The labor world., 1899-12-30
time in the future.

tlIle III tne Iuture.
1t was reported that a Washington
office-holder was present at the con
vention ostensibly in the interest of tn,
subsidy bill, but in reality to preven
the administration from being con
demned, for fear of the moral effec
it might have in next years cam
paign,
The debate on the ship subsidy reso
luton, presented by the boilermaker:
and iron ship builders, was also all one
sided, and the proposition to petition
congress, to subsidize ship builders
was defeated almost unanimously. A
large lobby of office holders an6
agents of ship builders was on hanC
gates were at least class-conscious en-.
ough not to vote for the proposed stea
that would aid labor" The social
lists poured hot shot into both sides for
trifling with capitalistic measures.
Another hopeful sign is the utter in
difference displayed by the delegates
toward the silver question. From gen.
eral appearance that question is as dead
as a door-nail, so far as the Fedora tion
is concerned.
To the recommendation of the COM
mittee on presidents report, Which was
pronounced one of the most remark
able documents ever submitted to the
A. F. of L., Delegate Hayes, of the
Cleveland Central Labor union, pro-
posed the following amendment, to be
attached to the conclusion of that part
referring to trusts:
"And furthermore, that this conVen-
ton call upon the trade unionists OF
the United States, and workingmen
generally, to carefully study the de-
velopment of trusts and monopolies
with view Of nationalizing the
same"
This. practically places the Fedora
ton in the position Of endorsing the
collective ownership of the means of
production and distribution, or social1
ism, or at least opening the door to
that principle. ...
Delegate Hayes made a short speech
on the question: in which he declared
that the time had arrived for the trade
unions to take a step forward and en-
courage their memberships to educate
themselves upon the logical and scien-
tific solution of the labor question. The
speaker was listened to attentively and
his amendment was adopted almost
unanimously. -
The committees report relative to
trusts, as amended, reads: =,
1.-The president makes some very
timely and truthful observations, and
your committee. agrees in his opinion
hot tlo &r,ra oh hn toxy
the labor movement as a natural out
come Of the present keen competition
in commercial activity. The evil in
fluence resulting from. concentrated
capital can only be met by fully real
izing that the state can not successful
ly legislate against this so-called
growing evil" 1t is, therefore, mani
testify the duty Of he state, as we'll
as Of the labor movement, to meet this
situation and to treat the subject as a
natural development. The trust is an
Industrial disease which can only be
alleviated and finally cured by reme-
dies taken from the industrial garden.
Organizations of labor free from all
laws. given full free
dom to use: it's. own natural weapons,
and the thoughtful and earnest stfp-
port of all lovers Of industrial free
dom, will meet this evil and overcome
it in the natural evolutionary way. We,
ask from the legislator, not
laws, but the sweep
ing away of those, now extant. to the
end that the trust may not have at
it's command the judicial, executive and
military Of the political state machin-
cry. And, Furthermore. that this con-
vention call upon the trade unionists
of the United States and workingmen
generally, to carefully study the ,da-
velopment Of trusts and monopolies,
with view to nationalize the same"
The election of the Federation off,
cials practically wound up the busi-
ness of the. convention. It was the
tamest that order of business has been
in number Of years. No one seemed
to want to contest against the we'll
organized ring in control, and Samuel
Gompers with the vice presidents, P.iJ:
Mcclure, James Duncan, James
O'Connell, John Mitchell, Max Morris
and Thos. Kidd, were unanimously re-
elected. Yhe usual distribution of fra
ternal delegateships to national Off
cials of affiliated unions was also car
ried out with regularity. John B.
Lennon, national secretary of the Jour-
neymen Tailors, and w. c. Pierce, Sec
retary of the United Mine Workers,
will go on a jaunting trip to Great
Britain to carry '.fraternal greetings"
to the British workers. w. D. Mahon,
president Of the Amalgamated Asso-
citation Of Street Railway Employees,
was selected to fraternally greet Ca
madam workers. 1t is now reasonable
to suppose that another. year will be
spent by the high moguls in 'beg-
ging" and "petitoning'' legislatures
for few crumbs. To what extent they
will carry out the recommendation Of
the convention and urge. the study of
the scientific development of the trusts
remains to be seen. The officials have
been in the rear Of the pro-
cession and will have to "get a move
on" if they wish to catch up before the
tide Of progression sWamps them.
Chas. E. Pike Dead.
ST. PAUL, Dec. 2S.-Charles E. Pike
died late last night at his residence In
this city. Mr.. Pixies health has rap-
idly declined for three wears and about