The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-24
STAND BY OFFICERS.
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English labor leader, announced that he
was going to leave the city and wished TO
say goodbye to the convention. He made
a short speech in which he advised the
miners to ''act so as to uplift labor; realize
I that your brothers are fighting for the
same end that you are and that discipline
Is just as necessary TO obtain peaceful ends
it is in an army whose purpose it is to
kill" He was given a rising vote of thanks
as he left the hall.
AGAINST POLITICAL POWER.
The convention defeated a resolution to
encourage the miners to make their organ
ization a political power. a resolution Of
fering sympathy and assistance to wOmen's
organizations was adopted. A resolution
to increase the officers salaries in the
same ratio the miners might receive in
creases from the operators was not con-
Cured in. Another resolution, strongly
tinged with socialism, but stating that it
was for the education of miners in the laws
end economic questions of government and
to discuss them in their halls, was tabled
after a long debate. A resolution to es-
tablish a pension fund for disabled and
aged miners was handled lightly and voted
down. The convention then took up the
report of the investigat ting committee
which completed the business of the fore
noon.
tials committee was taken up at the open
ing of the afternoon session, Vice President
Lewis presiding. After locals in good stand
ing and delegates entitled to vote in the
convention had been named. those who
were denied seats were brought before the
convention. There are twelve delegates
from the PittSburg district TO whom the
committee refused to allow votes in the
convention. One of the men, ii was dis
covered, had right to be there as a sub
stitute for the elected delegate. The 9TH
IN fhn
convention by q system of transfers. Dele
gates having more votes than they are al
lowed to cast assigned their surplus votes
to several miners who came from locals not
in good standing because they had not paid
their assessments, and consequently had no
seats in the convention. The fight was
led against seating the delegates by Board
Member Mckay, who said the transfer
system in the Pittsburg district was not in
accordance with the rules of the organiza-
ton and the delegates should not be given
a vote He charged some of the delegates
with not having been fair in making the
transfers, and Pat Dolan. president of the
district, asked him to name them. Mckay
said he would try but could not place his
hand on them, when Dolan interrupted him
and said This is the very thing that has
ruined the Pittsburg district. Here charges
are being made by board member and he
can't substantiate them" Vice President
Lewis then broke into the discussion and
said that it was unfair for. delegate to
make charges in such a broad manner.
John Reese, of Iowa, said that If a mem
Der of local not in good standing was
given a transfer by a local in good standing
il did not entitle him 10 a seat in the con-
vention, and he moved that the delegates
be not seated.
LENIENCY SHOWN.
President Mitchell said the organization
had been very lenient with the locals in the
Pittsburg district, but they knew the rules
| Of the convention and transfers made TO
| locals not in good standing did not entitle
| the delegates to seats. There was much
debate when Delegate Ryan said that there
had been enough 'wrangling and personali-
ties exchanged in the convention" and
| moved that the matter be referred back
| 20 the credentials committee To settle and
| not rob the convention of its time. Dolan
| then explained that the miners of the
| Pittsburg district had been out Of employ
| ment their mines had been closed and
| some had been burned out.
The discussion grew louder and President
Mitchell again took the floor and said that
no delegate could be seated IL his local was
| in arrears in its assessment. He said print
| ed statements had been sent 10 all locals
| setting out that fact and that if they sent
| representatives in the face of that warning
| they ought 10 pay their own bills He sa Il
| ne knew that Pittsburg could have paid
| their assessments when men, women and
| children in the Southwest slept under trees
| during a prolonged strike and yet kept up
| their assessments. The motion TO refer To
| the committee was finally adopted
| Following this discussion came the COM
plaint OF many other delegates whose seats