Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 January 1887 — TRADES UNIONS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TRADES UNIONS.

The American Federation of Labor, Its Objects and Aims. The President and leader of the Executive Board of the American Federation of

Labor is Samuel Gompers, of New York, who is Second Vice President of the International Cigarmakers’ Union, and President of the Workingmen’s Assembly of New York. Mr. Gompers is an Englishman by birth, and is now in his thirtyseventh year. He worked as a cigarmaker from his fifteenth year until he was called on to give his time to the official conduct of hiß union. He has been a prominent promoter of the plan of federation, and though himself a Knight of Labor, an opponent of amalgamation. He was twice President of the first Federation, and has Jong been a prominent officer of his own union. Whether the labor organizations should be amalgamated into oue large body, or should form a federation in which "each may retain its autonomy, is one of the subjects that have most seriously engaged the thought of the labor leaders. Tne tendency of the trades unions has been toward a federation; and the tendency, of the Knighta of Labor toward an amalgamation. Five years ago a loose sort of federation was formed by several trades-unions which maintained ils existence, but was never strong enough or definite enough to exert any great influence. Another movement was begun early in the year, by other trades-unions than those which formed this loose federation, to effect a more influential and definite general organization. This resulted in the recent meeting at Columbus, Ohio, of delegates from twentyseven national and international tradesunions, who effected an organization which supersedes the former federation. The new organization, under »lhe name of “The American Federation of Labor,” compri-es most of the better-organized' uuions, such as the Typographical Union, the Federation of Miners and Mine Laborers, the Cigar-makers’ International Union, the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Join re, and the Iron-moldere of Nor h America. The twenty-seven labor organizations already thus united claim a membership of about 350,000. The double purpose is to preserve the autonomv of every trade organization, and at the same time to devise a way where one trade can come to the rescue of another. It is a problem not unlike that which the founders of the Federal Government had to solve. TLe trades-unions, like the States, insist that every one knows best how to manage its own affaire; every o e is jealous of any interference by any ot at one; and yet all recognize the necessity of combined action. The fundamental idea of the Federation fs that no trades-union shall abridge the liberty of another. To quote from on explanation of t e movement by one of its chief promoters: “The carpenters are better judges of all questions affecting their hours of work or their rate of wages than the cigarmakers or the printers or the miners can possibly be. The first condition of healthful, organization, therefore, is that the car |.enters shall have a union of their own, and that they shall suffer no dictation from any othel 1 union.