Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 December 1887 — Federation of Laboy. [ARTICLE]

Federation of Laboy.

The second annual souventios of the National Federation of Labor . met at Baltimore on the 13th. The tomniittee on sredentials reported in favor of seating all delegates who had arrived, except delegates Aster and Harvey, of the District of Columbia, who were declared enemies to the cause of united labor, and, after a heated discussicih, they were refused the right to sit in the coaven ion. Among those admitted were representatives of the Philadelphia Central Labor. Union, the International Bootmen’s Union, of New York; Journeymen Shoemaker’s Protective Union, New York; Central Labor Union, St. Louis; Ohio Miners’ Amalgamated Association; New York State Federarion of International Furniture-workers’ Union; Ger-man-Araerican Typographical Union, Bakers’Union, Waiters’ Union, Cigarmakers’ Union, Journeymen Barbers’ National Union—all of New York; Typographical Union, Indianapolis; the Amalgamated iron and Steel workers’ Association of Pennsylvania; the Glass-workers’ Uniox, Pittsburg, and many other labor organ!aations. President Gompers presented his annual report, in which he spoke of the neaessity of legislation for the regulation of employment of women and children, of the heavy disp’acement of labor by machinery in the last few years, and its unflunenee on industrial depression; the necessity of regulating hours of labor, and the urgent need of organised efforts to improve the condition of the laboring classes. He touched on the jealousy that existed between the Federation and the Knights of Labor, and said there was no necessity for it; disclaimed all sympathy or love for anarchy, its methods or teachings; explained his letter to Governor .Oglesby asking executive clemency for the condemned Anarchists by the assertion that not to hang the men was to deprive anarchy of the food npon which all spasmodic movements exist —martyrdom. His reading was frequently interrupted by applause.