The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-10-22
STORMY
Was Convention of the
State Federation
of Labor
DELEGATES WITHDREW

Canton delegates, who returned
from the convention OF the Ohio State
Federation of Labor, which was held
in Dayton last week report that the
session was the most stormy one in
the history of organized labor in this
state. Politics played an important
part in the proceedings of the con-
vention," said NJ. o. Patterson, presi-
dent of the Canton Central Labor
Union, who was delegate, represent
ing the Steam Engineers of this city.
President Lewis, of the state organiza-
tion was openly repudiated by ma
1ority of the delegates, when reso-
luton was voted on endorsing the
Personal Liberty league of Ohio. Out
of the 100 delegates present 110 with
drew from the meeting and formed
another organization, which in sAe fu-
ture will claim to be the legal body
of. the state. OF the delegates from
Canton, numbering eight, six of them
withdrew, and two remained, namely
James Robinson, who is holding posi-
tion under Governor Harris, and
Frank Ballard, local printer, who
is said to be aspiring for political
reward in the event of Governor Har-
ris' reelection.
The protesting delegates from the
Ohio Federation of Labor include the
official representatives or unions as
follows: Six stationary firemen's, 81
brewery workers, eight engineers
six barkeepers', one BARRIERS, one ba-
kers', five cigarmakers', one coopers
one clothing cutters, one carpenters,
one electrical workers, eight flint
glass workers and seven glass bottle
blowers, one garment workers, one
mine workers, seven machinists',
four metal polshers', two potters',
one painters, two journeymen plum
bers, two retail clerks, two street
railway employees, one stage en-
ployes', one stove mounters, one
teamsters', one typographical, one
tailors', four woodworkers', two wait
ers' and eight central bodies. In this
list are IL locals and eight central
bodies.
The resolution, which caused the
trouble was championed by the dele
gates of the cigars makers, bartend-
ers, coopers, woodworkers, glass
workers, brewery workers, and paint
ers' unions. Before the bolting con-
vention adjourned the following res
olution was unanimously adopted:
I'VE, the undersigned, the mem
bers OF the American laboring move
ment and the Ohio Federation of La
Dor herewith protest against the un-
fair action of President Lewis of the
o. F. of l.. and Vice President E. l..
Kitchens, at the recent convention
held at Dayton, Ohio October 13 to
II.
| I'VE have seen there, a spectacle of
| political !ugglery in the Republican
! party, such as was never witnessed
before, and the mask used was so
fiimsy, that the most naive and in
| different could see that it was po-
| litical frame-up, pure and simple.
"An organization that never saw
fit to affiliate or identify itself with
labor movement of the state was
| called to the rescue, and packed the
convention. The decisions of the pres
| ident were such that over one-half of
the delegates left the hall in disgust
and called this protest meeting, and
in doing SO, they voiced the senti-
! ments of seventy per cent of the
bona,id trade unionists of the state
of Ohio as represented in the con-
vention."