The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-11-18
400 Delegates Were Present
At the Opening Session-He Deliv-
cred n Warning to h Members
About the Future of Their Organ-
rationale Counselled Peace and
Moderation-The Opening Day, Be-
sides This Address, Was Taken Up
in Speeches of Welcome and Re-


New Orleans, November 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 labor as
Semblies were seriously endangered by
the conflicting claims of jurisdiction
made by different bodies. Unless such
things were approached in caimness
and handled with moderation, he de-
clared, the labor organizations Of the
country would be soon involved in a
conflict which would by comparison
dwarf all the struggles in which labor
organizations have so far been engaged.
The matter would, unless checked, he
asserted, come to a point where labor
ing men would fight with laboring men
from hin barricades, in the manner
in which men deal with their mortal
foes. His warning of danger and his
~counSels Of peace and moderation met
with a hearty respons from the assem-
bled delegates and wild applause greet
ed 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 meth
DDS 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 respon-
SeS and the report of the committee on
credentials.
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.
New Orleans, November 13.-The
tWenty-second annual convention of the
American Federation of Labor met here
today with about four hundred dele
gates present.
The visiting delegates were escorted
from the st. Charles mansion, the Off
ciaI headquarters by the members OF
the local trades and labor assembly.
headed by Robert E. Lee, president OF
the local organization and by James
Lefard, the federation organizer fer the
state of Louisiana.
When the convention a been called
to order, Mr.. Lee delivered an address
Son behalf of the laboring men OF New
Orleans to which Mr.. Gompers respond
ed. After touching upon the scope and
bearing of the labor union movement,
President GomperS declared that 1T 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 Ar
mold was q martyr and Judas Iscariot
= saint"
Although no name was mentioned, it
was understood by the delegates that
reference was made to the head of n
of the leading educational institutions
of the country and they a~pplauded with
vehemence. 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 creden-
tails declared that S~iXty-nlne national
organizations, nine state organizations,
ffty-iYe central bodies, fifty-four local
and federal bodies, and four fraternal
delegates had reported and were entitled
to representation. The total voting
strength of the bodies represented by
the delegates was about ten thousand.
A protest against the seating of the
delegates of the amalgamated asSocia-
ton of carpenters, was made by the
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and
JoinerS. Upon motion, the contest was
referred back to the committee for fur
Their action, and its other recommends
.tionS were adopted.
James Duncan moved that a 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 con-
vention. This motion which removed
much o. 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 n read
his report.
The words of praise accorded by the
speaker to President Mitchell. of the
mine workers We're 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 deep
r 4cned when the declaration was made
that no trade should attempt 20 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
the ~treasurer's report President Com
pers broke into h routine proceedings
to introduce Mayor Samuel NJ. Jones
of Toledo, o., who made a short speech
that pleased the delegates greatly.
The report of the executive commit
fee was then read by Vice Presiden'
Duncan.
At the conclusion of the report OF tn
executive committee an adJournmen
was taken until tomorrow.
The evening was largely spent in tn
organization Of various committees.
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