The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-12
Nineteenth Annual Conference Be-
ing Held In Detroit.
MANYDELEGATESPRESENT
PRESIDENT GoMPERS REVIEWS
GROWTH OF ORDER.
Wants to Make Another Organizing
and Lecturing Tour In the Inter
mountain Region = Discusses
Events of Past Year at Wardner,
Idaho-0utrage On Unions.

Detroit, Mich, Dec. 11.-Nearly 200
delegates. representing all branches OF
trade unionism, with an estimated to-
tai membership of nearly 100000. were
present at Harmonic hall today when
the nineteenth annual conference of
the American Federation of Labor was
called to order.
In the absence of both President
Gompers and Vice President MCGUIRE
the gathering was called to order by
James Duncan of Baltimore, second
vice president. Mr.. Duncan announced
that Mr.. Gompers was still suffering
severely from injuries resulting from a
bicycle accident in Washington, and
possibly might not be able to attend
the convention.
After adoption of a resolution of
sympathy for President Gompers, the
annual report of President GomDerS
was read by Vice President Duncan
President Gompers reviewed the
growth of the order the past year, sug-
gested that he should be authorized to
make another lecturing and organizing
tour in the intermountain region of the
west, and added:
The Wardner Affair.
"The Western Federation of Miners,
though unaffiliated with the American
Federation of Labor at this time, could
no doubt be persuaded that their pres
ent position renders them liable to at
tacks from which they would practi-
cally be free when thoroughly organ
iZed and affiliated with their fellow
workers under the banner of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor
Reviewing the events of the past
year at Wardner, Ida, President Com
pers declared that from the best sources
available he learned that the destruc-
ton of property of the Bunker Hill &
Sullivan mine was the act of unorgan-
lied miners. OF the corralling of 1.200
miners by the state authorities, aided
by General Merriam he said:
The whole proceeding is SO outrage
Gus as to bring a blush of shame to the
cheeks of every liberty-loving Ameri-
can. If. as alleged. the imprisoned men
are guilty. they at least should be given
a fair trial before jury of their peers,
confronted with their accusers, and. if
guilty, punished; if innocent, they
should be given their liberty, and their
wrongs should be redressed- This con-
vention in no mistaken terms should
express its keen Indignation and en-
phatic protest against this outrage upon
human rights. e
Killing of Innocent.
THE killing of innocent men upon
the public highway of Latimer, the
shooting down of unarmed men at Buff
falo, the incarceration of worlmen
guilty of no offense in Idaho, and the
outlawry of organized labor must be
frowncd down upon; must be met with
the consciousness of our rights, the
manhood to declare them, and the de-
termination to achieve them
Treasurer John B. Lennon. in his an
nual report. said: Never in the his
tory of the federation has our treasury
been so strong; and of more import
ance even than a strong treasury is
the fact that our income during the
past year has enabled the federation
to carry on more organizing work than
during any year in it's history"
The report shows that a balance of
s2,391.42 remained in his hands Nov. l..
1888. The years receipts were $36. 1854. .13
and the disbursements $50. .599.2 %, leaving
a balance on hand, Nov. l, 1899, of $s,-
$40 33.