The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-05-27
MAJORITY RULE
State Federation of Labor De-
mand Referendum.
Diner Resolutions Adopted. Daclare or Mum
cipal and Government Ownership. New
Officers Elected.
Especial to News and Observer

Charlotte. -. O.. May 3.-The state
Federation OF Labor, which was in ses-
sion here yesterday, adopted the follow
ing resolution, offered by President W.
NJ. Tye:
Whereas. organized labor is practi-
cally a unit in demanding that majority
rule shall be substituted for rule by the
few; and
Whereas. his improved system can
be installed by rule of procedure in
legislative bodies, thereby avoiding the
difficulties and delays that have hwart-
ed our efforts to secure a constitutional
amendment for the referendum and the
initiative, therefore,
Resolved, That we, the delegates Of
the second annual convention of the
North Carolina Federation of Labor in
session at Charlotte, May, 1902, demand
the adoption Of the referendum Ghe
peoples vote and the initiative to be
installed through rules of procedure in
legislative bodies. followed by q con-
stitutional amendment; and we request
cur legislative committee to question
all candidates for legislative offices, to
the end that those who favor our de-
mands shall place themselves on record
in writing, and we urge all members of
organized labor to declare, through their
unions and in other Ways, that they will
vote for no legislative candidate who
refuses TO pledge in writing that he will
work and vote for the immediate estab-
ishment of majority rule"
Other resolutions adopted were the
following: d} hat all State printing
should be done by State printing houses,
using the union LABEL; (2) that the State
Legislature adopt suitable laws making
labor day a legal holiday in North Caro-
lima; CD that we condemn all such acts
2s the indiScriminate use of injunctions
on the part Of the judiciary and that we
pledge ourselves to use our influence to
settle all strikes, %lockouts, etc, by ar
bitration; O. that we favor the House
Bill No. %, before the present Congress
known as the Lowering amendment, de-
claring in favor of a uniform work day
throughout the country in manufactures
Of all kinds throughout the United States;
Co that we believe the general welfare
Of our country will be bettered by NUM-
cipal and governmental ownership of all
public utilities, such as railroads., tele-
graph, street cars, electric light, water,
etc; co that we are opposed to the
use Of convict labor in such a manner
as TO throw it in competition with hon
est price labor, as it has q tendency to
produce poverty and criminality among
that class"
The election of officers resulted as
follows:
President, S. ]. Tgiplett, of Charlotte;
first vice-president. Fl. NJ. Turner. of
Salisbury; second yice-president. j. T..
Gribble. OF Charlotte; third vice-presi-
dent. Ct. c. Lumiey, of Asheville: fourth
vice-president Ellis Goodwin. of Concord.
nh fD1lnr-;n- ,-Crn .oJ,o+DI 70 1870
the executive board: W. T. Stoyer,
William Lunker, W. NJ. Tye and II. NJ.
Turner.
Mr. VIM. Tye was elected a delegate
TO the national convention at New Or
leans in December.
The federation VIII meet in Whining
ton next Nav.