You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Thursday November 24, 1904
San Francisco, California - Delegates Clash Over Militias at A. F. of L. Convention
Delegates of the American Federation of Labor, now meeting in Convention in San Francisco, debated the issue of whether or not union men should join their states' militias. The debate generally came down to a clash between the Socialists and the anti-Socialists, with both sides claiming to be on the side of the United States Constitution.
Also present at the Convention, was E. C. Copley of the Western Federation of Miners. Copley gave a speech which was warmly responded to by Gompers. The appearance of Copley at the Convention raises the question of a possible re-uniting of the Western Federation with A. F. of L.
From The San Francisco Call
of November 23, 1904:
TWO LABOR FEDERATIONS
REPRESENTED IN CONVENTION
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Comes to Extend a Glad Hand
and Gompers Gives Him Kind Speech
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SOCIALIST TWICE TURNED DOWN HARD
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Militia Figures in a Hot Debate
on Floor of the Lyric Hall Gathering
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DISAPPROVE PENSIONS
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The American Federation of Labor and the Western Federation of Miners yesterday made advances, in public, toward co-operation. On the side of the Western Federation of Miners was E. C. Copley of the miners' executive board. On the other hand was Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, backed by the applause of something like 400 delegates assembled in convention in Lyric Hall.
A special order was made for the forenoon to welcome Copley. The proceedings in that regard were brief but weighty with significance of what might be implied. The convention had been going some little time when Copley was greeted. In the interim the delegates had listened to remarks, largely by socialistic delegates, regarding the attitude of federated labor to the militia of the several states.
An exchange of doubtful courtesies between those who oppose socialism and those who favor socialism had taken place. Then Copley was escorted to the platform by one of the vice presidents of the convention and was introduced by President Gompers. He at once began his address.
WHAT COPLEY SAID.
If there had been any idea that Copley would speak violently or with any degree of fierceness about the recent happenings in Colorado such was speedily dissipated. The text of his speech is as follows:
Brother President and Delegates of the American Federation of Labor: It gives me the deepest pleasure at this time to appear before this body. I see among the delegates in this convention those with whom I have been in conventions in previous years, when affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. It gives me pleasure at this time to renew those associations. Briefly I wish to say that I am gratified to be extended the courtesy of the floor of this convention for just a moment, to thank the officers and members of the American Federation of Labor and the affiliated unions for the support, financial and moral, that has been extended to the Western Federation of Miners so nobly during their struggle in Colorado.
I do not believe it wise or necessary to take up your time with an extended statement or detail of the conditions in Colorado, as they have been in the last year and a half, as I know that this convention has much business to attend to and does not care to be bothered with that sort of thing, and most of you are somewhat, if not well posted, upon the conditions that have prevailed.
I will say only that at this time in Colorado the complexion of things has changed somewhat. As a result of organization and effort our esteemed Governor Peabody has been relegated to the rear. We hope that the incoming incumbent, who has twice been Governor of Colorado, will give us a fair and just administration. That is all that organized labor asks for, in Colorado as elsewhere. I am in your city to explain thoroughly and in detail the conditions that have applied in Colorado and that led up to this struggle in Colorado. But unfortunately I shall be unable to do that while the delegates to this convention are in the city, not being able to procure a suitable building at an earlier date, I have had to make the date of that lecture the 4th of December.
As is well know by most of the delegates to the American Federation of Labor my organization, the Western Federation of Miners, is not affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. I want to say to you that as a member of the executive board of the Western Federation for the last two years it has been one of my pleasures to further as far as possible an affiliation with this body. This fact is known by delegates in this convention. I believe that there is room in this great country for only one great federation of labor. Believing that, it then follows that it is my duty and the duty, I believe, of every other member of whatsoever organization he may belong to, to use his efforts in that direction.
I believe that under the present systematized procedure of organized capital it is necessary, that the time has arrived in this country when it is absolutely necessary for all organizations or all union men to be under but one head, to stand solidly together and to proceed as one body. Therefore, as I say, I have used my influence as a member of the executive board of the Western Federation of Miners in that direction. I hope that the time is not far distant when the union men of this great country will all be under the same tent, so to speak.
Now, brothers, I do not wish to take up any more of your time; I do not think it wise. You have your business to attend to. I am thankful, as I said, for the opportunity to address you, for the courtesy of the floor, and I hope that the deliberations of this convention will be such that will bring about changes, the necessary beneficial changes to all organized labor. God speed your convention, and may you succeed beyond your expectations in the benefits that you expect to accrue to organized labor as the result of your efforts. I thank you.
[continued below]
[continued from above]
GOMPERS MAKES REPLY.
Samuel Gompes
Copley having extended the glad hand to the Federation of Labor for the miners, President Gompers in his turn said:
I wish to say briefly that we appreciate your visit and your kind expressions toward the American Federation of Labor and the appreciation we feel for what service you have been in a position to render. The American Federation of Labor, I may say, of course, expects, has a right to expect, that, the international and national trades unions should become part of the American Federation of Labor.
We try to impress upon any unaffiliated international union that we have no desire to dominate it. We have no desire to interfere with its internal affairs. Our main object is to try to federate the united workmen for the promotion and advancement, particularly the protection of their interest, and to spread the feeling of fraternity and the spirit of solidarity where one man sees his own best interests best served by trying to serve his fellow men.
But though we feel very intensely upon this subject, we still bear no ill will to an organization that has not affiliated itself with the American Federation of Labor. It is a misconception for any one to believe that. It is a misstatement for any one to express it. We have nothing but the kindliest feelings for the Western Federation of Miners. We have tried to do our duty toward the miners. They were once affiliated with the American
Federation of Labor. I am not conscious that any reason has been assigned for the severance of that fraternal relation.
I am sure that I express the hope of every delegate to this convention and of every union man and union woman that we represent when I say that we sincerely hope that the Western Federation of Miners may soon become a member of the family of trades unions under the banner of the American Federation of Labor. And, in any event, we wish you godspeed and success.
A daily journal of the proceedings of the convention of the American Federation of Labor is published and circulated in the convention hall. In this are resolutions that were reported to committees, the resolutions now numbering something like 200. They are in small type, and so it is possible to get a number of resolutions on one page. The Socialists have been prolific in resolutions and they are sown broadcast through the pages of the convention's journal, and look where one will at least one resolution-as prolific in trouble as dragon's teeth to those opposed to Socialism-is found on each and every page.
Two such were the first to be considered yesterday, both of which were introduced by Victor L. Berger.
DICUSS THE MILITIA.
The first of these resolutions recommended that working men shall not join the militia. Berger said that "as long as the capitalist can hire one part of the working people to shoot down another part they are safe in the possession of this country." Berger said that he preferred the system of Switzerland, "where there is no militia, except that every able-bodied man in Switzerland belongs to the fighting force and has a gun to keep at home." He said:
In America, things are different. Most of the men in America do not know how to use weapons, and the militia are not afraid of the men shooting back. In Switzerland the working people were in a position to shoot back. In Switzerland they settled the strike by buying up the railroads and granting the demands of organized labor.
Now, I don't say that the Swiss system is exactly the proper system, but I say that if the Socialists would get control of the State of Wisconsin, then instead of having four regiments of militia made up of dudes and bank clerks, and some organized workers, some trades union men who think that they are better than the others because they earn fifty cents more a day-instead of being made up of people of that kind, people who are not of our class and people who can be hired, we would have four hundred regiments instead of four in Wisconsin, and probably 1000 regiments in the State of New York, probably 800 regiments in the State of Pennsylvania, and 320 in the State of Massachusetts. In such a case I would be in favor of the militia. In other words, if the militia were what the United States constitution intended it to be, then I would be in favor of the militia.
Delegate Zaring said:
I think that organized labor in America ought to take some stand that our members should not belong to the militia. I contend that the very existence of the militia makes the militia necessary, and that if there was no such thing as the militia, then the large employing classes, who are so ready to oppress the working men, would be more ready to grant fair conditions to the working men. And I think there ought to be some resolution drawn up which would indicate the disapproval of this convention to members of organized labor belonging to the militia.
Delegate Brown, one of the Socialistic delegates, said:
When a man in this convention has received a bran from the bayonet of the United States soldier he does not feel friendly to the militia. I believe that if most of us had been through a similar experience that we would also be in favor of the adoption of a resolution. When you recall the fact of the State militia of Colorado being used as a positive weapon in the hands of the Citizens' Alliance against organized labor, I think it is about time that we put ourselves on record as being opposed to such a use of the judicial powers.
Delegate Guerin said that members of the federation should be urged to join the State Militia.
Treasurer Lennon of the federation said in part:
CITES CONSTITUTION.
You are cited to the fact that the constitution of the United States contains a clause as to the right of the citizens to bear arms, which shall not be abridged. Does this convention desire to go on record as being opposed to that fundamental declaration of the constitution, which we recognize as being an absolute necessity for the maintenance of a free government on the face of the earth? It is true that the use of the militia is abuse. Why were not the resolutions drawn along those lines, where perhaps all might coincide? Go, broadcast about this country as you will and what do you find? We find the young men of all our crafts, in a small number at least, in the militia. Why are they there? Because of their social environments; because of the fact again that the physical training that is acquired in the militia is in a sense beneficial. The use of the militia as it is used is the thing to complain of, not the fact that there is a militia, not the fact that the Government of the United States and the various States has organized a militia for the preservation of peace.
Do we desire to take a stand that law and order are not to be maintained in our respective States? I do not propose to take any such stand. I have been in the trades union movement in Colorado in hotter times than have recently existed in that state and I never came in contact with the militia, although they were called out and were stationed along the Rio Grand Railroad from one end of it to the other.
We conducted a strike there as well as it could be conducted under the then existing circumstances and yet without contact with the militia. I realize full well how often and how grievously the militia has been misused, but I am not prepared to vote against the declaration in the constitution of the United States in favor of abridging the right of the citizens to bear arms and have arms in their homes if they so desire.
FOSTER USES SARCASM.
Frank K. Foster, secretary of the resolutions committee, contributed to the discussion. His remarks were in part as follows:
But I want to say to my good friend, the delegate from the Tailors' Union, that I am surprised at his optimistic frame of mind in thinking that a little matter like the constitution of the Unites States would stand between the vagaries of some of our friends and discussion in this body. The constitution of the United States viewed under certain colored lights, is merely a capitalistic institution, and as such should be treated to the same course of medicine that the trades union movement would be treated to-it should be punctured, lacerated,stabbed and otherwise maltreated.
But the constitution of the United Staes is still here. Perhaps if we should pass a number of resolutions it would continue to exist for a few years to come. The peculiar feature in all of these discussions which are lugged by the heels into this arena is that the universal course of the logic is to reason from the exception and not from the rule: to condemn because of the occasional abuse the entire institution, I do not know of any institution here or elsewhere in the world that is not susceptible of abuse.
Governors become tyrannical. Because there is a Governor Peabody, will you say that there shall be no chief executive of a commonwealth? Precisely the same logic holds good in that aspect as to the institution of the militia. It seems to me that from the mere outside effect of this resolutions we cannot afford to place ourselves in a position where the members of antagonistic organizations can point the finger at this convention and say, "We told you so. These men acknowledge no law but the law of their own unbridled desire. They want to do away with our militia so that they can conduct themselves as they please."
But the real reason above all that this resolution should not pass is this: that no trades union, this body or any other, has a right to interfere in the private judgement of a man as to his relations with the State. My own international union has gone on record as opposed to the proposition contained in the resolution. I have no love or admiration for the military army, and never have affiliated with the militia, but I believe that every member of my organization, or of your organization, if he wants to be affiliated, has the absolute right to enroll himself in the militia.
SOCIALISTS ARE BEATEN.
The report of the committee was adopted and the resolution was turned down after a deal more of talk. A similar fate befell the second of Berger's Socialistic resolutions to be taken up, the second one providing for pension for aged working people.
To the support of this resolution the Socialists rallied in force, and speeches in its favor were made by Barnes of New York and Ramsey, who is a lawyer. It was opposed by Vice President Duncan, Delegate Devine and Secretary Foster....
[photographs added]
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SOURCE
The San Francisco Call
(San Francisco, California)
-Nov 23, 1904
http://www.newspapers.com/...
IMAGES
AFL Button
http://www.laborsolidarity.info/...
1904 AFL Convention Delegates & Copley of WFM with Text
http://www.newspapers.com/...
Samuel Gompers
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
Striking Colorado Miners in the Bullpen Guarded by Militia
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/...
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The Workers Song-Dropkick Murphys
And when the sky darkens and the prospect is war
Who's given a gun and then pushed to the fore
And expected to die for the land of our birth
Though we've never owned one lousy handful of earth?
-Ed Pickford
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