Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-12-13
NEARING A CLOSE
Federation of Labor Getting
Affairs Shaped for Early
Adjournment.
SPIRITED SESSIONS
SPIRITED
SESSIONS
Some Warm Discussions Provoked
In the Represe ntatiye Body OF
Working Men By ' arious Topics
President Gompers Feels Called Up
on TO Rebuke a Socialist MAN.
Hesitation.

convention OF the American Fedora
ton of Labor may adjourn tomorrow.
as the affairs of the convention are
| days session was a spirited one.
A busy day had been mapped
out for the delegates, and although
| much business was disposed of,
there was considerable time con-
sumed in speechmaking. The ne
gro problem in the South. so far as it
relates to trade unionism, was unex
/ pectedly injected into the proceedings.
and the longstanding conflict between
the socialists and the unionists prom
! Used to monopolize the attention of the
| delegates if the socialists replied to
| the trade unionists. The question of
| organizing common iaborers into a ma
tional union and that of throwing out
| of unions all organizations allied with
city, state, national or international
unions unless they affiliate with the
American Federation of Labor were
also vigorously debated. The social
list incident came up during the discus
sion of a committee report endorsing
most of the recommendations contain
ed in President Gompers' annual re-
port. ID. A. Hayes of Philadelphia
national president of the glass bottle
blowers, and Max Hayes of the Cleve-
land Central Labor union. the well
known socialist, made speeches strong
1y urging the enforcement of laws pro-
hibiting child labor. The latter read
a nf
federal and state courts against organ
lied labor. A motion to have the list
printed in the minutes brought Presi- |
dent Gompers, who was not in the !
chair at the time. to his feet and the |
delegates were treated TO a three-nin- /
ute passionate speech. He said il 1
was unfair to incorporate the list in /
the minutes in that way. and suggest /
ed that list of the trade union vic I
tories should be printed along with /
it. He concluded by denouncing the /
attempt to show that trade unionism +
is a failure" and characterized it as
on outrage. wave of applause swept |
over the convention as Mr.. Gompers |
took his seat. A motion was defeated /
after w. B. Wilson had SPOKEN along
the same ground as Mr.. Gompers, and |
the recommendations of the president
were adopted, except the one referring
to a general defense fund. The com
mittee's suggestion that the fund be
raised by national and labor unions in
stead of by the American Federation
of Labor was adopted.
The negro question came up when
the committee on law reported a reso-
luton compelling all local unions af-
filiated with the federation to join the
central labor bodies in their respective
localities. William Henry Clay one
of the two colored delegates from Vir-
GINA, made the point that the fedora
ton last week in deciding a contested
seat where the color line was brought
into question had authorized the crea-
ton of a separate central union in
Richmond for colored workmen. The
resolution was debated for more than
an hour by many delegates Charles
c. Eckard of the Admission (Aia)
trades council made the principal
speech in opposition to the resolution
He said the proposition would compel
white unions to take in negroes, and
If adopted by the convention 80 per
cent of the unions south of Mason and
Dfxon's line would seeede from the
federation He declared the people of
the North did not understand the ne
gro problem. His remarks had some
influence on the delegates. and the
resolution on the recommendation on
the law was defeated. Two resolu-
lions were adopted on the question of
organizing the common laborers into
large unions, and both were recon-
mended to be sent to the executive
council with instructions for that body
to take up the matter and report at the
next convention.
1t was decided that hereafter the
annual convention of the federation
shall be held on the second Thursday
of November of each year j. II Bow
man of Chicago presented resolution
instructing the president of the fedora
ton to protest against the confirma
ton by the United States senate of
the appointment of Frank E Baker
as United States circuit judge in In
diana The reason for the protest is
that Baker is the son of Judge John
H Baker of Indianapolis, who had
granted injunctions against some un
ion workmen- II is likely q session |
viii be held tonight, so the convention :
can complete its work Saturday !
There is much quiet lobbying going on .
among the delegates over the elections ,
Of additional officers. The belief pre-
walls among most of the delegates that
the scheme TO increase the number of
vice presidents from six to seven or
eight will go through. and in that case ,
q scramble for the nlaeea il riEelv 70