Show FEDERATION OF LABOR LABORIN LABORI I 1 IN ANNUAL CONVENTION Impassioned ne Warning farning of President Gompers Re Regarding Regarding garding gar ing Conflicting C Claims of Jurisdiction n President Eliot of Harvard Scored For a Recent Utterance Re Reports ports of Officers Officer Read MEW ORLEANS Nov 13 President NEW I N Samuel Gompers at the opening of ot the American Federation of ot Labor today delivered an impassioned warning to the members of the organ organization organIzation organization that the immediate future of trade and labor lab r assemblies w was as serious seriously ly endangered by the conflicting claims of ot jurisdiction made by different bodies Unless UnIes such things were fixed In calm calmness calmness ness nez and handled with moderation he declared the labor organizations of the country would soon be involved In Ina Ina Ina a conflict which would by b comparison dwarf all the struggles In ill which labor organizations have so far engaged d The matter would unless checked he as asserted cone come to a point where laboring 1 p men would fight with W ith laboring meri mert men J from behind barricades in the manner in which men deal with their mortal foes His warning of danger and his counsels of peace and moderation met with a hearty response from the as assembled assembled assembled delegates and wild applause greeted the speaker as he closed that portion of ot his annual address addless in which he lie had pointed out the perils perUs which In his opinion will surely come unless methods are altered and altered soon r The first day of ot the convention aside from the address of President Gompers was not of great interest to outsiders and many delegates found it fatiguing The morning session was occupied with addresses of ot welcome and responses and the report of the committee on credentials The afternoon was con consumed conI consumed by the address of President Gompers which occupied two hours and twenty minutes of rapid reading The reports of other officers required two additional hours Tomorrow It Is h li expected that the actual work of the convention will be entered upon Called to Order The annual convention of the American Federation of Labor met this morning at 1030 in Odd Fel Fellows Fellows el lows hall ball with about delegates present The delegates were escorted from the St Charles mansion by the members of ot the local Trades and Labor i assembly headed by Robert E Lee president pres ent of the he local organization and by James Leonard n r d the he Federation Fed or hr organizer r gantzer for tor the state of Louisiana When tb had been called to order Pr 51 of th r New Or Orleans Orleans leans organization delivered an address of on cn n behalf of f the laboring men of or New Orleans He closed with witha a warm tribute to President Gompers personally declaring that the members of or the Federation Fed would follow him to the end President Gompers declared in his reply that he h fully appreciated what whatever whatever t ever was said of him personally and thought he could best show his ap appreciation r predatIon by b his silence regarding it Boasted R asted Eliot After touching upon the scope and bearing of the th labor union movement President declared that It was amazing to note the ignorance among educated people aims alms and objects of the organization No man who as a an educator said J President Gompers poses as a strike strikebreaker strIkebreaker strikebreaker breaker is lit fit for the position he holds Compared to such a man Benedict Ar Arnold Arnold nold fold was a martyr and Judas Iscariot a saint Although no name was mentioned It Jt was understood by the delegates delegat s that reference was made to the head of one of the leading educational institutions ns of ot the country co and they applauded loudly Cheers were again called forth when it was declared that the man who acted the role of a strike breaker was as looking backward to barbarism nd not to the future A cai Cu ca was made for the report of the committee on credentials and that body not being entirely prepared consider considerable considerable considerable able delay resulted The report de declared Jared dared that national organ organizations organIzations nine state organizations fifty five e central bodies tf local and federal bodies and four fraternal dele delegates delegates deles s gates had reported and were entitled to representation The total voting yoting strength of the bodies represented by bythe bythe bythe the delegates was about Credentials Creden Committee It Was as recommended that credentials be denied to a number of delegates who were opposed chiefly because of non nonpayment nonPayment nonpayment payment of du dues s B A protest against the seating beating of the delegates of the Amalga Amalgamated Amalgamated mated Association As of Carpenters was iI 1 P made by the United Brotherhood of r Carpenters Carp and Joiners Upon motion the contest con test was referred back to the committee for further action J B moved that a special committee be appointed to which all disputes s should be referred this com corn committee committee to report direct to the conven convention convention convention tion This motion which removed much of the work incidental to the dispute the carpenters from the floor of the convention was as adopted A committee was also ap appointed appointed appointed pointed to consider the differences be between between tween the longshoremen and other or organizations organizations organizations who claim the former fonner are intruding upon their territory On motion of ot Delegate Duncan the convention adjourned to meet at 2 i p m mAt mAt mAt At the opening of o the afternoon ses sea session session sion don President Gompers called Vice President Kidd to the chair and read his report which was as follows Gompers Report Concerning the growth of the fed federation ration cration President Gompers reported as 9 follows Six new nev national unions were formed during the year and two are arenow arenow arenow now in the process of formation while others will soon be in a position to have hao hv a national or or international char charter ch charter l lter ter formed from existing local unions of the trade In all new charters were issued to and international unions 14 6 central la Ia labor labor bor unions local trade unions and federal labor unions Total 1024 At the end of the fiscal year eleven months Sept 30 1902 1002 we had affiliated affiliated with the American Federation of Labor national and international unions with approximately local unions under their direct jurisdiction 99 state federations 26 city central bodies local federal labor unions and local trade unions directly affiliated to the American Federation of Labor by charter harter 1483 In Jn the eleven months ending Oct 1 1902 there have ve been b en organized and chartered by our affiliated national unions and by y the American Federa Fedora Federation Federation Fedoration tion of Labor direct not less than new local unions with an added mem mom membership membership of not less than Fewer Strikes Apart from the miners strike Mr Gompers said there has been during the past year no general trade contest Involving large numbers nor Dor has there been so large a number of strikes as asin asin asin in former years earS Of the strikes re reported reported reported ported the preponderance rance have been for higher wages and shorter hours and they have been largely success successful successful successful ful President Gompers reviewed re the causes and progress of the anthracite miners strike and in the course of or his remarks said One of the remarkable yet consist consistent consistent ent features of ot the contest was the attitude assumed by hy the mine own owners owners owners ers as to their divine proprietorship of the mines and their declaration that divine providence had placed pl c d in their possession the properties and that they would better care for the welfare of their than would the agi agitators agitators agitators There Is no doubt but that the com corn companies companies panics presidents having assumed the therole role of complete mastery over their workmen were unable to realize re lize other than thap that they were indeed the repos repositories repositories of their mortal as well as their eternal salvation Their consistency has not been questioned The premise Q and e from the beginning n aria and carried along for a series of Qi years eai th n they imagined that they had crushed entirely the spirit and the character of their em plo es No Thanks to Employers Viewing the entire industrial field the social and economic conditions and the whole morale mo le of the wage earners of our country we have nothing to be thankful for to the employing class Whatever Improvement has come to the wage workers In any way Is en entirely entirely due to their own efforts to their own on Intelligence in organizing and agitating for the enjoyment enjo ment of ot a higher and better life Ufe After recounting the various steps step stepIn in the negotiations initiated by Pres President President ident i ent Roosevelt which ended in the 1 appointment of or the arbitration com corn commission commission mission President Gompers said saidA saIdA A great moral victory has been won for the miners and the cause of organized labor and for humanity Ma Material Material Material advantage e Is therefore inevitable inevitable table The declaration of the operators that the only manner in which the strike could be ended would be by their return to work unconditionally has not been verified and this fact is due to the splendid discipline of the men menthe menthe menthe the excellent manner in which the con contest contest contest test was conducted and the fraternal generous and prompt support of organized labor I desire personally as aswell aswell well as officially to express the deep appreciation which I feel and which I 1 know the miners feel and we all I feel to the wage earners of ot our coun country country country try and to t all aU others who have aided in this great gr at contest It was w s a great opportunity for the manifestation of the solidarity of labor under the ban banner bann ner n r of ot the American Federation of Lt bor and magnificently mft taken advantage of and responded to by fellow union unionists Arbitration Our movement seeks to avoid strikes W Q 4 make every effort in that direction and a largely largel successful therein The men of organized labor want arbitration but only arbitration as a alast alast alast last after conciliation has lias ab absolutely absolutely failed aUEd and then arbitration only voluntarily vol entered Into by both the organized w and the employ employers ers era the ward award voluntarily honorably and faithfully adhered to by both sides The object which advocates of com corn compulsory compulsory incorporation of trade unions have in view dew Mr r Gompers declared was to mulct lct or outlaw our unions On the subject of jurisdiction and danger the report says saS I 1 may truly record the fact that never for one moment since the forma formation formation formation tion of ot our federation have hae I enter entertained entertained tamed a doubt or misgiving as to the growth success and permanency of the American Federation of Labor and nd I would not now be apprehensive of its future were it not forced ced upon my deliberate judgment which has devel developed developed developed Into info a firm conviction that un unless unless less our affiliated national and inter Continued on page pae 2 FEDERATION OF LABOR LABORIN IN ANNUAL CONVENTION Continued from fro Page 1 I national unions radically and soon change their course we shall at no distant day be in the midst of ot an in internecine InternecIne contest unparalleled n any era in fn the industrial world aye not even when workmen of different traces were ere arrayed aryed against agaIn each other be behind behInd hind barricades in the the streets street over the question queston of trade against agai st trade i No combination of labors labors enemies need cause us the apprehension which this fratricidal strife does in the te claims made by unions for the extension of their trade trad Jurisdiction A Serious Question Queston There is scarcely an affiliated or organization organization which is not engaged in a dispute with wih another organization and in some cases cae with wih several organizations orga rg iza lions upon the question of tons queston jurisdiction jurisdiction tion ton It I Is not an uncommon occur occurrence Occurrence rence renee for an organization and several have done so quite quie recently to so change their laws and ad claims to juris jurs diction as to cover trades never con d by the organizations officers or oc or never ne er comprehended by their title tte trades o of which there is al already already ready redy In existence a national union union And this without a word of advice advIce counsel counselor or warning Without in any way being desirous of ot ck influencing your judgment upon any anyone anye anyone one e of the cases ces which may may claim caim your you attention tenton It I is strongly urged that ac a tion be taken taen by y this convention that th t shall tend to check the indiscriminate attempts made to extend jurisdiction of any organization without the te consent of ot the organization of the trade trae already alread In existence President Pe ident Gompers Gomper urged ting efforts efort to secure the enactment lt of o the bill bl now ow before con congress congress gress gess and nd recommended the appoint appointment merit ment of a special committee to take tie t subject sub ct of inaugurating the eight hour work day day for all ners into consideration and report a plan to this convention He recommended that tha the legislative committee e and officers of or the Federation be b directed direct d to con time their efforts effort ef r to o secure the passage p sag of at the lT lull bill in its ts brig b inal mat form as passed ased by y the house h rind and to oppose any amendment calculated to Impair the fundamentally lawful ac c tion lion of oC the organized workers in their efforts et to secure Improved conditions Corporation Law Lw Mr Gompers Gomper alsa o commended to fa favorable consideration a a federal 1 law proposed by bYJ Henry genry n of Colorado Colordo and J J Sullivan n providing that tat c r s shall 1101 not he hh 1 d deemed citizens of the th state tate of their creation and when wen I they come into the federal federl courts court claiming claming the right rit to t have their cause cage e adjudicated by b that tribunal on op 01 cl the he ground gound of diverse citizenship that this allegation may be b denied by the ale ton nieby op opposite posie party part and all al proceedings proceeding shall shaU op be Immediately stayed and the issue ise presented shall be first tried fried d and if any of the members of at the e corporation are arc arl citizens of the th same me state sate s e ab as a the opposing party the court curt shall refuse refus to take jurisdiction In the ease case ae President Gompers Gomper discussed the te subject of Chinese exclusion at eon con considerable on length He said sd It was wa clearly evident evIdent that there was some ulterior purpose by those hose in control of the legislation in congress that the o law as a passed should not be b an entire entirely entre ly satisfactory one to labor and ad after citing legal opinions regarding the law law summarized the thes situation t aton as follows In I reviewing the he entire subject It is i clear cear to my mind and Is the opinion O I 16 of oZ orD D fl all al a ll competent to speak who are in sym sympathy sympathy pathy athy p pC with the purpose of effective Chinese C exclusion That Chinese subjects subject of at 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