Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-11-19
KICKED OUT!
Continued from page ~

| go ~ - eAAAo Gil 40 oAC lsAhSAi - vi
SCHOOL early and put to work in thu
factories and mills, and he pointed ou
that the more boys there are, the wors'
| it is for the men.
We have come, to such a pass" HI
said, that all the men and women car
do is to produce. the boys and girls t.
take the places of the men in Che fac
| tories. 1 see no political party that will
| stop these conditions except the Social
ist."
Delegate Kreft Of Philadelphia, anG
Slayton of New Castle, Pa, addressed
the Chair in opposition to the commit
tees; unfavorable report. Delegate
Kreft declared that no other political
party than the Socialist made reference
in it's platform in Pennsylvania, last
year. to the strike. Headed by ]. NJ
Barnes, the Socialists had raised thous-
ands of dollars for the strikers, making
house-to-house canvass. They had
done the same thing during the strike
of the textile operatives. he said.
After several other Socialist delegates
had spoken, a momentary silence sue
ceeded by some applause marred the
proceedings as John Mitchell, president
of the United Mine Workers, arose to
speak. He said:
Il do not desire to detract one iota
from the credit due the Socialist friends
for the assistance rendered us during
the coal strike. On the contrary, I wish
to make grateful acknowledgement to
them for the assistance they gave to us
Especially do I wish to acknowledge the
assistance n mr. off do hU
gate Barnes, but l wish to deny the
statement by Delegate Kreft that. the
relief committee in Philadelphia was
organized by or was under the super
vision Of the Socialist body. The relief
body was organized from the Contra
l-aber Union and chartered by the
American Federation of Labor. TIL
Socialists of Philadelphia. as in al
other parts of the country, contributed
as literally as other trades unions did
They did as much, they did no more
have no desire to discuss the relative
merits of the trades unions and Social
ism. 1 recognize the right of every mar
to believe as he pleases. I take it fo'
granted that the wage earners in this
country are abundantly able to decide
for themselves to what political party
they shall belong. I wish to say that
regard II as a very great mistake on the
part Of our Socialist friends to attemp
to coinmit this movement to the princi-
pies in which they believe. In m!
Judgment it would hurt the trade
union lndyement. Wherever the trade
union movement has been connected
with n pAitical movement, the trade:
union movement has been subordinatef
to the political movement. 1t is impor,
tant to the ,swage workers of this lan(
that the trades union movement be KEEP
in the ascendancy. 1t would be a sac
day, irldee& if trades unions were made
the tail endspf political organza ton
Several SPEAKERS followed Mr.. Mitch
ell, all Speaking in support of the So
cialstic resolutions. A motion was made
to- close the debate at 3 o'clock A
ndment providing for the close of
the iscpssion at was voted down and
the: motion TO, stop at 9 was adopted.
Henry White of the Garment Work
ers of New York, favored the report of
the committee on resolutions and crit
icised the position Of the Socialists.
Some parliamentary confusion Oc'
Cured, in which the right Of Delegate
Barnes and President Gompers to
speak on. the pending question was dis
puted. Clearing away this chaos, the
Chair ruled that the Chair alone was
entitled to speak after the hour of
since he had been given unanimous
consent by the convention. Delegate
Barnes waived his right to speak.
President Gompers in opening, spoke
in defence of the position and the words
of Vice President Duncan, which hac
been attacked by Delegate Carey. He
| said some of the delegates who believed
| themselves to be loyal to the trades
union movement were logically by Their
stand opposed to it.
| Mr.. Goinpers contrOverted the con-
| tention of Socialist Delegate Max
Hayes. who, he said, was not at heart
a trades unionist, though he thought
he was After stating that with the
constant increase of wages it woul6
| be found there was a steady increase
in the purchasing power of wages, not
withstanding the increased cost of the
things that go to make up the necessa :
res of life, Mr.. Gompers criticized Mr.
HAYES for spending his time in making
| Il speech upon Il speculative lHColy
when he did not feel well enough tc
do any of the committee work of the
convention.
| The speaker declared the philosophy
of the Socialists was all askew. though
their ideas of economic conditions were
true. Mr. Gompers pointed out that a
vote for the resolutions presented
would be construed by the world as
IAN endorsement of Socialism,
Mr.. Gompers later became very earn
est and even bitter in his statements
against Socialism, and was interrupted
frequently from the floor, once by Del
egate Hayes.
1.-The trades union movement must
remain uninterfered with by the doc
trines of Socialism" cried President
Gompers.
II am at variance with your philos-
ophy," said the president emphaticalls
to the Socialists. Economically you
are unsound. socially you are wrong
land industrially you are an impossi-
bility.''' and he concluded with the
words:
Il have an abiding faith in the trades
- II ton