United labor bulletin., 1911-08-31
TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION
DELVES INTO SECRETS.
Continued from Page IL


ternatlonal BODY that San Francisco
would ask at the next years convention
for the selection OF this city for the 1915
convention. The laws OF the organization
do not permit action upon such selec-
ton more than two years before the time
the convention is TO be held.
1t was during the middle of the after
noon session that the fight between the
administration and the "antis" reached
its climax. A section of the general
laws of the union provided that in the
event a member joins any secret organ
ization, the purpose of which is TO in
fiuence union legislation or the selection
or election of officers, he snail be eN-
PEELED George Koop of Chicago, one of
the opposition leaders, had presented an
amendment providing that first OIL
fense OF this kind should prevent the
offender from holding any office within
the union and that second oHense
should result in expulsion.
Koops resolution was aimed directly
at Lynch and his associates, the charge
being made that there exists secret
organization within the union which con-
trolls all it's affairs and policies and from
which all officers are chosen. Late Tues
day night there were held two meetings
or caucuses in nearby halls in Eddy
street One was a secret meeting of ad-
tendance of approximately 80 which was
held in Bnai Birth hall. The other was
a meeting of opposition leaders, almost
as secret and almost as well attended,
in Lyric hall. 1t became known yester-
day for the first time that there was
clash of the opposing delegates follow
ing thees two meetings at about $50
O'Clock Wednesday morning, which led
to a free for all street fight, in which
dole, toe, nr a
aged physically.
1t was this clash which served koop
as the basis of his denunciation of the
administration. While Lynch was not
openly accused of having been at the
Bnai Birth meeting, the antis" as
serted that in the street melee Superin-
tendent Charles Deacon OF the Union
Printers Home had struck blow after
blow at him and chased him into a safe.
Hoops proposed amendment was re-
ported back to the convention unfavor-
ably by the laws committee. The latter
proposed a substitute, completely elm
mating the existing section and declar-
ing that the subject should be LETT to
local unions to deal with The fight was
on without any further preliminaries,
Koop and Fred Barker of Spokane lead
ing the attack. Koop led OFF by giving
his version of the Wednesday morning
absolutely still.
There isn't member here" he said
who doesn't know that there are secret
inside workings within the union. 1t is
strange thing when we find our DELE
gates and officers having to get automo
biles to take them away from secret
meetings at unearthly hours of the morn
ing to prevent them from being seen.
When | called to my colleague, Cliff
Il mo A rn1i
man stopped him and told him he was
running like a thief. 1t is strange when
men ike Superintendent Deacon will
brush up against you and want to break
a club over your head. He struck at
me time and again and | had to cross
the street to protect myself"
Yes, you ran like a rat" interrupted
E f. Bessette of Cleveland you
coward"
Koop became personal denouncing the
officers of the union as traitors Presi-
dent Lynch interrupted him only once,
and that was to command him TO con-
fine himself to the question. A burst
of applause from the balcony at one time
caused Lynch to threaten to have the
galleries cleared if there was a further
demonstration among the visitors. James
H. Dahm of New York, Leon II. Rouse
of New York. e. H. Mitchell of Seattle
of Fort WORTH G. r. Bolton of Joliet
Fred Barker of Spokane and others
Joined in the attack
There is an insidious inside secret or
ganiZation within our ranks, declared
Dahm. Its power is slowly creeping
over this organization and it must be
strangled. 1t should be done today
These men go out in the dead of night
and break their oaths. What do they
care for oaths ?"
Barker made "a violent personal at
tack, declaring that the alleged organi-
zation was breaking down the union.
THE union is being ground down"
he declared, "to the will of corrupt,
Illegal, brow-beating organization which
will destroy us | wouldn't hesitate to-
day to eXpel every man whose name we
have Let us brand them so we will
know them. | hope this expose will
wipe out their organization forever"
During the various TRADES of the OPP
position leaders, President Lynch had
been standing quietly at mis- desk, smil-
ing now and then, but seemingly paying
but slight attention to the attack. Sud
denly. however, at the conclusion of
Barkers speech, his attitude changed.
His gayel fell with resounding bang
upon the chairmans table and his eyes
flashed with the lightning of battle as
ne StTOQe TO lne very tuSS VI lne pidl-
form.
AT this time the president of this or
ganzation desires to take his stand
squarely upon the report of the laws
committee" he began vigorously. This
is not question upon the report of the
laws committee, however. That is be
ing made the subterfuge for an entirely
new issue by these speakers who have
preceded me-a sensational issue, If
you will. 1t is the old bugaboo of Sc
cret organization to terrorize delegates
to this convention. oh, these scarce
crows! Oh, these houses of sand. In
all these speeches there is no word
about the amendment to this section. 1t
is all talk about a secret organization
within this union.
And yet these very men have been
holding their own meetings. They ac-
knowledge it here, and in order that