The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-22

The, Began Here In SOS Whrn the New
York ShInW riShts Organized.

~"
The shipw rights formed a society in
New York city in 1904. and the taiIOrs
and also the carpenters did this in 1903
in the same town. This. says the GGteardv.
NAV he said TO have been the beginning Of
labor unionism in the United States.
In the next four or five decades Organiza-
ions were estaLl listed in most Of the great
indust RIGS, some of which lasted only a
few years. Many of these gradually became
national.
The printers were the irss craft Of any
conseousncs to extend their organization
all over the country. They established the
National Typographical Union in 1852.
SO IA TO take in [anafa they established
tho International Typographical Union in
1862. being he leader also in this broader
field.
The formation of great corporations
and the immense expansion IN industry
which began soon after the civil war in
cited larger labor combinations than had
existed prior to that time. Some OF these
formed the National Labor Union, estab-
! lished at "A convention in Baltimore in 1855.
which entered politics in 1872 by nominal
ing the Labor Reform ticket. putting
Charles O'Conor up for President.
Its votes were few, and il attracted no
general attention in the campaign. That
broke up the combination, and labor So
~cieties. as societies, kept out of politics for
the next few years. As societies their most
extensive participation in politics was in
the Congressional campaign OF 1905.
Starting az a local secret society in Phila-
delphia in 's6Y'and holding its frs, general
J assembly in 1873 the Knights OF Labor
was the earliest society which lime TO
gather all the workers Of all trades into a
single organization. II had 5O0.0 900 MEM
hers in 1855. with Terence V. Powderly az
the head.
Then began it's decline and fall. Its
strike on che Gould system OF railways
in st. Louis and the Southwest in 1885 it
won, but the larger strike in 1880 on the
samSroads il lost.
Front that time onward il gradually shrunk
in impOrtOncc. To-day it is only a shadow
of its former greatness.
The American Federation Of Labor rose
as the Knights Of Labor fell. At a conven-
ton in Columbus, Ohio, in 1888 the Ameri-
can Federation OF Labor was formed and
il has gradually absorbed nine-tenths of
all the labor organizations Of the United
States. In Il the several cfafts retain
their autonomy. but are federal for pur-
poses OF cooperation.
In 1907 the American Federation OF Labor
comprises 1l9 national and international
unions and claims to have 2,0OO.OOO mem
bers. The affiliated unions publish 245
weekly or monthly papers devoted TO the
cause OF labor.
The declarations head is Samuel Com
pers. and lis organ, Of which he 10 the editor.
10 the American FederatiORist.
Outside az the American Federation are
about fifteen labor organizations. the most
important Of whicil are the Knights Of
labor. the Stone Masons' international
Unicn. the BricklayeTs' n Masons' Union
and the various switcEmeO. trainmen,
conductors AMI others.
The societies not affiliated with the Amer
can Federation of Labor have a membership
o. about 500 OO. making the membership
of all the labor societies Of the United
| Stntes. in the nRRregate. about 200. 900.