
menace to industrlal welh being, pubnu
Tranquility and the perpetulty OF our re-
public. we hereby pledge our moral and
material support 70 all other lndepend-
ent manufacturers to help them In their
fight, and the fight Of humanity against
the bIlghting curse Of trust aggrandtze-
ment. To give practical effect to these
sentiments. we hereby require and urge
upon all members Of the Federation OK
Labor and all patriotic citizens who are
consumers OF tobacco, TO purchase and
use only LuG GuEMlh6 atAAS oiAeN
bacco and cigarettes of independent fac
tories who use the label OF the tobacco
workers union. Be 1t further
"Resolved. That the secretary OF the
American Federation be. and IS hereby
Instructed, to have forwarded 9 copy Of
these resolutions TO every union anil
lated with the Federation Of Labor"
The socialist delegates made a de-
termined effort to llfuse socialistlc doc
trine into the law OF the Federation.
Probably they will not succeed, Tor
there Is a majority against them, but
the socialist orators held the floor near
ly ALI the afternoon, and will continue
their argument tomorrow, for the issue
had not been decided when the session
adjourned this evening. The socialists
claim to be pleased with the develop
ments Of the day, and they say that Tor
the firat time in the history OF The Fed.
Grafton the question was discussed
with dignity and federation on both
sides. and with apparent understandings
OF the issue. and this, they say, marks
nm epoch OF advancement Of socialism
among the trade uTi0nists. So great
was the Interest in the discussion. and
so general the liberation that the five
minute rule OF the convention was not
enforced against several Of the more
eloouent socialist orators.
Delegate John F. Tobin, Of Boston,
created something Of n sensation in the
course Of an impassioned speech he de-
clared that he had been given 10 under
stand that President Gompers Intended
to vote with the Social-DemOcrnt par
~ and TO recommend all he should
come in contact with to do likewise"
Mr Tobln urged that what the presl-
dent Of the Federation thought good
enough to adopt the Federation need not
fear.
President Gompers did not deny the
assertion OF Mr.. Tobin.