The Indianapolis journal., 1903-10-13
DELEGATES GOT EXCITED
MEETING OF CENTRAL LABOR UNION
WAS A WARM AFFAIR.
Motion to Indorse Gompers First Laid
ON the Table, Then Carried
Other &. l.. u. Business.

AT the meeting or Central Labor Union
last night Thaddeus S. Gurley, of the Car
penters' Union, was elected delegate of the
organization to the Boston convention of
the American Federation of Labor. There
were three candidates besides Mr.. Gurley
for the position, and two ballots were neces-
sary for choice. There had been con-
siderable electioneering during the week
and the hall was packed in anticipation of
the event On the first ballot John Felt
man, of the cigar makers, and Thaddeus
Gurley received the highest number of
votes. Harry Simons. of the local union
of the Painters, Decorators and Paper
Hangers. and John Koch, of the Brewery
workers, were the other candidates. Mr..
Gurley received one vote short of the
majority, which is required for election
On the second ballot Mr.. Koch withdrew
and Mr.. Gurley received a majority of the
votes. The result of the ballot was: Cur
ley, So: Feltman, "a. and Simons, 6.
Before nominations for candidates were
called motion was made that the Cen
trail Labor Union indorse Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation of
Labor, and instruct their delegate TO vote
for his reelection The motion caused some
excitement and before a discussion of it
could be entered into another motion was
made to lay the first motion the table.
which was carried by a vote of 80 to AZ.
OAOCED CONSIERNAIlON.
The action of the body caused no little
CONSERVATION among the rank and file of
the body, as the failure to indorse Mr..
Gompers at this time, which is a critical
one, would, it was felt, be an unwise move.
| At the close of the election the matter was
! again brought up and discussed at length.
| The general opinion was that an injustice
had been done and the body been misrepre-
| sented. While there is some antagonism
toward Mr.. GomperS for decisions which
| he has been forced to make by virtue of
/ being the executive of the Federation, it
proved that the Objectionable part of the
| motion was the part instructing delegate
| TO vote for a certain man. The motion was
| reconsidered and taken from the table. and
/ by a unanimous vote the body indorsed
| President Gompers and his policy.
| While there are signs of the time in the
vote, it is not representative of the body,
/ whose faithful members stand firm for Mr.
| Gompers. AT the time that the original
motion was made the hall was crowded. and
| all were anxious to get TO the election.
| Therefore, ii is safe to say, the vote mis-
| represented the Central Labor Union, which
| believes that Samuel Gompers stands as the
| leader of trades unions of this country.
| After his election Mr.. Gurley made short
| speech well representative of the union )
attitude towards Mr.. Gompers. Mr. Gurley
| said that whatever the prevailing opinion
| might be, he was going to the convention
| firmly resolved to support Samuel Gompers.
| NEW DELEGATES INSTALLED.
The other business transacted by the Cen
trail Labor Union last night was largely
routine. number of delegates were
installed, and the reports Of the different
committees were heard. Some time was
| spent in the discussion of the child labor
law, which, ii is claimed, is being violated
in Indianapolis. The matter brought
up at meeting some time ago, but nothing
had been done by the grievance committee,
to which the question referred. Mr..
| Aberding, who made the original motion
| that an investigation be made and action be
| taken, demanded a reason why nothing had
| been done. The grievance committee said
they had called on State Factory Inspector
| McAbee, but were unable to confer with
him. After due discussion it referred
| to the legislative committee, which will take
| the situation in hand. 1t is said that many
| children under the age of fourteen are en-
ployed in the factories of the city. The Ma
| tional malleable iron works and the canning
| factory on the Belt road were cited as in
| stances.
The meeting was held in Persons Hall,
| on North Delaware street, and the delegates
| were much pleased with the new accommO-
dations secured by the trustees.