The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-09-19
AN APPEAL FOR SUPPORT
OF the ZanesvillesPlatform and Candi-
date By Organized Labor.
THEY KNOW JOHN r, MCLEAN
And Appreciate what He Has Done For
the Laboring Interests of Obio--
Past Record of the Party In
Power Demands Its
Overthrow.

Overthrow.
At its regular weekly meeting Thurs
day night there was issued by the
Building Trades Council of Cincinnati
and Hamilton county to the organized
labor and workingmen of the state a
trumpet call that will be heard in every
city, town, village and hamlet in the
state, and as it's music reverberates
1t will forever silence the carping
critics who have endeavored to show
that the ticket nominated by the Zanes-
Vile convention would not receive the
united support of the organized labor
of the state.
They will find little cons 1lation TO
back their arguments in reading the
ringing declaration and address given
below from the largest representative
body of trades union men in Ohio, and,
outside of the two cities of Chicago and
New York, the most powerful and in
fluential organization of building me-
chanics in America.
1t is the first time in it's history
also, in which it has taken such a bold
and decided step in political campaign
as the Endorsement of political plat
form or pledged it's support to party
candidates. The Building Trades Coun-
Gil Of Cincinnati is very conservative in
this regard, and in the past has always
refused to give its sanction to PROPOSE
tions in support of anything beyond the
appointments to minor offices, such
as building, sanitary and workshop in
spectors, and such other positions as
it felt should be filled by practical and
experienced mechanics having a
thorough knowledge of the duties per-
tanning to these positions.
The Council is a central or legislative
body, composed of delegates from the
various unions of the building trades,
the principle of those therein represent
ed being the carpenters, bricklayers,
electrical workers, painters and decora-
tors, plumbers, steamfitters, freestone
cutters, >plasterers, stonemasons, iron
workers, hod carriers and several
others.
There is about twenty-siX unions rep
resented in the body, some of the var
ious crafts having several local organi-
cations. In the palmy days of the build
ing industry it represented an aggre-
gate membership of nearly 10000 men,
and, not withstanding the existing de-
preston in the trade, it still maintains
it's old position Of supremacy in trades
union affairs.
The action taken in indorsing the
Democratic platform and ticket was the
logical outcome of a debate which arose
under the head of Good and Welfare of
the Council" and in which the platform
of both parties in the state campaign
were taken up and thoroughly discussed
and dissected. 1t was pointed out that
for the first time in state issues the
principles that organized labor advo-
Gated had been openly championed by
one of the great parties and contemptu
ously ignored by the other, and that
the time had come in which the dele
gates felt that they We're justified in
breaking away from the old rule and
precedent against committing their or
ganization to political action.
This was followed by a statement
from one of the delegates that he did
not believe in confining an expression
of their opinions to local members of
the crafts, and called upon the council
to take broader grounds by sending out
an address defining their views to the
organized labor of the state at large.
The debate and the discussion ended by
the adoption and unanimous endorse
ment of an address, which Secretary
Kennedy was instructed to transmit to
every trades union and labor organiza-
tion in Ohio.
APPEAL TO OHIO LABOR.
Cincinnati, Sept. IA, 1899.
ITO the Trades Unions and Organized
Labor of Ohio greeting-Brothers: In
addressing you upon a subject which we
consider to be one of the most vital
questions ever presented to the consid-
GRAFTON of the labor organizations of the
state, we appeal to you to give it your
thoughtful attention, for upon your
course and upon the action of your affil-
lated membership in the present state
campaign will depend in a great meas
ure the future progress of the trades
union movement, and the improvement
of condition among wage earners gem
orally
To-day in every part of this broad
land are banded in the brotherhoodS Of
our unions thousands of earnest men
whose thought and study by day, and
whose work and actions in the meetings
of our organizations at night, is direct
ed toward the attainment of some So
luton of the perplexing problems that
confront us under the economic condi-
tions prevailing at the close of the
nineteenth century.
"Thousands of immigrants, endeavor-
ing to escape from the same onerous
conditions that are fast being engrafted
upon the life Of the American warking-
man, are being landed upon our shores
to compete with us in avenues of en-
ployment that are being rapidly and
permanently closed by improved ma
chinery and mechanical appliances, by
convict and prison labor, child labor,
and the product of the tenement, fac
tory and sweat shop. We freely ad-
NIT that our state in common with the
country at large is experiencing a sea-