The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-09-26

enumeration of the. delegates. The
226 national (and internationally rep
resentatives took 1929 votes and all
the others MY 1G6. This signifies
that while the Federation accords
equality in debate to all organizations,
it rarely gives the non-international
bodies an effective voice on critical
questions, when the votes are counted.
This point is worth While explaining
here. because a certain active politi-
cal party has cried out to those ma
tionS of the earth in which the work
ers as a class are in political revolt
that the American Federation of La
Dor is un~democratic, and therefore
tyrannical and unjust. in its appor-
of the voting power at its
conventions. BY these representatives,
the cities of New York and Chicago,
both with hundreds of thousands of
union members, have each only a sin
gle vote, while, for example. the
Single Weavers' International I'm
ion. with perhaps a few thousand
members, has Is votes, and the Typo
graphical Union, with fifty thousand
members, has 500 votes. Truly, on
first glance a glarins anomaly-fall-
ing into the class of acts which are
important if true. This is the explain
alton: All the members Of the vari-
MONS Of New York, Chicago, n
the other cities sending delegates from
their Central Labor Unions, as Well
as all the members of the State ed
erations, are already duly represent
ed in the convention through the del
egates of their respective national Cor
internationally unions Proof. here,
therefore. of how a half truth may be
a whole error.
AS thus seen. the convention be-
m really a delegate meeting OF
the national Tor internationally uni
ons. which. however, through both
generosity and policy, invite the State
and city central organizations, which
are made up of members Of the all
encompassing international Cet US
call themy bodies. to participate in
that forum. school of instruction in
%unionism, and common ground for
prompting acquaintanceShip which Is
termed a convention. In the debates.
and in the viva voce voting. the state
and city delegates play an equal part
with the others, but on a fornal count
they fall away quite to ciphers. The
Federation thus permits the terrific
rial organizations to contribute the
force OF their ideas, bat lodges in the
~occupatlonal organizations the power
of decisive yea and nay.
A feature OF the international un-
ions is that Zach covers America. In
the British Trade Union Congress
there may be represented six national
unions of laborers, Or two or three of
hatters. or taiiors- every one having
it's own set Of officials. but under the
American Federation there can be no
dual organization-in city, State. or
nation or of n trade or calling
whatsoever.
Attempts have been made in Amer
lea to promote organization by entire
Observation-Disclosures organization"
IN which distinctly separated crafts
should be merged. The theory ad-
Sanced here is that in case of a strike
an INJURY to one Should be the con-
Germ or an and the query is there
lore put to u~nionists: Nhy should
only d Single trade go on strike
as1Hfst q corporation. perhaps to sure
ceieat' whereas if all its employees
we're consolidated into one union they
would be irresistible?