The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1931-09-04
decline of the National Labor Union

decline of the National Labor Union
in 1872.
There were devoted unionists who
were convinced that federation was
necessary to advance the cause Of
unionism and to strengthen existing
unions. They assumed responsibility
for promoting the idea. the first
concrete step was conference of a
few outstanding labor leaders held in
Terre Haute in August, 1881. This
conference advocated an organization
modelled after the British Trade
Union Congress, pointing to the need
of policy-making body for legisla-
tion, and to organize an agitation"
for trade union principles. The con-
ference believed "that federation of
this character can be organized with
few simple rules and no salaried
organizers The Terre Haute confer
ence was made up chiefly of Western
men: ]. E. Coughlin, president, Ma
tional Tanners and Curriers' Union;
R. Powers, general president, Lake
Seamen's Union; Lyman A. Brant, In
ternational Typographical Union; P.
J. Mcclure, ST. Louis Trades and La
Dor Assembly; T. Thompson, Iron
Molders' Union, Dayton, Ohio;
George w. Osborn, Iron Molders'
Union of Springfield, Ohio; w. c.
Pollner, Cleveland Trades Assembly;
Samuel L. Leffngwell, Indianapolis
Trades Assembly; ]. R. Backus, Terre
Haute Amalgamated Labor Union;
George Clark, president, international
Typographical Union; p F. Fitzpat-
rick, president, Iron Molders' Union
of America; John Kinnear, president
Central Trades and Labor Assembly
Boston; George Rodgers, president
Chicago Trades Assembly. It's chair
man, Lyman A. Brant, and Mark W.
Moore, corresponding secretary, con.
/ stituted a standing committee. They
circulated trade union organizations
inviting them to participate in Ma.
tional Labor Congress to meet IN
Pittsburgh, November Is, 1881.
4 The response to the call to congress
was most generous. When the con
gress convened in Turner Hall, Pitts.
burgh, there were present 1O7 dele
gates, representing national ant
international organizations, IL cen
trail bodies, az local unions, district
assemblies knights of Labor), ant
dc local assemblies knights of La
bor).
Lyman A. Brant, of the Interna
tional Typographical Union, opened
the convention and John Jarret, presi
dent of the Amaigamated Association
of Iron and Steel Workers Of the
United States and Canada, was elect.
el temporary chairman by acclama
ton. Mark L. Crawford, printer, OF
Chicago, and H. III. Bengough, printer
of Pittsburgh, were made secretaries
They were assisted by William G.
Pollner, cigarmaker, of Cleveland, who
had served as secretary of the Terre
Haute conference. Later these elec-
tions were made permanent, and Rich
ard Powers elected as an additional
vice president.
The organization was named Fed
Grafton of Trades and Labor Unions
| A legislative committee was elected
to take care of the activities until the
next congress. This committee organ
lied by electing the following officers;
President, Richard Powers; first vice
president, Samuel Gompers; treas
urer, Alexander C. Rankin; secre
tary, w. H. Foster.
The congress spent most of its time
in working out the details of organi
cation plans. There were no prece
dents to follow in determining basi.