The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-14
70 STAY OUT OF POLITICS
SOCIALIST ELEMEer DECIsIvELY
VOTED DOWN AT THE LOUIS
WILLIE CONVENTION
STICK TO HIS TRADE UNION
Was the Overwhelming Voice of the
Delegates as to the Best
Policy for Work.
inEman.

inEmRn.
LOUISVILLE, Ky, Dec. 13-At the
opening session of the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor today, the following ap,
peared to be the most popular list OF
new officers to be elected the last day
of the convention:
President-Sanuel Gompers, New York.
Secretary-Frank Morrison, Washing
ton, ID. G.
Treasurer-John B. Lennon, Blooming,
ton. I'll.
First Vice observation-disclosures Duncan.
Boston.
Second Vice President-John Mitchell.
Indianapolis.
Third Vice President-James o'connell,
Washington, D. C.
Fourth Vice President-Thoma Kidd,
Chicago.
Fifth Vice President-Max Morris,
Sixth Vice President-Dennis Hayes,
Philadelphia.
The above, If elected, will constitute
the new executive council.
The first resolution called up today was
one presented by Delegate Nelson, Of
Philadelphia, disappearing Of the i'm
portation of lace makers for work at
Zion. ILL., 1t was adopted and copies were
ordered sent to President Mckinley. Sec
rotary of the Treasury Gage and Com
missioner of Immigration Powderly.
A resolution was also passed ordering
the executive council to take such action
as is necessary to nave an. eight-hour
bill introduced in the legislatures CT the
states where an eight-hour law does net
prevail.
A sharp debate arose over the con-
sideration Of a resolution denouncing a
l,o fo Fol R61cc fn-t
alleged substitution Of foreign women to
do the work of men in the manufacture
of hats.
The resolution further declared that
the United States government has for
the past three years placed all orders for
soldiers hats with this factory and
registered a protest against the further
placing Of government hat orders with
any nonunion concern. The resolution
was adopted.
the convention adopted resolutions
favoring shorter hours for BARRIERS ard
extending sympathy and moral support
to the Iron Moulders' Union Of North
America.
A resolution against trusts offered by
Max Hayes, of Cleveland. was amended
by the committee and reported to the
convention as follows:
AGAINST TRUSTS.
Resolved that this convention reatf1rm
its position upon the trust question, by
urging the unorganized working people
to organize their respective trades as the
best means Of resisting the encroach-
ments of trusts and monopolies. We also
renew the recommendation that trade
workingTnen in general study the devel-
opment of trusts and monopolies.
Mr. Hayes in protesting against the
change in his resolution, made a bitter
Tn111
chell, president of the United Mine
workers. resented a statement made by
Mr. Hayes, to the effect that if the mine
workers would strike again they could
secure a still greater increase Of theiT
wages, he said
During the past twenty years we
(the miners) have increased our wages
40 per cent and this has b EN- done through
the effect of trade unionism. Every am
portant step OF the mine workers has
been opposed by the Socialist Labor party
of Pennsylvania.
Upon a roll call, the resolution. az
amended by the committee, was adopted
by a large majority.
A resolution was adopted, favoring con-
gressional legislation for the pensioning OF
civil-service employees, disabled in the
service OF the government.
The committee reported adversely on
three resolutions favoring a co-opera tive
commonwealth and public ownership and
control of all the means of production
and distribution, but submitted a sub
stitute disclaiming all political intentions.
The substitute for the three resolutions
favoring the cooperative commonwealth
was as follows:
TO KEEP OUT OF POLITICS.
I'VE cheerfully accept and desire all
the assistance and usefulness which may
o.
ment by all reform forces. The aSpira-
lions, hopes and aims of the trade union
members are very similar to the express
ed wishes of the great body OF Socialists,
namely that the burdens OF toll may be
made lighter and that each worker shall
enjoy the complete benefit Of that which
he produces. That men and women shall
receive a greater amount Of liberty; that
the years to come may be made brighter
than the past or present, are the ideals
of us all. But we take the position,
never heleSS, that because of personal
local, national or other reasons. the ork-
ers of our country reach different con-
ciusions as to the method of reaching
the desired end even though there may
be little difference among us as to the
desirability of reaching that end.
We assert as forcibly as we are capa-
bic of asserting. that the trade UNION
movement is the true and legitimate,
channel through which the toilers should
seek not only present ameliOration, but
future emancipation. We hold that the
trade unions throughout our country and
Canada do not know nor do we believe
they will in the future declare against
the decision of any question in their
meetings, either of an economic or of a
political nature: but they are, and we
think justly, committed against the in
dorSement or Introduction of race pre-
JUDGES, religious differences or partisan
politics. We declare it to be the in
herent duty of our several unions to pub
lish in their journals, to discuss in their
meetings and the members thereof to
study in their home all questions of a
nature which have reference to their in
dustrial or political liberty; but we as
firmly declare that it IS not within the
constitutional or any other power of the
American Federation of Labor to legis-
late, resolve or specify to which pOliti-
cal party members of our unions shall
belong or for which party they shall
vote"
SOCIALIST NOT IN 1T.
Upon concurrence in this substitute de-
bate was long and acrimonious. Max
Hayes, of Cleveland, in his remarks made
reference to Eugene V. De5s, whose
name was greeted with prolonged out
burst of applause.
President Gompe:s closed the debate,
speaking for the conservatives, those who
were opposed to the original resolutions.
If the resolutions were to be passed in
their most radical form, he said, it would
not accelerate the progress of the labor
cause, but would only invite drastic OPP
position. He claimed that when men be-
IL