United labor bulletin., 1910-08-04


that led a few of the best learned and
most progressive laboring men Of the
state to advocate the passage Of reso-
luton through the Pueblo Trades As
sembly in the early spring Of 1896. call
ing upon the various unions and labor
bodies Of the state to assemble in con-
vention at Pueblo May /, 1896. to form
what is now our Colorado State Fed
Grafton of Labor.
The Pueblo men prominent in this
movement were Otto Thum, now living
in Denver; Dave Coates. ex-lieutenant gov
ernor of Colorado, now of Spokane.
Wash; Lee Tanquary, ex-state senator
and superintendent of the free employ
ment office at Pueblo; Frank Hermond.
ex-representative in the Colorado legis-
lature; Tom Maloney, Charlie Kingsley,
Groom, Wallace. Ferguson. McAlpine
and others.
The convention was attended by dele
gates from the various organized labor
localities of the state and was sue
cess. a constitution was adopted and
permanent organization formed with
Otto Thum as the first president and
T. c. Maloney, since deceased, of the
Cigarmakers. secretary The second
convention was held at Victor. when
John Barrett, since deceased, Of the
Denver Painters. was elected president
and Dave Coates. OF the typographical
Union OF Pueblo, secretary. Mr. Barrett
resigned before the expiration of his
term TO accept the position of general
secretary-treasurer OF the Brotherhood
of Painters and Decorators. removing
his residence. to Lafayette. Ind; First
Vice President Max Morris, of the Re-
tail Clerks, succeeded Barrett and pre-
sided over the next convention, which
met at Colorado Springs. Joy Pollard.
Cyclone Pollard" as he was nick-named
because of his oratorical abilities. of the
Altman Miners Union, Old Bull Hill NO.
10, was elected president, Dave Coates,
secretary, and the place of holding the
next convention was selected as Den
yer.
The federation had now become a
power in the state, both industrially and
politically. Denver, the Cripple Greek Dis
trict, Pueblo and Colorado Springs all
sending large delegations in addition to
those from the San Juan country. the
Coal Miners and other localities, SO that
IT was a very large crowd of delegates
and visitors that convened at the East
Denver Turner Hall in June, 1899. There
was about dozen members OF the legis-
lature delegates to this convention. and
we had orators galore The convention
voted to hold open sessions, which was
taken advantage of by the Denver daily
newspapers, who gave whole page write
ups and cartoons of the various orators
in action more than at any time before
or since.
The Cripple Creek delegation. of which
was one, came down to get the fedora
tion to donate some OF the expense that
we had incurred defending thirteen
members of the Trades Assembly from
an anti-boycott trial, and We went home
with 1000 given from the treasury for
that purpose.
Among other good things done at this
convention was the settlement OF the
Denver brewers troubles with their en-
ployers, the Denver breweries, and the
obtaining OF union music for the band
concerts at City Park. Denver, settle
ment that the union musicians have en-
joyed to the present time. Strong reso-
lutions were also passed and sent to the
president at Washington against General
Merritt on his handling OF the Couer de
'Alene. Idaho. strike, In his establish
ment Of the bull pens and treatment of
union prisoners after the blowing up OF
the shaft house at the Bunker Hill and
Sullivan mines. Altogether. the first
Denver convention was very sultry
one, feelings ran high and actual fsti-
cuffs were narrowly averted on many oc-
casions. Dave Coates was unanimously
elected president and ]. X Robinson. OF
the Denver Walters. secretary.
Cripple Creek got the 1900 conven-
ton. and this was one of the finest con-
ventions ever held. the state was In
very prosperous condition. organized Ia
Dor had both industrial and political