The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-16
The First Session Open and Delegates
Welcomed by Governor Mount
and Mayor Taggart.
THE COMMITTEES APPOINTED
FROM NOW ON ALL THE MEETINGS
WILL BE IN SECRET
Cavalier Treatment of Pittsburg
Newspaper Men-Wage Scale
Speculation.

citation of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers was
called to order yesterday morning at 1890
O'Clock by President I. ]. Shaffer. The
session was an open one, but before ii be-
gan all who were not members of the or
ganization were asked to leave the room,
during which time each delegate was
pledged to secrecy while the convention
lasts. The honorary guests and newspaper
men were then admitted.
Glenn Jarvis, vice president of the Fifth
district, of Anderson, introduced Governor
Mount, who welcomed the delegates on be-
half of the State His speech was greeted
with three cheers when he finished and
those who have heard the Governor on
many occasions say he has never excelled
that effort. He was introduced as friend
to the laboring classes and the two min
utes applause which followed his address
was the warm acknowledgment of the in
PRODUCTION. In part Governor Mount said:
GOVERNORS ADDRESS.
Gentlemen, you represent organized
of necessity. Capital concentrates for eco
nomic reasons. Without organization the
employees of great plants would be at the
mercy of the employers. Human nature
is the same everywhere. Shylock con-
tinues to demand the pound of flesh. The
spirit of avarice, the greed for gain, is
in the heart of the individual to secure that
desire. Wealth is a benefaction when its
powers are exercised for public veal, but
an evil when it exerts arbitrary power
that is harmful to the public in order to
promote selfish gain. Your unions are
needed along these lines for your own
defense.
Through them you have held confer
ences with the operators of the industries
you represent, resulting in augmented
wages. The power. influence and service Of
organized labor was demonstrated when,
at the recent coal miners and coal opera
tors convention, held in this city, wages
were advanced, amounting in the aggregate
in one year, TO coal miners, OF Sl5,UO,OOO.
Whether the disputed responsibility of
closing twelve steel, wire and nail factories
belong to Mr.. Gates, or to the directors
of the trust, is of little consequence. The
fact remains the trust closed the mills,
employees were thrown out of employment
the output limited, prices forced the trust
gathered temporary harvest, the country
suffered. Positive laws should make such
offenses against public good liable TO Sc
we're penalty.
all the great industries, business pursuits,
vocations and professions. This principle
should be the basic foundation i'm the po-
litical economy of our country. The farm
ers have no right to combine for the pur-
pose of reducing the product of food or
fiber in order to advance prices. If this
power were to be exercised. they could
thus bring suffering and restitution TO the
humble and the poor, and widespread dis
aster to business. The manufacturers have
no right to form trusts for the purpose Of
limiting output, with view TO higher
prices and better profits. This right con-
coded, the country would be at the mercy
of grasping monopoly. The manufactures
who safeguards the interests of his work.
men, as far as possible, and seeks to pro-
mote their welfare, is, at the same time,
exercising the best economic wisdom. The
employee who seeks the promotion of his
employers interests, and labors to that end
is, as rule. best subscribing his own well
fare.
Acrimonious controversy and bitter con-
tention between employer and employe is
a menace to peace and endangers public
veal. If these controversies are left TO men
whose bitterness of strife has grown to
hate, grave dangers will be imminent. Law
full courts of arbitration, where reason sits
enthroned and the sacred rights of all are
considered, should be invoked to adjust
labor troubles. In Indiana, under the prac-
tical workings of such a law, during the
last three years $50 strikes have been har-
moniously settled, in all of which the
rights of labor have been safeguarded.
capital protected and, in most all cases.
wages advanced and better conditions Sc
cured to working people. twenty-five thou
sand employees have been reinstated, and
more than one million dollars have been
saved to capital and labor. Your unions are
a power for good to employees. 1t should be
your constant endeavor to exalt their use
fitness
Moderation should govern the unions of
workingmen. The agitator who, under the
garb of friendship, demands unreasonable
things and who unnecessarily disturbs
amicable relations existing between en-
ployer and employe, incites strikes, and
who fires the prejudice of impasSioned men
and leads to the violation of law. is labor $
greatest enemy. The conservative man,
who does not take up imaginary griev-
ances, but is firm and resourceful when
wrongs are to be righted, is the true friend
of workingmen. The laboring men OF this
country are entitled to the highest consid-
Grafton In all their lawful efforts for bet
ter wages and better conditions they should
have the sympathy and support of the peo-
pie. If labor unions follow the advice Of
disturbers, who forget that others have
rights in equity and law, they will lose in
public esteem, and find it more difficult in
securing legislation in their behalf.
Better far would il be If more lawmak-
ers and rulers were trained to honest toll.
and know the worth of dollar earned by
the sweat of their brows. There would be
less betrayal of public trust there would
be less aping of foreign customs, there
would be less of conformity to social de-
mands, and there would be a disposition TO
view an official position as a sacred trust
The Governors speech was so well re-
ceived that ii was ordered printed In Its en-
tirety and distributed among the delegates
THE MAYOR HEARD.
Mayor Taggart welcomed the delegates
on behalf of the city in a five-minute
speech, saying he Endorsed the labor move
ment. An amusing feature of the conven-
ton occurred when delegate secured rec
IGNITION and nominated Governor Mount
for President of the United States and
Mayor Taggart for Governor Of Indiana.
Factory Inspector McAbee spoke for five
minutes, and was followed by John Blue,
president OF Central Labor Union. who
welcomed the delegates on behalf of or
ganized labor in Indianapolis. Edwin F..
Could. editor of the Union, spoke for Ed
gar A Perkins. president of the Indiana
Federation of Labor
In the afternoon the convention went
into executive session. and from now on
everything will be done behind closed
doors The work of the afternoon was the
organizing of the convention and appoint
ment of committees. This was all COM
pleted before adjournment. and this morn
ing the convention will start off with ev-
erything In shape TO get down TO business
at once
The committees appointed are follows:
Contested Seats
David Rees chairman: H H. Evans, sec
rotary, Benjamin Jones (Carnegie). John
F. Ward, ELIAS Jenkins, r.. ID. Selway.
Horace Morgan. William III. Davis. John