The San Francisco call., 1904-11-26

coll. Porter, Jacoby and others took
part in the proceedings. on one side
or the other.
PORTO RICAN SPEAKS.
Delegate Iglesias of Porto Rico ad-
dressed the convention on the sub
ject of conditions in Porto Rico. He
asserted that the people are worse off
than they were before the American
occupation of the country; that wages
are lower and that starvation is con-
tinually destroying the people.
Yesterday afternoon the Socialists
took another chance in the conven-
tion. Barnes, in a Socialistic speech,
spoke of lobbies and urged that the
labor men rely on economic organiza-
ton
Treasurer Lennon took the chair
while President Gompers made reply.
He spoke of the effect that the legis-
lative committee had in preventing in
iquitous legislation. He added that
sneering TRADES against legislative
committees and officers of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor should
cease.
The reports of the hearings before
Congress are published and 1 chal-
lenge any man to produce any remark
or action that was not bold assertion
OF labor's rights or was cringing or
demeaning of the character of dig
nifty
Delegate Barnes objected to having
his remarks called a sneering TRADE.
to which Gompers replied that the ac-
tions of many delegates are different
when they are out of the convention
than when they are in.
The inconsistency of union labor's
opponents" said Gompers, both in
and out of the federation is shown
by the fact that in one breath they
ask the abolition of the legislative
committee and then ask Congress to
pension aged laboring men.
4 deny that the labor movement is
against political action. but it is
against transforming itself into po-
litical machine"
AN EVENING SESSION.
st The evening meeting the law COM
mittee continued it's report on a resolu-
tion to abolish the legislative commit
tees.
Delegate Brown of Seattle deplored
the fact that the Socialists were re-
ferred to by President Gompers during
the afternoon session as opponents
Brown was interrupted frequently in
his preliminary remarks by loud talking
and 'joshing" despite the efforts of
Gcmpers TO maintain quiet. Brown
finally appealed to the delegates to
maintain quiet and give him a fair
hearing.
Delegate Ramsey argued in favor Of
supporting the recommendation of the
law committee, that the legislative
and said that he hoped the time would
come when every State capital and
every city would have representative
labor men watching the legislative pro-
ceedings. The report or the committee
was sustained
A resolution directing that no dele
gate holding a political position shall
be seated on the floor of the convention
was not ratified by the law committee
and the resolution was rejected by the
convention.
= A resolution directing that all afili-
ated national and international unions
compel their local unions to join the
central labor bodies and State fedora
tions in the vicinity in which they ex-
ist was amended by the laws COM
mittee- The amendment provided that
the union might have representatives
IN the central labor bodies and State
federations, but that those organiza-
tions would not be allowed to send spe-
cial delegates to the conventions Of the
Federation Of Labor as representing the
several unions.
Delegate Mahon objected to the plan
as giving the central labor unions too
much power in their jurisdictions. Del
egates Driscoll and Wilson argued in
favor of the amendment The recon-
mendation Of the law committee was
finally concurred in by majority vote
This concluded the report of the law
committee. which was accepted as a
whole and the committee was then dis
charged. Following the report of the
committee an adjournment was had
until o'clock this morning.
Matters relating to the fongshoremen
will be made a special order this morn
ing. This afternoon the annual cleo
tion Of officers Of the American Fed
Grafton will take place. The conven-