The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-11-14
GOMPERS AROUSES
A STORM OF CHEERS
The Federation of Labor is in
Convention,
ADDRESS BY ROBERTO. LEE
6omperS Declares That Beside Leading Edu-
Gator Posing as Strike Breaker Ar
mold is Martyr and scariot
Saint,
(By the Associated Press.)

Nby the Associated PreSS.)
New Orleans, NoY. 13-President
Samuel Gompers. at the opening of the
American Federation of Labor TODAY.
delivered an impassioned warning to the
members of the organization that the
immediate future of trade and IaboF
assemblies was seriously endangered
by the conflicting claim of jurisdiction
made by different bodies. Unless such
things were approached in calmness and
handled with moderation, he declared,
the labor organizations of the country
soon would be involved in a conflict
which would, by comparison, dwarf all
the struggles in which labor organiza-
tions have so far been engaged. The
matter would, unless checked, he as
serted, come to a point where labor
ing men would, fight with laboring men
from behind barricades, in the manner
in which the men deal with their mortal
foes. His warning of the danger and
his ceunsels of peace and moderation
met with a hearty response from the
assembled delegates and wild applause
greeted the speaker as he closed that
portion of his annual address in. which
he had pointed out the perils which in
his opinion will surely come unless
methods are altered, and altered soon.
The first day of the convention, aside
from the address of President Gompers,
was not of great interest to outsiders
and many delegates found it fatiguing.
The morning session was occupied with
addresses of welcome and responses and
the report of the committee on creden-
tials. The afternoon was consumed by
the address of President Gompers, which
occupied him for two hours and twenty
minutes of rapid reading. The reports
of other officers required two additional
hours. Tomorrow it is expected that
the actual work of the convention will
be entered upon.
The 22nd annual convention of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor met here to-
day with about four hundred delegates
present. The visiting delegates were es-
cOrted from the st. Charles Mansion,
the official headquarters, by the men,
! hers of the local trades and labor as
sembly, headed by Robert E. Lee, presi-
dent of the local organization, and by
James Leonard, the Federation organiza-
tion for the State of Louisiana.
When the convention had been called
to order. Mr.. Lee delivered an address
on behalf of the labOring men of New
Orleans to which Mr. GompeTs respond
ed. After touching upon the scope and
! bearing of the labor union movement,
President Gompers declared that it was
amazing to note the ignorance among So
, called educated people regarding the aims
! and objects of the organization.
mo man who as an educator" said
President Gompers, poses as a strike
breaker is fit for the position he holds
| Compared TO such a man Benedict Arnold
was a martyr and Judas Iscariot q saint. -
Although no name was mentioned, it
was understood by the delegates that
reference was made to the head of one
of the leading educational institutions
of the country and they applauded with
vehenence. Cheers were again called
forth when it was declared that the man
who acted the role of a strike breaker
was looking backward toward barbarism
and not toward the future. The report
of the Committee on Credentials declared
that siXty-nine national organizations
nine State organizations, fifty-five central
bodies, 1fty-four local and Federal bodies
and four fraternal delegates had reported
and were entitled to representation The
total voting strength of the bodies rep
resented by the delegates was about ten
thousand
A protest against the seating of the
delegates of the Amalgamated Associa-
tion of Carpenters was made by the UNI
ted Brotherhood of Carpenters and Join
ferred back to the committee for further
action, and it's other recommendations
were adopted. James Duncan moved that
special committee be appointed to
which all disputes between the branches
of the building trades should be referred,
this committee to report direct to the
convention. This motion which removed
much of the work incidental to the dis
pute between the carpenters from the
floor of the convention, was adopted.
At the opening of the afternoon ses-
sion, President Gompers called Vice
President Kidd to the chair and read his
report
The words of praise accorded by the
speaker to President Mitchell of the
Mine Workers, were greeted with great
applause, as was also the warning of the
dangers that lie ahead of the unions
in unrestrained claims of jurisdiction
over other bodies. The applause deepen
ed when the declaration was made that
no trade should attempt to extend it's
rule where another union already exists
The reports of Secretary Morrison and
Treasurer Lennon were then read.
AT the conclusion of the reading of
h.
pers broke into the routine proceedings
to introduce Mayor Samuel M. Jones, of