The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-06-23

Ing IL up udu pcCoHe against IL
(Applause)
Another delegate was opposed to
teaching the boys soldering. 1t
was "a favor to capital to teach the
boys to fight for their employers
w. A. Rawson, president of the
Minneapolis Trades and Labor as
sembly, asked whether the delegates
wanted their boys taught to shoot
them down during some strike or
other trouble. His fourteen year old
son would never receive such train
ing.
Mr.. Bierman of st. Paul said that
he was a Son of Veteran. His father
fought in the Civil war. If the boys
before that had been trained in a
military way it would have saved
a lot of strife. The speaker has a
little boy who is Boy Scout, and
he has improved wonderfully and
has been taught obedience. He
thought that the resolution had no
business in this convention.
Henry Libbey of Winona was in
favor of some of the principles of
the Boy Scouts but not all and did
not think that the convention ought
to take sides. He moved that it be
referred back to the committee, and
this was carried
The resolution designed to create
labor political party was defeated.
Proceedings Yesterday Afternoon.
The convention met promptly at
1880 o'clock yesterday afternoon, Vice
start, and the committee on rules pre-
scented a report covering order of bus
mess hours of the sessions, etc.
Some of the delegates opposed hav-
ing fixed hours of meeting and ad-
journing, and this section was strick-
en- out a vote of 81 to 40. The
rest of the report was adopted.
The report of President Howley
was read by that official. He re-
ferred to the principles of organ
lied labor, and said that it had
brought about a state of the public
mind where the rights of labor are
being respected. He referred to
the arrest and prosecution of ser
tain labor leaders. Public opinion
likes fair play and in two cases
the labor men have won, and no
doubt the Mcnamara brothers will
also be exonerated. Organized labor
does not protect wrOngdoing. and
if the men are guilty let them be
punished but it wants fair trial
and equal show for the accused.
The speaker told of the work of
the state organizer the past year.
There was never time when agi-
tation was so much needed as now.
The political committee had large
ly failed, and the Joint legislation
board had not done much better,
and both ought to be abolished,
and the political work left with
the separate central bodies. More
workers on the floor of the legisla-
ture are needed The speaker con-
cluded by complimenting the con
vention upon its large and excel
lent attendance of delegates.
The report was referred to the
committee and officers reports, and
the same action was taken in re
gard to the report of the execu-
ton council which was not read,
as it has been published in pamph-
let form.
ecretary-Treasurer McEwen read
his annual report, and it was re-
ferred to the committee on officers
reports 1t apears elsewhere.
The following telegram was re-
ceived:
"Redwing, Mimi, June 19.-G. o.
d. Howley, Mankato, Mimi. It's good
to be remembered Sorry cannot
come May you all prosper. A. p.
Pierce" The signer is 1.-The mayor
of Redwing.
The portions of the reports OF the
president and secretary relating to
political action were referred to the
committee on political action.
Charles Fischer of Minneapolis
moved that the secretary be in
structed to send telegram to the
Mcnamara brothers at Los Ange-
les, Cal, telling them that they have
the sympathy of the convention, and
that the state federation will see,
so far as possible, that they have
fair play. This was carried.
G. w. Deacon of Minneapolis.
chairman of the state central po-
litical committee, presented report
for his committee. His committee
had not been very successful. He
said that organized labor has moth
ing to hope for from the two old
parties, and that it ought to pull
out of both Of them, get into the
political field and elect union men
to the legislature. The acts of the
last legislature showed how both
parties break their promises to
united labor. The report was re-
ferred to the committee on politi-
cal action, except the financial part.
which went to the committee on
finance.
Representing Farmers Union.
p. l.. A. Ferguson of Minneapo-
lis, representing the farmers union.
waC oivop tho floor Io smoke npOn