New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-12
GOMPERS ON TRUSTS.
PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF
LABOR SAYS ORGANIZED LABOR WILL
WORK OUT THEIR SALVATION.

WORK OUT THEIR SALVATION.
Detroit Dec 11-Nearly two hundred delegates.
representing all branches Of trade unionism with
an estimated total membership of nearly eight hum
bred thousand. seated at writing tables scat
tered the floor Of Harmonic Hall to-day. when
the nineteenth annual convention of the American
Federation of Labor was called to order The first
evidence of a contest apparent when the sta-
tonary engineers sought to prevent the seating Oh
the brewery employees representatives In 'he ap-
sence of both President Gompers and Nice-Fresl-
dent Mcclure. the gathering was called TO ORDER py
James Duncan of Baltimore. second vice president.
Mr. Duncan announced that Mr.. Gompers was sun
suffering severely from dslocated knee and other
injuries resulting from a recent wagon ana street
car collision in Washington and possibly might not
he able to attend the convention In compliance
with the Federation rules prohibiting speeches oy
outsiders no addresses of welcome were mace D!
officials of the city or State. The only address OF
this character was by Herbert j. Greville. president
of the Detroit Council of Trade and Labor Unions
Vice-President Duncan. responding, said that the
convention is the largest meeting OF oreahi@eu
labor representatives held in the United States
besides containing affiliated delegates from across
the sea and from Canada. When the Comri', zee
on Credentials had reported the seating OF the
brewery workers protested against by IepIe-
sentatives of the stationary steam engineers inc
brewery men retorted by protesting against '"e
credentials of the stationary engineers and nremeh
All the other delegates were declared seated anu
tho brewers and engineers proceeded to air their
strike label and other local difficulties before 'he
Credentials Committee. The annual report Vi
President Gompers was read by Nlce-Preslueht
Duncan In regard 10 trusts ana comoha'io"' Va
capital, he said:
Ue arc all conscious Of the giant strides Win Nun
hinnG and Concentrated into the modern trust
There is considerable difference OF opinion n4T
ever as to what is regarded by man! "a cerned re
cradle evil Organized labor is deeply conceT eS the
garding the swift and intense iess successfully
lafronted nv an equal or superior power, tneIe 10
economic danger and political suo'usa'ioi ~ ~
fo Bp a. organized labor looks with ms
me many p the Srowth and development or to de-
etTov the combinations of industry we "a" Iess ~
tn ose rrge the adoption Of laws to reg ua,u
Interstate commerce ana la"H 20 aiso seen that
tbese measures when enacted have Pe eet Of or
instruments deprive lapor Oh oI, tirne they have
gaIl44eu oved incentives to more subtly ana surrey
Intricate the wheels OF CAPITA sTpvinced that the
c &c not capable Of preventing the devel0Ph tte
S natural concentration of industry AL 1ng
0ronositions to do so which have come uhuer OF
observation would beyond DOUBT Teacr mr Of our
er force and injury upon the working peoPo u Jul
co,ntrv than upon the trusts A., .s.s are
Tbe great wrongs attributable to the trusts
IL influence on the pCHtlcS ~ w
tnG but as the state has always been the rep
resentye of me wealth a & nn the toers
Ugapized and educated to the degree that they sla
hat State is by rIgnt lIelis'
RIA iustv come TO their own. while never relaNihs
in their efforts secure the very bes tir
economic. social anu Hidtoiiai mp
TSere is no tenderer more vulnerable spol, IN
49, anatomy of trusts than their d1vldeno peSlHs
s,1otiont there is no power on earth other tnaP
~ trada unions which yields so potent WeaPoi
TO penetrate disrupt and, If necessary cruode ,e
uobpIe fabric This however. will not be necessary
nor will II occur for the trade unions VIII go oi!
Inreorizing agitating and educating in order tnat
rnsterial Improvement may keep pace with lnnus-
III developmept until the time when the WORKERS
toi Viii then form nearly the whole people. de.
,aIon their ability to administer the iunctonis o.
eorarnnent in the interest of all There VIII oe
50 cataclvsm but a transition so gentle that most
,nen will wonder how II all happened; .
Ia The early DAVIS of modern capitalist system
rbep the individual employer was the rule under
mtItob tndustrv was conducted. the individual work
men deemed themselves sufficiently capable 10 cope
Fdr their rights: when industry developed and EN-,
Iovers formed companies the workmen formed
,,njons. when industry concentrated into great
ul,IopIr'a tions the workingmen formed their ma
,,onai and international unions; as employments
lime ''trustihed" the toers organized fedora
t'ons Of ali unions local. national and International
s1ch as the American Federation Of Labor.
W sbaii continue TO organize and federate the
GRAND army OF labor, and with our notices FEWER
bours Of labor higher and an elevated stand
ar OF life we shall establish equal and exact
Justice for ALL
The reports Of the secretary Frank Morrison,
and OF the treasurer John Lennon. were also read
The former showed that the receipts for the year
were 81 s62 IS over the previous year, and the mem
barshin Increased IA 2s2 while there 226 char
tors issued The treasurers report showed an
increase OF sS9, 14S So and $3.50 80 on hand.