The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1938-09-01

was founded at a convention called
by trade union leaders which opened
in Pittsburgh, Pa, on November Is,
1881.
The call for the convention, which
followed preliminary convention held
at Terre Haute, Ind, earlier in the
year, carried the heading "Internati-
onal Trades Union Congress-" and
was addressed "To All Trades and
Labor Unions of the United States and
Canada"
Following is the text Of the call:
"Fellow Workingmen: The time
has now arrived for more perfect
combination Of Labor-one that will
concentrate our forces so as to more
successfully cope with concentrated
capital.
owe have numberless trades unions,
trades assemblies or councils, and
various other local, national and in
ternational labor unions, all engaged
in the noble task of elevating and i'm
proving the condition of the working
classes. But, great as has been the
work done by these bodies, there is
vastly more than can be done by a
combination of all these organizations
in federation of trades.
"In Great Britain and Ireland annual
trades union congresses are held:
France and other countries have, also,
similar gatherings. The work done by
these assemblages of workmen speaks
more in their favor than a volume of
other arguments.
"Only in such body can proper
action be taken to promote\ the gen.
eral welfare of the industrial classes.
There we can discuss and examine all
questions affecting the national inter-
ests of each and every trade, and by
a combination of forces secure that
justice which isolated and separated
trade and labor unions can never fully
command.
"a National Trades Union Congress
can prepare labor measures and agree
upon laws they desire passed by Con-
gress of the United States; and Con-
gressional Labor Committee, after the
manner of the Parliamentary Com
mittees of Trades Unions in England,
could be elected to urge and advance
legislation at Washington on all such
measures, and report to the various
trades.
"In addition to this, an annual con-
gress of trade unions could organize
a systematic agitation to propagate
trades union principles, and to impress
the necessity of protective trade and
labor organizations, and to encourage
the formation of such unions and their
amalgamation in trades assemblies.
Thus we could elevate trades unionism
and obtain for the working classes that
respect for their rights, and that re-
ward for their services, to which they
are justly entitled.
"a federation of this character can
be organized with few simple rules
and no salaried officers. The expenses
of it's management will be trivial and
can be provided for by the Trades
Union Congress.
Impressed with the necessity Of
such federation, and the Importance
of an international Trades Union
Congress, to perfect the organization,
we the undersigned, delegates, in a
preliminary national convention, as
sembled at Terre Haute, Indiana, held
August 2, 1881, do hereby resolve to
issue the following call:
"That all international and national
unions, trades assemblies or councils,
and local trades or labor unions are
hereby invited to send delegates to an
International Trades Union Congress,
to be held in Pittsburgh, Pa, on Tues
day, November Is, 1881. Each local
union will be entitled to one delegate
for one hundred members or less, and
one additional delegate for each ad
ditional five hundred members or ma
jor part thereof; also, one delegate for
each international or national union,
and one delegate for each trades as
sembly or council"
Union Leaders Who Signed the Call
The call was signed by J. E. Cough
lin, President, National Tanners and
Curriers' Union; Richard E. Powers,
General President, Lake Seamen's
Union; Lyman A. Brant, Internati-
onal Typographical Union; P. j. Nc
Iulre, SC. Louis lraQeS ana LABOR AS
sembly; T. Thompson, Iron Molders'
Union, Dayton, Ohio; George w. Os-
born, Iron Molders' Union, Springfield,
Ohio; w. E. Pollner, Cleveland Trades
Assembly; Samuel l.. Leffngwell, In
dianapolis Trades Assembly, and j. R.
Backus, Terre Haute Amalgamated
Labor Union.
The following persons were also re-
corded as endorsing the call:
George Clark, President, Internati
onal Typographical Union; P. F. Fitz-
patrick, President, Iron Molders' Union
of America; John Kinnear, President,
Central Trades and Labor Assembly,
Boston, Mass, and George Rodgers,
President, Chicago Trades Assembly.
Legislative Committee Formed
There. were 107 delegates at the
Pittsburgh convention, representing
100000 working men. The convention
formed permanent organization
named the Federation of Organized
Trades and Labor Unions Of the