The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-06-12
The Federation OF Labor Adopts the
Plan at the Dubuque Meeting
After Long consid.
Grafton.
soCIALIsTIC DELEGATES
Proposition Which Occupied 80 Much
Time at ksokuk Meeting
Was Taken up Another
Time

The referendum vote question
which occupied SO much Of the time
of the State Federation Of Labor meet
ing at Keokuk two years ago, came up
again at the Dubuque melting this
week and was adopted. A Dubuque
paper tells OF the consideration as fol.
lows:
The socialists delegates practically
gained control OF the Thursday after
noon session OF the labor convention
and by mastering their strength and
by a strong appeal to the delegates
prevented the adoption OF the report
Of the committee in constitution and BY
laws which report was that the con-
yention nonconcur In the resolution
demanding that the federation have a
referendum vote on the election of Of
ficers Of the federation.
Demand Referendum.
The report when presented and read
opened the way for much discussion
and at its conclusion the convention
refused to adopt the report and then
on motion adopted the resolution thus
declaring that the convention favored
the referendum vote for state officers
OF the federation and by that same ac-
ton revoking their action OF Thursday
morning when they voted down a reso-
luton declaring for the initiative and
referendum in public affairs. This
had the effect of throwing tho matter
back to the committee on constitution
to formulate an amendment to the
federation constitution to carry out the
action Of the convention In adopting
the resolution for the referendum vote
for state federation officers.
Refused to Amend.
Thursday night the committee made
Its report and to the surprise OF every
delegate in the hall the committee at
a late hour Thursday night reported
that they would refer the matter back
to the convention without incorpora-
ling the referendum in the constitution
as directed by the convention Thurs
day afternoon. They gave as their
reason that the action was defective
in that no provision was made for the
Australian ballot, that no date was
set for the election and no rules pro-
vided. The action of the committee in
thus referring the amendment back
without incorporating it in the con-
stitution stirred those delegates that
favored the referendum and they car
4 ried through a proposition instructing
the committee to so fix the constitu-
ton that the provision for a referen-
dunn could be inserted in the state con-
stitution o. the federation.
Finally Adopted.
The committee retired to the com
mittee room and spent some time in
/ preparing a report and shortly before
midnight they announced that they
were ready to report. Tie report OF
the committee was a lengthy one, but
| it Incorporated in the constitution the
provision for the referendum vote on
the election of federation officers in
/ this state and at the conclusion OF the
/ report debate was opened. 1t was a
late hour when the convention &C
cepted the report Of the committee
and as matters now stand the state
federation will try the referendum vote
on the election of state officers, thus
Irepudiating their action at the Clinton
convention a year ago, when such a
proposition was voted down. The In
corporation of this amendment in the
constitution is a distinct victory for
i socialism and the socialist delegates