The Denver star., 1914-03-21
Speech Of Judge Ka1anaugh
PrOVOkeS Wide Comment.
0MITS IMPORTANT FACTS.
List of Organizations In Which Afro
Americans Hold Membership Shows
That an Attitude Of Fairness Pre-
vails-CoIored Tradesmen Are Hon.
orabe, Says One Official.

erCd before the Irish Fellowship cluU
in this city not long ago. are Stlll be
ing made bOth1 in the newspapers ana
by individuals. The full text of the
speech has been carried by large
number of papers belonging to the Ma
tiouul Negro Press association more
than once. and the race press generally
haS given liberal space to the various
phases of the learned judges great de-
liver3nce.
The Daily News of this city. through
one of its correspondents. who is
member of our race. comments at
length on this statement in the judges
speech-namely:
Let a black man get work of equa!
rank among white brick masons. cleo
tricianS. clerks. bookkeepers. and what
happens: Every white employee Will
quit the job as though the place had
been covered by pestilence.'
Z This correspondent declares that i'll
his own experience the contrary has
proved TO be the case. He is sustain
ed in some measure at least by study
of the Negro American Artisan,
made by Atlanta university. which
treats rather exhaustively of the rela-
tions of Negroes with trade unions.
According TO this report, some unions
admit Negroes in considerable num-
berS The Tunnel and subway Con
tractors International union of New
York city. for example, reported about
200 Negro members and added. In
| our trade they are as good as there are
| in the business" The tobacco work
ers reported 400 or 800 members. a de
crease. however from the 1.5Oo they
| had in 1900 The United Mine Work
| ers of America reported 2o.ooo colored
| members. while Negro members pre-
1 dominated in the largest local organi-
| zatiou of the union. The secretary of
/ the organization described them as
Intelligent. honorable. progressive and
4 good yorkmen."
] Fifty Negro members were enrolled
\ in the Brotherhood of Railroad Freight
| Handlers. while the Hod Carriers and
/ Building Iaborers' union included
| about 1000 Negro members. Several
| hundred were reported as members of
I the Bricklayers. Masons and Plaster
ers' union. the constitution of which
I provides for fine for discrimination
| against workers on account of their
color.
I From the secretary of the AmalGa
mated Society of Carpenters and Join
/ ers came this reply to the request for
/ information: Our constitution does
not discriminate against Negro mem
/ bership. although to the best of my
! lal, fu- Ia ni
/ is concerned. they are a very rare eS-
Z ception, probably owing TO the fact
that we have but very few locals es-
I tablishcd In the south. | have never
heard any uncomplimentary remarks
made against any Negro that has been
admitted into our organization"
The secretary of the International
/ Typographical union has this to say:
Competent persons of both races have
always been eligible to membership in
our organization In some of our south
ern unions there are objections to the
admission of Negroes. This is Il nat
ural condition which time will proba
bly, eliminate. An enlightened position
was taken by the Molders' union. The
editor of the International MolderS
Journal wrote. The International
Molders' Union of North America, now
in its tifty-third year of existence. has
never in its laws Disseminated against
the Negro molders." He explained that
some difficulty had been experienced
i'll local unions in the south. though
here and there. in the east. north.
central west and Pacific coast. Ne
groes have been taken into member
ship and placed on an equality with
the other members"
In the summary of the report relat-
ing to conditions in Illinois the Chi
cago Federation of Labor is recorded
as replying that I'VE have one local
union comprising all Negro members
the Asphalt PAYERS and Helpers union.
No. 25-who are regularly affiliated
with the International which is atiili
ated with the American Federation of
Labor. We have Negro delegates from
several organizations. | know OF no
union affiliated with the federation
that prevents Negroes from joining
mt least. this office has never received
any complaint from that direction. We
often try to organize the Negro. but
find it difficult for one reason or anoth-
er: principally the employer is always
getting some Negro to tell others that
organized labor is not their best friend.
etc. The employer always has in mind
II Is to his best interest to keep the
negroes nnCr.aniZed."
The trade and labor council of Dan
ville ILL.,. had about 700 Negro mem
berS In the Miners union and forty in
the Brick. Tile and Terra Gotta Work
crS' alliance The Springfield Fed.
nrptiny ,,f 7 nh,. Included \,yr,