The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-06-15
Farmers and Wage-Earners to
Meet In the Future on CON-
mon Ground-Alliance is Form
ed and Hereafter Both Will
Work Together.
Duluth Delegates Fare Well in
the Convention, Although Senti-
ment From Some Quarters
Existed on Account of Local
Prejudice.

EAudASI4Vo RcpO4 T4 cUc4 dtAOu
Will Renew It's Activities at
Next Election-Good Officers
Chosen.
tion, If necessary, through reproach
and obloquy, the faithful union man
mustSstill patiently toll on as he has
done, until at length, with beaded
brow and languishing spirit he may
reach the summit of the mount of
vision and thence view with exulting
gladness the glories Of what all hope
and long for.
Mr. McEwen's report was as fol-
lows in part:
Report of Secretary McEwen.
ST. CLOUD, Mimi, June 12.-One OF
the most Interesting events Of the
convention was the rendering Of the
annual repart Of secretay-Treasurer
good attention by the delegates, and
Mr.. McEwen was frequently inter-
rupted by applause.
In opening he said:
For the twenty-fifth time we as
semble as representatives of organized
labor to take council together con-
cerning those questions that effect
the per Permanent well-being Of the In
III
of human .endeavor.
Compliment for st. Cloud.
"As we contemplate our duties and
responsibilities. and recall the delibe-
Federation. we cannot help but think
with the philosopher of Concord. that
time, in q great measure is but an illu-
sion of the, senses. 1t was Emerson
reisns e saq IN mat nature en- which hangs % the
same roses on our bushes today, in the
beautiful city Of St. Cloud, that
charmed the Roman and Chaldean In
But even if time be but an unreal
sense Image, who for a moment would be
willing to sacrifice so beneficient
fa ss9n 3rade nnon WITH not the the svanee fe
everywhere. confronting him Of the
achievements Of the past, the reallza-
tions ct the present. and the hopes Of
sacrifiee. Is. prtneiplers and dssot4ensf sfo
duty the attainment Of the: present
standard of justice in the industrial
affairs Of the world has demanded:,
Mans Greatest Service.
"He has vivid remembrances Of the
hard fought battles he has lost, but
glories yet the more in the trium-
"Whatever. else may characterize
the philosophy Of the devoted trade
unionist this principle he holds para
mount to all others: that the dis
stituted man is his usefulness In pro-
tecting the rights and mitigating the
wrongs Of his fellow man. The crown
ing fortune of every man is to do
something. Use is inscribed on all our
faculties. There is no exhausting Of
our resources as unionists, if we but
permit ourselves to work along such
lines as are in harmony with the
nd
in the philosophy Of every noble under
taking, as well as in ours.
Line of Greatest Resistance.
For some reason not easy to ex-
Of least resistance. But this is not
the line of power nor Of usefulness.
The line of power is invariably along
the path of most resistance. It is
trades unionists that the blessings
brought to mankind through the ef-
forts of the labor movement, were in
variably predicated Of strenuous work,
that that not: infrequentiy those ''Vs; Who; were ae
the most faithful in sowing and cul-
tivating the seed had little share in
participating in the blessings of the
to greater and nobler effort in the
cause we have espoused. and thus evil
dence an unselfish faith in the eter-
nal Righteousness of Being who
doeth all things we'll.
More Than Material Results.
"The Individual who sees nothing
in Gus cause more enduring than its
| material aspects has not yet mastered
the a, b, c's Of the movement. In
forces that demoralize men, communi-
ties and nations, and upon these evil
producing causes unionism wages an
eternal warfare. We. speak with great
accomplished for mankind along these
lines Of endeavor, but when we look
into the horizon of time, and contem-
plate the prospects Of future achieve
our minds that trade unionism is but
as yet in the elementary stage of
marshalling Its forces. And as evil
dGncing 1h,ch the commendable zeal with
the cause Of human advancement,
take great pleasure as your secretary
treasurer In submitting the following
sneaSs inda and nancia report which
OF the loyalty of the members of the
trade unions affiliated with the Min
nesota State Federation of Labor"
Mr.. McEwen then reviewed at length
his work during the year.
Nice Balance in Treasury.
There Is balance in the. treasury
OF o. ss9o d,I Fifty-two tSn unions were ad-
unions disbanded. The Federation con-
sists! Of 291 unions. There are 3s7
in the state. showing that Sc do not
affiliate.
Mr.. McEwen recommended an in
crease In the per capita tax by the
convention without referendum vote
He also reviewed the work Of the Fe-
deration In behalf Of the initiative and
referendum; In securing the co-opera-
tion Of International unions. On the
strikes in Minnesota during the year
he had the following to say:
Strikes Were Infrequent.
considering the. amount of work
in the state, and the exceedingly good
demsnd denad wff fGr labor strikes have hap
The results of the past year show
that trade unionism has tendency to
lessen strikes. Wages have been In
creased and hours OF labor lessen Cd
IN many any cases by conciiiatofy methods,
to strikes. In the building trades of