The Elbert County tribune., 1908-07-23
INDUSTRIAL
UNIONISM
PROVES FIREeRAND in WESTERN
FEDERATION OF MINERS
CONVENTION.
WAS HIT AT MoyER
QUESTIONS OF SOCIALISM AND
POLITICS STIR LIVELY
DEBATES.

Denver-Organic union of all labor
organizations, controlled by centrat
body, which shall be composed OF rep
resentatives from all labor associa-
tions, rather than the present practice
of separation into craft unions. was the
plan proposed to the Western Fedora
ton of Miners in a resolution intro
duced by the anti-administration forces
Tuesday afternoon. Most of the morn
ing and all afternoon the delegates
fought over the adoption of the resolu-
ton, which. as originally drafted, was
supposed to be a direct slap at the ex-
ecutive board. but which by afternoon
had been cut down until the question
before the house was whether the con-
vention as a body should officially call
to the attention of the workers the
following facts:
''First-The marshaling of working
men in every department of industry.
under the banner of one organization,
that recognizes the fact that an injury
TO one is an injury to all, that the con-
Germ of one is the concern of all. that
the working class must get together in
an economic organization, the purposes
of which are to control the machines of
product and means OF distribution, re-
gardless of political affiliations of any
kind.
"Second-Such organization of the
workers. being the only sound and eff
fectual means of accomplishing the ex-
press purposes of which IL is organized,
it clearly follows that 1t is imperative
that the workers band themselves to-
gether in such organization, regardless
of spiritual or political beliefs; there
fore. it is
Resolved, That we, the Western
Federation of Miners, in convention as
sembled, reaffirm our allegiance to the
principles OF industrial unionism as set
forth in the manifesto and call sent out
by the conference held at Chicago in
1905; that we condemn craft organiza-
tion as tire most fallacious and effective
means of disorganizing the workers
which could be conceived by the brain
OF man. and an institution which is
fighting and retarding the best inter
ests of the working class of the world"
The resolution was introduced by
Joseph Hutchinson, the leader OF the
faction opposed to Meyer and one of
the members of the Industrial Workers
of the World. He is bitterly opposed
to any allegiance with the United Mine
Workers, and believes the only combin.
alton that should appeal to the work
ers Is affiliation by means of central
body, thus securing an economic body,
which would be able to become power
politically, without committing itself to
any particular party
The discussion was warm, and the
session adjourned until Tuesday morn
ing without having finished talking
oves the resolution.
A resolution was presented at the
morning session making 1t the sense of
the convention that none of the mem
bers OF the federation should join the
military organizations of America un-
less in time of actual war or the de-
Tense of the country. The resolution
was referred to a special committee.
A special committee was appointed
to draft resolution setting forth the
attitude of the federation toward agree
ment with the United Mine Workers or
other organizations. 1t consists of
William ]. Loutitt, Phoenix, Arizona;
w. H. Shauf, Nome, Alaska; p. w.
Flynn, Butte: ~. B. Cameron, Silver
ton, and Fred Clough, Goldfeld.