The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-23
LABOR men DEBATE
TARIFF ON STEEL
FEDERATION OF LABOR DELE
GATES DIVIDE ON QUESTION.
Convention Adopts { Hands or Policy
by Vote Of 81 to 56, and Earlier
Tariff Action May Be Reconsidered-
Milwaukee Members Grow Heated in
Discussing Thug Resolution.

Asserting that delegates to the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor convention
must 60 on record as favoring' a re-
or be branded as disciples of t'Uncle''
Joe Cannon, Delegate John T. Lennon
late yesterday addressed the convention
in favor of tariff provision introduced
| by representatives of the bridge and
structural iron workers. The resolution
called for the drafting of bill which
should be presented to congress and
backed by the national federation, ask
ing for tariff revision on steel products,
and it was calculated. to aid the bridge
and structural iron workers in their
strike against the steel trust.
According to the conservative ele-
ment among the delegates, the passage
Of any tariff measures by the fedora
ton would entangle the organization in
q political imbrogio and, altho Mr..
Lennon and Mr; Kelley appealed for
the support of the measure. Congress
m1an-elect Wilson, a. democrat and a be-
other. prominent labor leaders, advo-
Gated the doctrine Of Glands off,
and by vote Of 81 to Sc the delegates
affirmed the decision of the committee
on resolutions.
Oppose Tariff Legislation.
John Mitchell and James Duncan,
vice presidents Of the Federation, were
among the men opposed to tariff legis-
lation by the convention. Immediately
on the announcement Of the vote MI.
Lennon served notice on the convention
that he would demand q reconsidera-
ton Of resolutions passed early in the
week demanding higher tariff on
"skirted' woods and "printed books
and sheets in other language than Eng
lish.o He alleged that the convention
had been inconsistent in refusing to
legislate in regard to steel-product tariff
and at the same time had legislated in
regard to the tariff on other commodi-
ties. 1''A
The convention decided to refer the
resolution to make an effort to have
election day made a general holiday
to the various state organizations.
Declaring that Milwaukee onion
men had laid bare a scheme whereby
four union leaders and labor attvf-
ney were to be slaughtered by armed
hirelings Of the capitalists, Delegate
appeal for the passage Of Delegate
Victor Berger g resolution favoring an
official campaign by affiliated bodies
and trade-union men to secure the pas
sage Of legislation forbidding the hir-
ing and employing of armed men by
[private persons or corporations for any
purpose whatsoever. The committee on
resolutions concurred in the last por-
ton of the resolution butt did not con-
cur In a lengthy preamble which re-
ferred to the situation in Milwaukee
and the "murders' which have be.
come common turnout the country.
squelches Repartee.
Delegate Berger objected to the alb
| Judgement and upon being rebuked by
| a. delegate, who accused him Of tHtcon
| tinual bobbing up,' he stated that h,
came to Minneapolis for business and
mot to sample different kinds OF
; whisky The chair called halt Oh
the repartee and the report of the com
mittee which, in addition to accepting
part of the Berger resolution, reiter
ated the opposition Of the federation
to the employment Of armed thugs tt
defeat the purposes Of organized labor
under constitutional rights, was
adopted.
The remainder Of the afternoon ses
sion was spent in discussing the trouble
between the brewery workers, the en-
gineers, firemen and teamsters, and the
effort to effect an amicable settlement
Of the dispute.