Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 April 1895 — FEDERATION OF LABOR. [ARTICLE]

FEDERATION OF LABOR.

President Gompers’ Annual Address —John Burns Present. The American Federation of Labor met In annual convention at Denver, President Gompers in the chair. Addresses of welcome and responses opened the proceedings, during which John Burns, the English labor leader, and David Holmes, member of Parliament, entered the hall and were received with cheers. After the appointment of the committee om

eredentials, T. M. Patterson, or Denver, delivered an address on the labor struggle. Adjourned until afternoon. Upon reassembling in the afternoon the credentials of David Holmes and John Burns, representing trades unions of Great Britain, were accepted and the delegates granted the full privileges of the convention. President Gompers’ annual report was then submitted. He complimented the organization hpon being gble to preserve its existence during the recent adverse circumstances. Referring to the coal" miners' strike, he said 125,000 men were out for eight weeks, and yet there was hardly a dearth of coal. Considering this, the establishment of a minimum rate of wages was a very great victory. He defended the action of the Federation in regard to the A. R. U. strike by the assertion that Debs’ proposition submitted to them was a virtual acknowledgment that the strike was a failure. President Cleveland's action at that time was severely condemned. The hondst effort of the Government to regulate immigration was acknowledged, but amendments to the laws were suggested. Hope is expressed that government telegraph and telephone would soon be established in connection with the postal department, and unions among the government employes were recommended as an aid to the movement. American seamen claimed to be the worst treated of those of any civilized nation. Bills in their interest and also for protection of cigarmakers, he said, would have passed the last session of Congress but for the prejudicial effect of the railroad strike. The convention was asked to endorse the Phillips bill for the creation of an industrial commission. The efforts of the officers of the Federation in behalf of free coinage of silver was mentioned and a better understanding of the subject by the laboring men generally was reported. A serious strain upon labor organizations was predicted fer the coming winter, but the speaker added that indications were favorable for an active industrial revival within a year. The proposition t<s estab lish compulsory arbitration was denounced and the charge was made that designing persons were advocating it as a means of destroying labor organizations. The successful mediation of the general officers in a number of disputes between workingmen and employers was reported and the statement made that labor must conquer the right to be heard in all cases. Secretary Chris. Evans, in his report, j said the receipts-of the past year were ! $22,493, and the expenditures $17,302, leaving a balance of $5,191, which is less than at any time since 1890. President Gompers then introduced Hon. John Burns, who made an address. | Mr. Burns said: “David Holmes and myself were chos- ■ en by the organizations of labor of the old ’ world to represent them in this, the first American labor convention at which English representatives were present. The convention that appointed us consisted of 400 members, of whom 100 were members of Parliament, justice or municipal officers. This shows what a hold organ- ’ ized labor has on the people of England. ; I shall be pleased to hear ten years hence that you have progressed as far as we ' have to-day. Our coming here is inter- ! esting for many reasons, one of'Which ; is that the country from which we come ■ initiated the employment system. I would ; say, however, that while England inau- ! gurated industrial competition, America has eclipsed her in monopolies.” President Gompers, in response to Mr. Burns, stated that under no government on earth have laboring men been so imposed upon as in America, but expressed the hope that conditions may soon improve and that improvement be aided by this fraternal meeting of laboring men of Europe and America.