The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-08-05
CORCORAN MAKES
REPLY TO LEWIS
DEFENDS POSITION oF o-io VA
LEN TRADEs c LABOR
ASSEMBLY
Wei Sro~n Siege Hsk.r Espisi-s
otner See % Difference
Win a 3 81


n 2 Corcoran. president cf the
West Virginia Fsdsraron Of f..bor
an4 a Vel known sfoEis maker u thfa
'il ~ statement Issued last nfaHf-
make reply 20 John T.. LeNis. ,r-
t4aiter ot ths American Federation q
.tI- reiatiNe 20 Ire formation 81 q
rtN central trades BODY In Wheeling
Ny. Lewis interview concerning NJ.
mos emsnt Tor q new assembly here
Ea- published exclusively in yester-
l-f lntelliEencer. and Mr. Corcoran
rerlies 20 it az follows
- Lr. Lewis has seen a. 10 carry
d. akul against the ohio valley
fddes A labor Assembly 90 the pub-
i.r desfre % make the following reply
in defense % the storlc makers and
ne West Virginia State Federation
oi labor Tn the nrst place the Am-
''tcah Federation Of labor has not
. lust started movement AGAINST the
ohio valley Trades A Labor Assembly
fc make ~ an A p OF T.. Rody-b
ihtN have been trying 20 do 90 for
/ ne past thirty-three years. and the a.
: T a. /. 4. having aIWays been ufif-
ms 20 affiliate. provided they were giv-
I IN a charter VITA the stoEle makers
included. The q. e. r. a. L a WAS
formed thirtyfo years ago before
the A. = Of l.. came into eAistanca
Puo the stogie makers helped 10 or
Ennize 10. and they have always stood
tack Of the stogte makers not on &C
count OF their numerical strength. but
Tor the reason. that after carefully and
seriously goinE into the claims Of the
tlEar makers against the stogie max
efs. divided on the merits OF the case.
that the stogie makers we're entitled
20 recognition a. a separate organiza
ton and entitled 20 recognition BY the
y. p. OF l.. Mr. Lewis states that the
laws 81 the International Unions will
force the local unions 20 afiliate with
rev assembly Those laws are not
new ones. having been IN effect for
many years past. yet IN spite OF that
most Of the local unions protested 10
the 4. r. OF 1. and their internationals
In the past. and viii do so In the fu-
ture, 20 the effect that they would De
willing 20 forfeit their charter 90 their
internationals II compulsory methods
were used.
Can't Suspend.
Mt Lewis states that ~ the u. Y
7 a l.. g. would suspend the stogie
makers they could get a charter and
that would end matters without any
further action To suspend a local
union from the assembly. there would
[ have 20 be good and sufficient reason.
based on violation OF the law This
cannot be done. therefore o. b. op-
tiOual with the stogie makers whether
they withdraw or stay in. and let me
say We are not going 10 Withdraw.
We will fght 10 a finish for our rights
and n We are the only local union
left To- the old assembly after Mr.
Lewis gets through with the great
battle be- expects 10 wage. ito have
stogie makers eliminated We will
continue on with the Ohio Naliey
Trades and Labor assembly. and there
won't be any complications over the
l FUNDS OF the old assembly. for as long
as they continue the funds will remain
I their property. and the new assembly
I VII! nave 70 take care OF Us own obli-
cations. Now let me say few words
I In defense OF the stogie makers post
| ton. They were first organized over
| 90 years ago in Wheeling. and " 1855
went into the old Knights Of Labor.
remaining there until 1896. when they
withdrew and founded a national or
SANITATION. including several other To-
Gals OF stogie makers from different
. localities. and took their name. The
National StOgie Makers League.
They are not a dual organization be-
cause they,did not belong or withdraw
from the Cigarmakers' union and form
a separate organization. nor nave they
ever In any way fought the cigar max
ers union or their UroCucts it is an
entirely different trade. nOfwithstand-
[ ing the fact that both cigar maker.
and stogie maker make their products
out Of tobacco, neither can make the
others product unless they learn both
trades. The facts Of the case are. that
I the cigar makers have not any stogle
makers in their union On this country
and never put a union stoEIe ON tho
market I'm the history 81 their organi-
Z yafion. The stoEi- makers have no
D cigar makers tn their organization auI
I do not permit their label 10 be- put on
cigars.
The Difference
We are the Only organization IN Tho
country that T.its a union label stogia
on the market. thereby afording an
/ opportunity 20 the union workers Of
this country luxury within their means.
. hundreds of thousands of working
men can not afford 70 smoke union
CIGARS. ar none can DO purchased for
Jess 'hau five cents apiece. and Etogies
| retail az Two and three for a nickel
! The reason that this can be- done is
because stoEie maker can produce
nearly three times as MANY Etogieg
az cigar maker can cigars in given
. time. and the conditions Of tho gtogie
makers will more than fayorahly com
pare Win that OF The cigar mak-re.
TT VIZ Lewis d. successful BOO eNtermi u-
gfiug the stoEie makers from the Ia
Dor movement uf Wheeling and
thrUuEhCuf the state. as no. threatens.
then the q. p of l. ought f0 feel very
much el4fed that they have helped %
crush out Of existence fue only orgHri.
yafi0u Of sfoEie makers and thereby
forcing the union men ~ fhe country
VINO are NOT able Poi pay Eve and ten
cents for "a CHAR. 90 smoke non.uuion
N..'A .H...N N'..|HH. .I|H.H NI.'INI
conditions that mo- man would r0If one
nf them In hIs mouth f he could 500
them made
Can't Remove President
Now az f0 fHa West virginia state
federation Of labor tr.rc without
PRECEDENT ST. Lewis nor Tho a o. %
T.. can remove h.m from Office &c.
was elected by tra local unions Of
West F'rEInIa and can only ha rn.
moved hv them ard f frrF should
make that decision fra president Will
rIerrfIIly step down and out but
frfs viii MOI 70. done. a4 the labor
movement 81 West F'rEInIa Ia Iraf a.
familiar with fhn Fact. .n mo raar as
fHr union men of Wheeling arc. and
feel satisfied that fnfs uII -uDurrf
fff afoEia makers f0 finish A. pre-
dent of fhr State Federation of Labor.
Ir injunction with fhr Other mem.
rHre of our executive board n am Do.
.nE everything .n mF power fu help
build uu Che labor movement .r West
virginia Cor tho benefit uf ..Irr man.
srwar and child rf frr WORKING .Isra.
and rn have exceeded .r a.ffrr into
frf state body nearly every fr.a-
union ir fra state and ur believe tn
solidarity and unit. Hf action .s mo-
permanent results can Dol attained orb.
.Hr...N