Omaha daily bee., 1906-11-13
CONPERS' ANNUAL ADDRESS
President Of American Federation Of Labor
Talks to delegates,
SOCIETY IN SESSION IN MINNEAPOLIS
Head OF Federation Refers to several
Live Issues" in Report ON
Work Of the Past
Year.

the opening session here today OF the
Twenty-sixth annual convention of the
American Federation Of Labor was the ex-
haustive annual report OF President Samuel
Gompers, in which he detailed the progress
Of the labor movement throughout the
country, laying special stress on the adj
vent Of unionism in the political arena and
recommending that this course be strictly
adhered to. \ strong plea was made for
the employment of American labor on the
Panama canal.
At the conclusion Of President Gompsrs
address the annual report Of Secretary
Frank Morrison was read which showed
the federation to be In not only splendid
financial condition, but also stronger In
membership than ever before.
There Is at the present time Sll3,5i0Go in
the treasury Of the federation. During the
year there were ST slrikes in which there
we're 81, go men involved. OF tlat number
GS Sl2 were benefited and HIS not bcne-
hted. The total cost of strikes during tho
year was S3, 49, Ss5.6G.
The convention adjourned until O'Clock
tomorrow morning. The sessions Will con
tinue for two weeks
In the course OF ms annual address prssi'
I dent Gompers said:
Without detractinC one iota from any
association, there can be no question
among thinking men tHat the modern labor
movement has done, Is doing, and Will un-
douDtediy 90. more in the interest of man
| Kind and to humanize the human family
| tnan all other agencies combined. AL
though primarily deNoIiug our chortS to our
/ great membership, yet ,.ere can not De
! prOteCtlOn, advauccut a improvements
| of our own member at which Will
nave corresponding cent eHect not
only upon the yet u....,anized workers.
| but upon all the masses or the people.
! Yet, despite the necessary benehceht re-
suits which follow and have their being
! from the result OF our movement, u IL
attacked ana viiifed as Is no other institu-
| ton on cart Its achievements are Dt-
/ magnifcd, it's uriftwoOd held UP as the
| hignest type Of the manhood i develops,
! While we can expect nothing better than
antagonism, vicious and malicious misrep-
| resentation at the hands Of those VINO
| represent neither conscience nor humanity,
4 but ratner greed and avarice' ana WHO'S
! only object is the almighty dollar, yet we
I have the right 20 insist upon ialr IeatIieIt
/ in the discussion of the labor movement
| we have the honor 20 represent. we may
| not perhaps reasonably OBJECT 70 tnoSe
/ who oppose our movement, making their
! opposition manifest. but we have the right
! 10 protest, and do most cnphaucauS'
against the willful and malicious misTepre- e
sentation of our movement ana the phhosV-
ply upon which II is based. %
( The stoutest advocates and defenders OF
! the trade union movement ana ,,e our baye seS
reached the acme of pertectlohs lntt % ~
are improving and perfecting our oIEsill-
4 cations and making them more enecllNe
to protect and promote the best interests
7 Of All the foilers in every feld Qt acuvity
Wy n Is WITH extreme gratiiication thar can
report TO you that the labor Tinovenaent ol W
Canada IS growing and fully keeping ap1se sSe
with the movement on the remainder OF the
North American continent. We have con,
tnued "a. our Canadian brothers our annnal
financial assistance for Legislative purposes
ss we'll aa our organizer directly commis-
Vsioned by the American tSd alton ul
Labor and those from our affiliated Sa unions; tnd
4 There is now almost entirely sliIulI1tt' sliI1 ~ "a
the element in Canda which undertook 20
divide the organized workers OF the Dohih-
ion from those OF all America
In Porto Rico.
The accumulation Of the working people
of Porto Rico has been largely EXTENDED.
Early in the year advance in wages Was
secured for large number OF NoIht,,Sl,' iftn,,
both in the Industries and IN aBflcuituie z
4 Tater "a general strike occurred among the
Agricultural laborers. The same was ~
dorsed by the eNecuuNe g So9"tIi ~ s1,rb ~ n,
Oi4 transmitted to them In their supporE
il was reported TO us that owing to olutal
attacks of the PoliGe, %no p'&F VINO w We're on
I strike; TO the personal attacks ana As
saults on our men, 1t was Impossible lOl lns
strikers to counsel with each other and
hold meetings and that they we're there
fore compelled to declare the sulke on on
Formal complaint was LOGGED mere teSIl.tE ~
I in detail the action OF the police and @ @tne
authorities at Porto Rico. These were Tor
yarded by me to the president, who sent a
copy Of them 70 the Porto KGa " tbass
alleged to have been guilty OF tyrannlca
and brutal conduct. They made answer
denying the charges in toto. These were
: transmitted by, the president to me. TOR
warded copies TO our representatives ll
Porto Rico, who answered c9ntIqNeItlIe si,.l,s
, each point and reasserting IN detail eVerS
charge and allegation made in the hrst IN
! stance, all of which was formally sworn TO
These in turn / transmitted to the presl'
AZ rsrHO ba them under consideration
, All the documents in the case VIII bs
turned over to the proper committee t'
! whom this matter Will DC reIerreu'
EiEht-HOur Law.
In view of the great productive power o.
our people, the great concentration or IN
dustry and development and use OF machin
cry and the propelling power in Industry
NE toilIng masses must inevitably be
reduction OF the hours Of labor, to thi
establishment Of a general enforcement o.
. the normal workday OF eight hours.
There can be neither justification nor eN
cuse I'm our time for longer defcrring th'
ideal and practical ulnyeTsay W.! Horhaay ,, %
requires a longer Workday. As matter o.
! fact the history OF industry demonstrates
beyond cavil or doubt that an etght-hou
r w0rkday brings i'm its wake greater indus
q trial development and commercial eTpan
sion, a higher and better manhood an'
: makes for the social uplift
70 [ recommend that special committee
OF this convention be created for the pur
pose OF giving It's Special dLtcntlon 10 TIM
subject for the general enforcement Of Al
q eight-hours workday,
: II is now currently reported that Their
Is being negotiated a treaty between tn
7 United States and China with "A view o
modifying and repeating existing law o
course IL is not the intent or purpose O
our Chinese exclusion law TO bar the com
ing OF bona fdc students, business or pro
e fessiunal men, or those who desire to traVc
p for pleasure or information. EXpeTienC
a has however, demonstr0t ted the necessit,
for such safeguards from imposition tina
a the essential feature for the exempt Classe
n who may come TO our shores. Is that the,
8 shall clearly show that they do not belon
TO the excluded class, the coolies and Ia
: borers.
Z The American people do not object TO tn
Chinese because they are Chinese, the
know from their own experience as well a
from the experience Of ages OF the people
Z OF other countries that the Chinese CoOlie
q and labOrers cannot assimilate with ou
race; that their civilization, and ours a
y we'll. cannot cO-eNist that the physica
conditions the standard OF life, the prog
resss of our people, will not only be erdan
gered, but undermined and destroyed.
e Convict Labor and PanRmH.
II II states which now mconsiderately an
4 iuhumanly encourage crime for their oW
- profit or for tht proht or contractors wer
compelled to sell the product OF their con
O. soon be confronted with the condition tina
would compel a better system 10 protet
their own people from that evil.
When 10 was ammo unccd last year tina
the commission Intended 60 disregard O
p would urge the aunulmCnt Of the eighi