The Anaconda standard., 1899-05-12
II WILL REDUCE WAGES
Miners Oppose the Annexation
of the Philippines.
SOCIALISM IS THE REMEDY
United Action at the Polls in Favor of
That Party Strongly Urged-Only
Way In Which Trusts Can
Be Made Blessing,

Salt Lake, May 11.--After approving
the presidents address to-day the con-
vention of the Western Federation of
Miners devoted much of the session to
the revision of the constitution and by
laws
The convention passed a strong res
olution against the annexation of the
Philippine islands.
After a long preamble dealing with
the subject, the committee saws:
Therefore, be it resolved, that we
the delegates to the pinths annual con-
vention of Federation of Miners, pro-
test against the annexation of the Phil
ippines for the following reasons: The
working class of this community will
ne obliged to compete with the working
class of the Philippines, thereby bring
Ing wages to a still lower standard.
This lays bare the claims in favor of
annexation that it would be a benefit to
the people of this country. That the
finding of foreign markets will not hem
efit the producing class of this people.
VINO will be obliged to suffer a still
further reduction of wages thereby de-
creasing their already limited purchas-
ing power.
Resolved That recognizing our
class interests. economic and political,
and the fact that the interests of the
capitalist class alone are considered hv
our representatives in congress in their
discussion of the question of annexa-
tlon; ana also recognizing the rights
of the inhabitants of these islands to
self-government, we call upon the
working class to unite at the ballot box
IN support of the only class-conscien-
tlous socialists-who stand for the
overthrow of the capitalist system and
the establishment of co-operative
commonwealth"
After some further observations the
report concludeS:
We believe that the only means of
counteracting the evil effects of that
gigantic development of the trusts is
the education of the people along the
lines of socialism, that they may be en-
abled to understand that instead of be-
ing a curse 1t can be changed to
blessing by simply changing the owner
ship from private to collective.
FINALLY. we recommend that scme
action be taken whereby all the work
ing people of the West can be brought
to a realization of the necessity of
and speediest method to redress all our
grievances In our opinion the surest
means of attaining this object is
through the adoption and support in it's
entirety of the platform of the socialist
labor party"
The resolutions were adopted by a
unanimous vote.
The greater part of the dav in the
convention of the Western Labor union
was devoted to discussion of resolu-
tlons. Some of these have been report
ed and lndorsed in committee Of the
whole. They relate to government by
injunction, national system of postal
saving banks, government ownership of
public utilities and of all monopolias.
The first item considered in conven-
ton was that portion of the presidents
address referring to government by in
junction. The committee on resolutions
reported on this subject that in one
particularinstance. namely at Wardner,
Idaho, government by injunction has
been superseded by martial law The
resolution of the committee was adopt-
ed by the convention.
A communication from Cripple Creek
was read in relation to the Indictment
of Is men of the labor organization at
that place. The convention decided to
extend such aid to these men as the
executive committee should deem pro-
per.
The subject of national postal savings
banks for the benefit of the people was
next taken up. 1t was agreed that the
system of postal savings banks which
has been so great an incentive to saw
ings deposits among the people of other
countries would be a good thing for the
working people of the United States,
and the resolution was passed favoring
their establishment by the government
On the money question the convention
spoke with equal emphasis, favoring
the issue of money by the government
alone, and opposing a delegation of this
important function of government to
the money corporations.
The question of municipal ownership
of public utilities was next dealt with,
and after a harmonious consideration
of various phases Of the subject the
following was adopted by unanimous
vote:
Whereas, the private ownership of
public utilities. such as the telegraph, |
railways and the telephone lines of the |
country, establishes an unnatural own |
ership over the news furnished the |
public, and is an unnecessary drain on |
the resources Of the public; therefore, |
be it
Resolved, That we believe it is the |
duty of the government to take possess
sion of all natural mOnopolieS and con- |
troll the same in the interest of the peo- |
pie"
should have an official organ and a |
resolution was adopted indorsing the |
project.