The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-20
LABOR men NEAR
POLITICAL CLASH.
American Federation Takes Up
the Policy Of President
Gompers. s
GOMPERs RULES AS
WITH IRON HAND
Socialists Resolutions Squelched
or slashed- Ship Subsidy
=. Bill Scored.

The first real clash Of the convention
OF the American Federation Of Labor is
at hand. If the convention is to split
on the Gompers political policy, the
Subsidized shipping, which involves
thereon as members Of the naval re-
serve, was roundly denounced at to.
days session of the Federation.
President Gompers touched extensive
ly upon this subject in his annual re-
port, and in it pointed out that while
purporting simply to provide for the
voluntary enrolment Of seamen serving
on subsidized ships, the bill pending In
congress, in, fact, provided for the con-
scrlptlon of seamen, SO enrolled, IN time
of war. The committee on the presi-
dents report, which reported today, re-.
affirmed this section Of President Com
pers report with emphasis.
Delegate Andrew Fnruseth, who read
this portion of the committees report,
concluded by reading: "We recommend
that the American Federation of La
Dor reiterate it's condemnation of this
bill with it's un-Ameriean provision for
conscription.D The recomm endation OF
the committee was adopted with en-.
thusiasm. ~ E.Ei 2E III
Real Clash to Come.
This was the only spectacular feature
OF the long expected, and in some quar-.
ters, much dreaded report of the cons
mittee on president s report. Those
portions of President Gompers state.
ment which referred to the late politi-
cal activities of the federation, and
which will: undoubtedly be made the
have not yet been reached.
There is. in the hands of The com.
| mittee on resolutions, resolution, Mo-.
l3l, which has not yet been reported.
It is one of the "socialist resolutions :,
introduced by Delegate Victor Z. Ber.
ger of Milwaukee, and as it stands on
the records of the convention it prom-
pers' recent political action, but de-
mands that the federation go to lengths
hardly contemplated by President Cons
! pers, at least so far as can be Judged
from his utterances during the present
| convention. It's full significance Is
! summed up in the two following sen.
| tences:13i5 .E5sss s.Tfz +. -.
3" Resolved, That true labor politics
| cannot be non-partisan. and must al
was be partizan, and it must always
be partizan to labor; and, furthermore,
be it 1 s
% Resolved, That only by uniting
politically on class lines in like manner
as we are now economically organized
! on class lines, can the American prole-
tariat compel recognition of, it's rights
and finally secure the, full product Of
Socialist Doctrine.
The full significance of these resolu.
federation to the socialist doctrine
that all the products of labor belong
to the workers and would turn the, fed
Grafton and it's affiliated bodies into q
labor party. This is far from being in
accord with the policy laid down by
President Gompers and other leaders Of
the federation.
That st, President Gompers is aware of
the full effect of the unreported resolu-
tion is apparent from the attention he
paid to another, No. 1873. from the same
source, which was reported by the COM
mittee on organization today This
resolution as originally drawn spoke
for trade autonomy as preferable to the
existing spirit Of individualism. This
was a palpable attempt to commit the
/ federation to the ole, policy of indus
! trial organization followed by the
KNIGHTS Of Labor and kindred organize
was served up to the convention with
it's fangs drawn All the "where-
asses, - in which Mr.. Berger had stated
the doctrine Of crafts organization as
opposed to trades unionism, were care
fully expurgated, the first resolved,
Topped off, and the. second trimmed
down until it amounted to nothing but
a recommendation that the various
unions having jurisdictional disputes
attempt to settle their differences in
conference.
Delegate Berger rose at once to pro-
test at mutilation of his measure. AS
denatured, expnrgated and eviscerated
by the committee it had none Of It's
original significance left, and he pro-
tested. .-,~~.,
John Mitchell in Chair.
President Gompers, who in evident
expectation Of debate, had resigned
the chair to Vice President John Nit
chell, Immediately entered the arena
and there was battle royal between
Collegiate Gcmpcrs and the socialist
squad. Gompers took the stand that
it was an effront to the whole labor
movement; that it's criticism of the
movement was based on false premises.
He objected 20 the use of the word
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