New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-12
1874 Delegates
Launch Labor
Party Here
Real Democracy Demanded
and Tilt Follows Effort of
Chairman TO Pick Slate
Britons Are Here to Help
Also Two Ministers Are
Present and Take Part
in First Days Speaking

With speakers announcing the birth
Of American labor parties in forty-tive
other cities OF the country and eXtoll-
ing the success of the English Labor
party in polling more than a million
and half votes, and obtaining recog
milton as the official opposition in the
mother of parliaments.' the New York
Labor party got under way yesterday
afternoon at the Yorkville Casino
Eight hundred and eighty-four accred
tied delegates from labor organizations
elected temporary officers and commit
tees and prepared for the work o. per-
manent organization and the resolu
tion-making at to-days two sessions.
Outside the enthusiasm displayed
over declarations for industrial de-
mocracy" and the withdrawal or troops
rom Russia, the excitement of the
trst meeting was confined to fight
over the make up of committees.
"Autocracy" Charge Made
The organization of the convention
had gone smoothly enough until the
newly elected temporary chairman
William Kohn, of the Upholsterers'
coed to the appointing Of committees
Then James A. De Bell of the Cigar
Makers Union, threw a bombshell into
the meeting by 4 savage attack on what
he called the bureaucracy" Of appoint
ing committees. and moved that the
convention elect the committees by
vote. Appealing for democracy from
the start" De Bell exclaimed:
"To my personal knowledge this IS
tyua q
York labor has tried to start a politi
cal party and it has always been capt
ured by some crafty, slick traitor"
After lively counter accusations and
debating the delegates voted to listen
10 the steering committees" slate and
add additional names by nomination
rom the floor.
Wants Labor to Unite
The meeting was called to order by
Thomas J. Curtis. chairman of the
Joint Committee on Reconstruction OF
he Central Federated Union, the Cen
raj Labor Union of Brooklyn and the
Women's Trade Union League. Mn
Curtis introduced Edward l. Hannah,
Union, who brought imme diate applause
from the delegates by declaring that
New York labor must have party in
which the unorganized as we'll as the
organized worker Will be represented.
"Never before he declared, "has it
been so necessary as to-day for labor
TO band together in political life. Those
N power are determined to crush labor
at every opportunity"
Rose Schneiderman, president of the
Woman's Trade Union League, called
attention to the convention of the new
Chicago Independent Labor party to be
held in Illinois to-day and asserted that
everywhere over the country labor was
awakening to the fact that it must use
both arms-political and economic-to
protect its existence and bring about
industrial democracy"
Two Ministers Are Heard
The next two speakers, the Rev
Richard Roberts, m -nber of the Brit
ISL Labor party, and the Rev John
Howard Melish, of Old Trinity Chur h.
Brooklyn, Endorsed Miss Schneiderman' s
plea.
The Rev Mr.. Roberts called for the
abolition of the remaining privileges
of money and property by which one
class imposes its will on the other"
Following his unanimous election as