The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-21
Proposition to Declare Strike
OH Day Mcnamara Trial Be-
gins Voted Down.
SPIRITED SPEECHES
MADE ON BOTH SIDES
Assessment of 25 Cents Monthly
Levied on Each Member for
Defense of Prisoners.

BUTTE. July 2o-The session OF
the convention Of the Western Fedora
,ion of Miners al the Auditorium to-
day proved to be very warm one as
regards heated discussions. 1t was
proba bly, as interesting session as VII!
be held by the convention. The pro
posal to declare general strike in this
country and Canada on the day the
trial of the Mcnamara brothers opens
in Los Angeles was voted down, liz tc
1874. after q number Of spirited speeches
on both sides of the question, and the
discussion of the question OF the assess
ment for the Mcnamara defense fund
was almost as spirited. 1t was hnaiiy
voted TO levy an assessment OF 70 cents
on each member monthly, the nssess
ments to continue as long as the eXecu'
tive board of the union deemed the
money was necessary for the purpose
of the defense fund,
The special committee to which the
Mcnamara matter was referred. con
sisting Of Thomas NJ. Dee, Anaconda
]. C.. Driscoll, Butte; Mike Hennessy
Butte: William Goggins. Wallace; Berry
Knutson, Pony; NJ. and Lew Bartels,
Ouray. reported this morning In favor
of calling a general strike throughout
the United States and Canada on the
day the trial of the officials of the
Los Angeles, if the American Fedora
tion Of Labor should see fit to call such
q strike. There was also an expression
by the committee in favor OF levyinG
an assessment of % cents member rs
q defense fund for the McNamaras, 1t
was also recommended that protesting
mass meetings be called throughout this
country and Canada.
Amendment Moved,
Thomas Campbell of Millers. New,
moved as an amendment to the recon-
mendation OF the committee that ref
erence to the American Federation be
eliminated and that the Western Fede-
ration declare general strike and urge
that other organizations take similar
action IN the matter This motion was
favored by John Peura of the Butte
Miners union.
Frank Curran of Butte declared that
he did not believe President Samuel
Gompers of the American Federation
would do anything in the matter unless
il was "put right up to him. and the
speaker believed the radical step pro
posed should be taken by the Western
Federation for that reason.
William Wilkinson OF Cooper union
No. 80 spoke very forcibly on the Ques-
tion several times. He urged that no
prejudice against Mr.. Gompers or the
American Federation should influence
any delegate. 1t was declared that any
man who would attempt to cast odium
upon any labor union did not have a
good heart humping against his ribs
Delegate Williamson declared that
there must not be dissention, but union
of effort on the part OF all labor organi.
cations 20 break up a solidly organized
power that he declared was constantly
plotting to persecute labor leaders.
''1f a general strike is declared, -
declared Delegate Wilkinson, "we will
be scabbed on from the Atlantic to the
Pacific and the government and mill
tary will soon compel us to rip out the
lumber for our own cofflns. Let that
trial &c on its merits and let us give
our imprisoned brothers all the aid in
our power and we Will save their necks