The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-26


central committee to draw for places.
and these protests are likely to have
effect.
There seems to be nothing left of the
union labor endorsement Of F. A. Lewis
except a continuous procession of Grim
nations and recrininations. The en- Z
trance of organized labor into Topeka
politics has been a stormy one.
Wednesday the State Journal pub
1ished some resolutions endorsing Lewis
which it was claimed had been adopted
by the Building I4aborers' union No
9177. They were furnished by n. 3.
Burdge. an employe in the Office OF
Labor Commissioner w. L. A johnson
and one of the political committee ap-
pointed by the Trades Council. These
resolutions were signed, supposedly, by
the president of the unions B. 6. WI
lams.
1t is now claimed by NJ E Younkin.
secretary Of the Building Laborers'
union No. 9177. that the resolutions are
fake; that the signature Of r. G. VIII
liams is a forgery. and that no such
action has been taken by that union.
Younl1in claims that the Building La
bOrers' union stands six to one against
the Lewis endorsement He claims that
no formal resolutions have ever been
adopted. the union preferring to take no
hand whatever in political affairs.
There is a deep and ever widening
abyss between two branches of Topeka
union men. One branch is he Trades
Council, which includes representa- tives
of the BARRIERS, typesefters and a large
number of kindred organizations. The
other branch is the Building Trades
Council, distinct organization COM
posed of eleven unions whose members
work in the building trade Among the
latter are the painters, carpent ters, steam
filters, plumbers. electric filters, plaster
4 ers, common laborers. etc.
The Trades Council is the body which
J indorsed Lewis. The Building Trades
Council has officially repudiated this
action.
The various unions which compose
these two councils are not entirely
unanimous in their support of the posi-
ton taken by their respective councils.
I The BARRIERS and typesetters, for in
i stance, do not entirely approve of the
action of the Trades Council, and there
are no doubt many members in the
( Building Trades Council who oppose the
position which their council has taken
repudiatlng this Endorsement
The headquarters of the Trades COun-
ell are at 709 Kansas avenue. The head
I quarters of the Building Trades COun-
ell are at 420 Kansas avenue. The Build
ing Trades Council refuses to go into
the building at 709 Kansas avenue be
1 cause they claim that it was constructed
/ by scab" labor.
The following are the resolutions
adopted by the Building Trades Council
4 repudiating the action Of the Trades
Council:
we the Building Trades council o
Topeka, consisting of eleven building
trades unions, desire to state to thl
press and public, that we are not in ans
way affiliated with the Trades and La.
Dor council of Topeka.
We, as affiliated unions having a rep
resentation of three delegates from eaeI
building trades union, making total o
80 delegates. desire to state we are nc
a political body or club. and cannot in
dorse any one for any political Office
and that politics are ents efF cltusinates
from our body while Ia session. an
that win not be dielated to by an
organization or committee Of organiza
tions We have no committee out a
present nor viii we have one in the fu
ture who viii be authorized to carry tn
votes of the Building Trades council o
the building trades unions afiHate
with it in their vest pockets. All officia
business done by the council must hav
the seal of the 3. T. c. affixed, an
properly signed by the president an
secretary.
&C. G. DODDS.
President.
u NJ. O'BRIEN,
(Spa1l eSprrpt9rU p IT CD