East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1904-11-07

NN'e ISSUES presenting them
selves to the coming session of the
American Federation of Labor at San
francisco are succinctly stated be-
low, with resume of the work Of
the order during the past year. a
statement of its financial condition.
and review of its growth.
In point of total votes represented
$4,000 in all-the cath annual con-
vention of the American Federation
of Labor to be held in San Francisco
on November II will be the largest
on record, although the actual at
tendance will be smaller than usual
Last year, when the federation met in
Boston. 496 delegates were present
This year 1t is not expected that more
than 300 will attend. This is on ac-
count of the long distance to be trav-
eled by most of the delegates. and the
fact that favorable rates could not be
secured from the railroads.
The most interesting feature of the
convention will be the election of Of
ficers. President Samuel Gompers
will again have to face the opposition
that met him at Boston. AT that time
James Duncan, first vice-president of
the federation, national secretary of
the powerful stonecutters' union, was
his opponent for the election. Dun
can had behind him John Mitchell
of the Mineworkers, the man with
the strongest following in the world
of organized labor. save only Com
pers. Duncan and Mitchell and their
supporters counted noses on the
morning before election last year and
they came to the conclusion that they
were about 1000 votes short of con-
trolling the convention, composed of
a little more than 1900 votes. Dun
can was, therefore. withdrawn.
The open shop and anti-labor
movement as personified by sp-called
on the Citizens Alliance movement
ations. will come in for a great share
of the discussion scheduled for the
convention The open shop agitation
has made great deal of trouble in
trades unionism within the last year
Leaders of the Federation declare
that the open shop slogan and the
alleged non-Americanism of the
closed shop have been used by EN-
ployers as an excuse for not dealing
with the unions. The agitation hai
affected nearly every trade i'm tn,
country because of its many agree
ments that might otherwise hav,
neEssd.
Equally earnest will be the debat
on the citizens alliance movement
Its growing power is admitted, bu
President Gompers points to the fac
that tine membership of 1.-THE america
} Federation has grown to 100000
since the last convention-an in
crease of nearly A00yOOO-as an indi
cation that the trades union move
, ment is too powerful to be affecte
by atfUersfties of THAT character.
Another important labor matte
will be the indirect result of tn
butcher workmen's strike in Chicag
and elsewhere, 1t being the presen
program to re-organize the butche
workmen along better lines.
For the first time i'm the history G
Aaat TAnfIiNon t'cocAthufuil lpOHtiCS WI
cut a figure in the proceedings. TIL
proposition to quizZ candidates o
subjects pertaining to- the labor move
ment will be discussed and the pla
will probably be ad0Ited as pei
manent policy of American labol
with the tacit understanding tina
those whose replies are most satisfac
tory will receive the support of tn
. members of the federation.
One of the most important ques
tions before the convention will b
the Colorado strike. There ar
strong indications that there will b
conferences looking to the amalga
nation of the Western Federation q
Miners with the federation
Reports of officers will show tn
federation to be in a thriving ,oond
ton. The receipts for the year wer
s2e1,0 900. disbursements s1S9,O0'
The capital on hand is in excess c
100000. The number of nations
and international organizations 10 th
federation has grown from le1 t
100.
The organ of the Federation, tn
American Federationist, which wa
$14, 900 in debt year ago, is now o.
paying basis.