The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-17

Federation OF Labor were discussed to-
Day IN the national convention of the
federation in Normanna hall.
has the American Federation Of
Labor any fixed general platform of
principles which shall guide it's course,
and by which it shall be known to the
something fixed, definite and expressed,
something fixed, definite and expressed,
or is 1T merely pursuing an Grant
course altered and adapted to suit the
+ occasion and the need Of the moments"
For half an hour or more the con-
ventlon discussed these questions with
Out arriving at any definite conclusion.
me discussion became heated and al
most passionate, the debate, culminat-
none none Of the street railway employees
org5ani2zation,. who said: "If we have
platform Of principles, do not know
what it is. For Gods sake let us know
what we stand for and what we may
say we stand for before the world. Let
US not evade for want of definite prin-
ciples.o r..
-.@ Beginning Of Debate.
The discussion was brought M nv
the. report Of the committee on reso-
lutlons, on resolution offered by Dele
gate Dihle of the Detroit Federation of
Labor. The resolution recites that the
| widest publicity should be given the
principles and platform of the fedora
ton and asks that the platform and
declaratlon OF principles Of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor be printed
IN the official proceedings of the con-
Xentlon. The committee took the stand
that the resolutions Of the convention
as embodied in the report were suf-
ficient and that, as nothing further
was necessary, in their opinion, the
resolution was not concurred in.
IN the heated discussion following,
delegates n. Gerry Brown of Brock
ton, Mass; Lennon, Malone, Duncan
and others participated, with the re-
suit that the resolution was. referred
pack to, the resolutions committee with
lnstructions to prepare and present a
ventlon. The general sentiment of the
delegate body seemed to be that there
| IS at present nothing in the way of an
! up-to-date, fixed declaration Of prin.
| clples, and that in view of the 2,5OO.-
ooo persons represented, there should be
one on which the federation shall stand,
" Politics in Mild Form.
| Politics appeared in mild form, but
was not generally discussed. It is
evident that the general political pol
ICY of the federation is to be largely
guided by. President Gompers in person
or thru his associates.
A resolution offered by Delegate
Brown Of Brockton, Mass, called for
the appointment Of committee to de-
termine upon the =, results of political
action Initiated by organized labor in
the various states; also, to consider and
report what kind. : of organization is
most effective whereby labor, when it
| desires, can take political action as an
auxiliary force without endangering OF
committing unions as organizations
This resolution the committee referred
to the committee on presidents report
tho Delegate Brown declared that it
should go to the committee on organi
cation. s>NaJaA aeyt :. = =
ohicago,s; '.Maiden Aunt
During the morning session the reso-
buttons committee yielded a part Of its
time to Miss Mary Mcdowell of Chi.
eago, representing the Women s Trades
Union league, who, for the women
workers Of the country, urged a stand
by organized labor, thru the federation,
IN behalf OF universal peace.
Miss Mcdowell urged an official in
vest1gatlon Of the working conditions
1na es wokg n4sn %s vo of 70
q census" said Miss Mcdowell. Hbnf
a. sociological investigation. This cues
tlon is Of the utmost Importance. There
are. 100000 working women either
with you or against you. It is to your
own interest to help them and care fol-
them: President Gompers has recon.
mended an investigation Of the condi.
| lions OF women workers and I hone to
see 1t. These women wage earners are
more girls than women. Most Of them
are working at tasks for which thew
are naturally untitled, heavy work and
OFTEN under the piece-work system that
IS entirely bad. Worse than all are the
bad moral conditions that are too com.
mon: We all hear of the terrible
STORIES Of immortality among working
girls and women. We know that it Is
impossible for them to live with any
! degree OF comfort on the small wages
they receive, but before these stories
are circulated against the good name
OF the working women of the country
should they not be investigated? The
question is an important one.
1.-The Women's Trades Union leaoue
is working to uplift and better condi.
lions for the working women. They
have a right to their independence ana
! SHOULD be aided in it. Some say thew
will become too independent and viii
not marry. They will marry, tho, and
you will ask them to morry.' But thew
should be fit to marry and become
the mothers Of .workingmen and work.
ingmen's children.V
Resolutions Adopted.
Resolutions referred out by the com
| mlttee on resolutions opd co+od 49,