The Elbert County tribune., 1908-11-12
AMERICAN
FEDERATION
GREATEST LABOR ORGANIZATION
IN THE WORLD IN SESSION
AT DENVER.
I'M M ENSE GATHERING
AFTER WELCOMING ADDRESSES
PRESIDENT ooMPERs READS
HIS REPORT.

convention of the American Federation
of Labor opened its session in the audi
torium Monday morning.
Promptly at $3.50 a procession
headed by President Gompers, Secre-
tary Morrison Vice President Mitchell
and other prominent members and Off
GERS of the A. F. of l.. formed on Sew
enteenth street in front of the Albany
hotel. Within few minutes it moved
toward the auditorium. A platoon of
police rode ahead of the marching men
and following the patrolmen was q
band of 200 pieces, said to be the larg-
est musical organization ever gathered
together in Denyer The band was a
compliment to the federation delegates
from the Denver Musicians union.
AS President Gompers stepped for
ward to call the convention to order af
ter he had been introduced by Max
Morris, 1.-The Napoleon of the labor
world" as Gompers is called, was
given a reception which he will never
forget Cheer upon cheer went up.
Hats were thrown into the air and
hands were clapped until they were
red and sore. 1t was nearly ten min
utes before President Gompers could
bring the delegates to order. Rev.
Charles Williams of the Hyde Park
Presbyterian church offered the invo-
cation
Gov Henry A. Buchtel was the first
to welcome the delegates. In speech
of some fifteen minutes he told the rep
resentatiyes of labor how pleased the
people of the state are to have such a
body of men within the borders of the
commonwealth. He referred to the
passage of the employers liability law
and the sustaining of the constitution
ality of that act. He termed it one of
the greatest measures for the practical
insurance of workingmen that ever has
been brought into existence. He also
referred to the meeting of governors
in Washington recently and coEpi-
mented John Mitchell for the speech
he made at the governors gathering.
The freedom Of the city was given TO
the delegates by Mayor Robert w.
Speer, who followed Governor Buchtel.
Mayor Speer spoke of the great growth
of Denver and mentioned the fact that
the fiftieth anniversary of the city's
founding was soon TO be celebrated.
He urged all the delegates to help
make the celebration grand success.
He eulogized laboring men and paid es-
pecial compliments to the leaders of
the laboring men as represented by
the officers of the federation and the
delegates to the convention.
A second ovation was given Presi-
dent Gompers when he arose to reply
to the welcome on behalf of the feder-
alton.
At the afternoon session President
Gompers read his annual report.
In opening, Mr.. Gompers said:
Fellow Workers-Fourteen years
ago we met in this city, and then, just
as now, the workers were suffering
from a paralysis of industry resulting
from the manipulations of the Prince
of Finance or from the incompetency
of our modern captains of industry
] declare now, as did then, that it is
an indictment against our civilization
that in land so bountiful, broad and
fertile as ours, with the workers so
earnest, energetic. Industrious, anxi-
GUS and willing to produce. that such
a paralysis of industry should be pos
sible, and I believe we should hold ac-
countable those who are responsible
for the unnecessary and wanton mis-
cry of SO large mass of workless
workers.
'In our country there must not be
ptTluittcu " SloW up VI " Dc HILL
tanned a permanent army of unem
ployed.
I'm the midst of such adverse cir.
cumstances, that our trade unions
have maintained their existence
speaks we'll of them and of the sound
economic and fundamental principles
upon which they are based"
Coming to the statistics of the Or
ganization the report says:
"We have issued during the fiscal
year, ending September 80, 1908, the
following charters:
Industrial departments ......... 2
State declarations ................ 4
City central bodies ............ 70
Local trade unions (having no in
ternationals) -. ............. 100
Federal labor unions ............. 55
"At the close of the fiscal year. Sep
tember 80. 1908, there were affiliated to
the American Federation of Labor by
charter the following:
International unions ........... 116
Industrial departments .......... 2
state declarations ................ SO
City central bodies .............. COG
Local trade and federal labor
unions 5S3
"The international unions enumer-
ated in the above table consist of 2S,-
700 local unions.
Mrs. Frank Nesbit, wife of prom