New-York tribune., 1899-07-24
FOR A NEW LABOR PARTY.
CENTRAL FEDERATED UNION CALLS A
CONFERENCE FOR AUGUST Z.
DELEGATES ENTHUSIASTIC OVER THE
PROPOSED MOVEMENT-A STRIKE
FUND ESTABLISHED.

In Clarendon Hall yesterday threw routine busi-
ness to the winds and plunged headlong into
politics. Many OF the delegates OF the labor
unions that go TO make up the central body are
natural born" politicians and have had more
or less experience in that line. Anything OF
political nature that is thought to relate in any
way to the labor movement always interests
them. and so there is nothing strange in the
fact that they should have taken up the new
slogan Of John n. Parsons. General Master
Workman OF the Knights OF Labor, that the
workingmen should organize a new political
party. Mr.. Parsons first brought out his idea
at meeting held in the Grand Central Palace
on Friday night. and the delegates to the Gen.
trail Federated Union were quick 10 take 1t up.
Mr.. Parsons attended the meeting in Claren-
don Hall yesterday he said he would. and
he made a speech to the delegates Odd to
relate, however, he did not say a word about the
new party
Mr.. Parsons had said that he would ask for
the appointment Of a treasurer at yesterdays
meeting to take charge OF a fund raised to
start the new party on its triumphant career.
He declared that 100000 would be quickly
contributed 10 the fund
Mr.. Parsons was accompanied TO the hall by
Master Workman Pines. of District Assembly
No. -, composed mostly of the surface men
OF Brooklyn. motion was made TO accord to
them the privilege Of the floor, and this was
done.
BLAME FOR TAMMANY HALL.
Mr.. Parsons started off in his speech by ar
raigning Tammany Hall for. he said. the
non-enforcem ent of the ten hour law as applying
to the employees of the surface railroads He
declared that the strike of the surface railroad
men afforded a spectacle Of which The city
should be ashamed. They struck, he continued
because this law had not been enforced.
Everything will depend on your action to-
day." Mr.. Parsons declared. You must help
to give a meal to the men who are on strike, and
also provide the means TO take hundreds OF
them out Of jail. | am also here to ask you 10
appoint treasurer from among your dele
gates to take charge OF fund in behalf Of the
strikers A committee will also be appointed to
collect the money"
Master Workman Pines who the next
speaker, said among other things. that the
Brooklyn strike was the greatest outrage ever
perpetrated in that borough. He denounced
President Rossiter, and insisted that the men on
the Nassau lines had to strike before they were
all discharged.
The speeches of Messrs Parsons and Pines
were followed by number of others made by
delegates who were by no means temperate in
, their language.
The election Of a treasurer for the strike fund
followed, and William J. OBrien. the delegate
of the Granite Cutters Union, was selected as
the proper man. A proposal to start the fund
by passing around the hat" was voted down
at the request OF Mr.. Parsons. Mr.. O'Brien
took the platform and said that he would be at
Mr. Parsons's headquarters, No. 40 East one
hundred and twenty -fifth-st, twice day. be-
ginning this morning, and he would gladly re-
ceive all contributions in aid Of the strikers and
their families.
! II was not until Messrs. Parsons and Pines
had left the platform that word was uttered
about the proposed new political party, and be-
! fore anything was said it was announced that
! the United Brewers Association had contrib
! uted 500 to the strikers and the Firemens
/ Urion had given 500
Resolutions Of sympathy with the strike
adopted by the Building Trade Section were
read and indorsed. and it was resolved that the
Metropolitan Street Railway Companys lines
should be boycotted 1t was declared that TINS
would mean a great loss 10 the Second-a'e'
line especially.
President Prince left the chair 10 make
speech Before he got chance. however Dele
gate DAILY relieved his pent up feeling as fol-
: lows:
.'If a thing is worth doing IT is worth doing
at once OF the men on strike. don't pelleNe
per cent of them voted for Hanford the last
, Socialist candidate for Governor, yet II lie nao
been Governor he would not have stayed AZ
OYSTER BAY and allowed strikers to be dubbed
Much applause followed these remarks, espe-
cially from the Socialist delegates
Delegate DAILY followed this up by declaring
that a new political party should at once De
formed.
"The people have better chance Tor ra'r
election than when Henry "eoFse r"" ""'
was counted out in 1856
More applause followed. and DAILY continued
nv saving that the Central Federated Union
aho,,id ,ssue q call for a conference Of all the
trades unions in New-York city. lie adVo-
Gated that each union be represented at the
conference by two delegates. and that the hrst
,ooetine he held in Clarendon Hall on August
: 70 formulate platform for the new party
, rho motion was seconded by James +. Archi-
hold who told Of the Henry George campaign.
The enthusiasm which had been bubbhng up
IN all directions for the new political party ldea
was somewhat suppressed for the moment oS
Delegate Kelly who gained the moor
81 attended the mass meeting In the Grand
Central Palace on Friday night he said ana
7 heard Parsons say that II the people would
follow him in a political movement ne couIu
| nromise that a fund OF SlO0Ooo would be reauy
| - hacL hin, I understood that the treasurer
10 be appointed here to-day was TO take cnalse ns
| Of the fund for the new political movement
Parsons said that the party TO ne tor.hgu e, vas
! ., nv onIv to elect two Supreme Court Judges
! II that was done II was to be cure an TOT an
| Industrial troubles. Now we should Keep ou'
heads II you send out the call ior cVnieI ni'sa.
ence now. all the waters OF the HUDSON irs -
! will not wash away the suspicion tnat II Was
! the 100000 bait that had caught you pe
| leve that Mr. Parsons made mslane a"o
that we should not send out the call now
ENTHUSIASM BREAKS LOOSE.
While some OF the delegates were pohoerns
over Mr.. Kelly's remarks James T. Arehioain
Jumped up and began another speech "i"e"
| - ,ha daleoates up 10 more enthusiasm