Now, I entered my name here, and I think others did,
because we had eyes to see misery,
we had ears to hear the cry of
the downcast and miserable of the earth,
we had a heart that was sympathetic,
and we believed that we could come here
and raise our voice and mingle it with yours
in the interest of humanity.
-Lucy Parsons
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Thursday June 29, 1905
Chicago, Illinois - The Convention of Industrial Unionists is Organized
According to today's
Chicago Daily Tribune, the second day of the Convention of Industrial Unionists was nothing but turmoil. In fact, the delegates got right down to business and the Convention is now well organized with rules established, permanent officers elected, and delegates clearly identified by their official convention badges.
William D. Haywood was elected permanent Chairman. W. E. Trautmann was elected permanent Secretary. And, on the recommendation of Mother Jones, Miss Emma F. Langdon was appointed to the position of Assistant Secretary.
Following the account given by the Tribune, our readers can find the Hellraisers report from the second day of the Convention.
From the Chicago Daily Tribune
of June 29, 1905:
SOCIALISTS BAR A LAWYER
------
REFUSE CREDENTIALS AND CALL ATTORNEYS PARASITES.
------
L. B. Boudin, Delegate to "Industrial Union" Convention, Excluded
Because He Is an Attorney-
Motion to Send All Except Members to Gallery
Nearly Clears the Hall-
Finally Compromise Organization Plan Is Adopted
and Officers Chosen.
-----
Louis B Boudin
-----
The convention of the "industrial unionists" at Brand's hall, Erie and Clark streets, yesterday was marked by the airing of internal dissensions. After a heated discussion lasting for hours Attorney L. B. Boudin, a well known socialist of New York, was not recognized as a delegate "because he was a lawyer." His credentials were returned to him and he withdrew from the hall.
Daniel de Leon, leader of the Socialist Trade and Labor alliance, objected to his affiliation with the organization.
"it is not that I object to the man personally, as I do not know whether he has our interests at heart or not but he is a lawyer, and lawyers are parasites among parasites, and we want nothing whatever to do with the human leeches," said De Leon.
"I second that motion. All that lawyers can do is file the injunctions," cried Mrs. L. M. [Lillian] Forberg.
Makes a Counter Accusation.
Almost a score of delegates sprang to their feet and clamored for recognition. A. M. Simmons [Simons], editor of the International Socialist Review, was at last recognized and he began accusing De Leon of personal reasons for objecting to Boudin.
"Boudin was a short time ago one of the directors of the S. T. and L. A., of which De Leon is the head, and if he was eligible for that office I can see no reason why he cannot be admitted here," said Simmons. "Besides De Leon is himself a lawyer."
Simmons' effort, however, was wasted, as the vote against admitting the lawyer was overwhelming.
At this juncture a delegate noticed that there was at exceedingly large attendance at the convention. It was also noted that the voting was heavy in comparison to the lists of names on the official roll of the secretary. It was then requested that all visitors retire to the gallery. To the astonishment of the chairman almost half of the "delegates," including Cornelius P. Shea, left their seats and sought places in the gallery.
Compromise Report Adopted.
After more discussion over the adoption of the report of the committee on credentials a compromise was effected, by which it was agreed that the chairman should appoint half the members of the standing committees and the delegations would elect the other members. The report was then adopted.
The permanent officers for the convention were elected as follows:
Chairman. B. [D.] Haywood.
Secretary-William Trautmann.
Recording secretary-Miss Emma Langdon.
Today will be spent in selecting a name for the new association and the discussion of its objects and purposes.
------
Convention of Industrial Unionists-
Day Two-June 28, 1905
Morning Session
The convention was called to order by Chairman Haywood at 9 a. m.
The Report of the Credentials Committee was read and it was decided to seat as delegates those recommended by the Committee, and to refer objections to the seating of certain delegates back to the committee.
Elections of permanent officers of the convention were held. William D. Haywood was elect to the Chair, W. E. Trautmann was elected as Secretary, and on the motion of Mother Jones, Miss Emma F. Langdon was appointed as assistant secretary.
Debate on Stenographic Report.
Daniel de Leon
`````
Due to the commendable foresight of Daniel De Leon and other representatives of the Socialist Trade and Labor Alliance, a stenographer was in place and busy at work. The ST&LA had voted $200 in order for the stenographer to begin his work. After some debate, the convention decided to keep the stenographer at work and to appoint a special ways and means committee to raise enough money to continue funding a stenographic report.
Debate on Formation of Committees
There was some debate as to how the various committees should be formed. It was proposed that the representatives of the organizations already installed by the convention should elect a member for each committee, and that the Chairman should then appoint three members to each committee from among the individual delegates.
Much debate followed, and by 12:30 p. m., the question not being settled, the convention adjourned until 2 p. m.
Afternoon Session
Debate on Formation of Committees Continues
The issue at hand was the status of those who came to the convention as representatives of organizations with the power to install versus the status of those in attendance as individuals, representing only themselves.
During this debate, Delegate Lucy E. Parsons made the following speech:
Lucy Parsons
`````
DEL. LUCY E. PARSONS: A great deal has been said here about the number of votes that the different delegates carry around in their pockets. I am not here for the purpose of raising a note of inharmony or disunion among these delegates. I am simply here in the interest of truth as I see it. Now, this idea of mere force of numbers sounds too much to me like “Might makes Right.” Mere force of numbers never made a right on earth, and, thanks to justice, never can. What is right, what is just and justice, is simply the result of the best minds of all the ages. Whatever right we have in society is simply a heritage handed down to us by those who had only disinterested motives.
Now, I am one of those who entered my name as an individual delegate. I had to do so because I had to subscribe to the technicality of the clause that has been read by the delegate before the last. I entered myself as an individual delegate, but let me assure you that I for one had no such idea of entering my name as an individual delegate. Now, a great many of you represent your unions, and I certainly do believe in organized labor or I would not be here; organization of a purely economic nature. I entered my name believing that I did not represent a mere body that met within the four walls of any hall, but that I represent that great body that has its face to the foremost ends of the earth.
Now, I entered my name here, and I think others did, because we had eyes to see misery, we had ears to hear the cry of the downcast and miserable of the earth, we had a heart that was sympathetic, and we believed that we could come here and raise our voice and mingle it with yours in the interest of humanity. So that is the great audience that I represent. I represent those people, those little children who, after my twenty-five years residence in Chicago, I know are in the factories. I entered here as a delegate to represent that great mass of outraged humanity, my sisters whom I can see in the night when I go out in Chicago, who are young and fair and beautiful, but who are compelled to sell the holy name of womanhood for a night’s lodging.
I am here to raise my voice with them, and ask you to put forth from this organization a declaration of principles and a constitution that shall give them hope in the future, that they shall be enrolled under the banner of this organization. Had I simply come here to represent myself, I might as well have remained at home and not taken up the time of your deliberative body. Let me say to you—I will take but a few moments of your time—that it matters not to me personally what you shall finally decide. I am perfectly willing to leave my case in the hands of this convention as to whether I and the rest of the individual delegates shall be admitted.
I wish simply to say to you, God speed you in your effort, and that there might come some good at least from your organization. I wish to state in conclusion that some of the delegates seem to lay some capital up or put some stress upon what some delegate or some people here have lost in the interest of labor. Let me say to you that I think that is the last stock in trade that any delegate should talk about in this hall. It matters not if there is a man in this hall who has lost a limb in the interest of labor, he has not lived in vain. If there are some here who have lost their liberty temporarily in the interest of labor, they have not spent their time in vain.
And if there are some who have lost their dearest gift of all, life, in the interest of labor, that cause is justified and their lives have not been sacrificed in vain. And so let me say to you brothers and sisters, don’t engage in any personalities, but simply remember that we are here as one brotherhood and one sisterhood, as one humanity, with a responsibility to the down-trodden and the oppressed of all humanity, it matters not under what flag or in what country they happened to be born. Let us have that idea of Thomas Paine, that “The world is my country, and mankind are my countrymen.” (Applause.)
[Paragraph breaks added.]
The convention then decided that each affiliated organization would elect one representative to each committee, and that the chair would appoint three of the individual delegates to each committee.
Report of the Committee on Credentials.
This is where the debate on admitting the lawyer as a delegate took place. This debate was not nearly as acrimonious as the Tribune reported [see above]. As Chair, Haywood declared:
We will cut out all personalities and confine the debate to the question at issue.
The attorney was then admitted as a fraternal delegate without a vote.
Del. De Leon stated:
It has been said the this Boudin as a lawyer was a member of the Socialist Trade & Labor Alliance. I wish to say that there is no truth in that statement.
Report of the Committee on Rules.
Item by item, Secretary Trautmann read the report and rules were adopted to govern the proceedings of the Convention of Industrial Unionist. The Convention was then declared organized, and those not recognized as delegates were asked to leave the convention floor and move to the gallery.
The installed organizations were asked to have their representatives elected for the designated committees before the next day’s session in order that the individual delegates could then be appointed by the chair.
A list of organizations was read:
Western Federation of Miners, five delegates, 27,000 votes.
Socialist Trade & Labor Alliance, 1,450 votes.
Industrial Workers Club, Cincinnati, 78 votes.
Industrial Workers Club, Chicago, 54 votes.
Workers’ Industrial Educational Union, Pueblo, 30 votes.
United Metal Workers, 3,000 votes.
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners.
Montreal, Can., Bakers and Confectioners.
United Mine Workers of America, 27 votes.
Flat Janitors’ Local, Chicago.
Journeyman Tailors’ Union.
Metal Polishers’ and Buffers’ Union.
Journeyman Tailors’ Protective and Benevolent Union, San Francisco, 400 votes.
American Labor Union, 16,780 votes.
Punch Press Operators’ Union, 242, Schenectady, 160 votes.
Tailors of Montreal, 22 votes.
Paper Hangers’ Union No. 584, Chicago, 87 votes.
United Mine Workers, Pittsburg, Kas.
Origin of the Manifesto
and the Proceedings of the January Conference
Clarence Smith read into the record a document called “Origin of the Manifesto” which explained how the January Conference was organized. The minutes of the January Conference were also read into the record of the Convention. Also read into the record were communications to and from the planning committee which had been sent and received prior to the convention.
The 2nd Day Wraps Up
The Convention voted to have the Chairman appoint an auditing committee. Delegates Powers, Saunders and Twining were appointed.
The Credential committee then distributed badges, and delegates rose to accept their badges as their names were called out.
The Convention adjourned at 5:10 p. m. until 9 a. m. the next morning.
~~~~~~~~~~
SOURCES
Proceedings of the First Convention of the Industrial Workers of the World
-Industrial Workers of the World, Big Bill Haywood
Merit Publishers, 1905
https://books.google.com/...
Chicago Daily Tribune
(Chicago, Illinois)
June 29, 1905
http://www.newspapers.com/...
IMAGES
Emma F Langdon
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/...
Louis B Boudin
https://en.wikipedia.org/...
Daniel De Leon
http://spartacus-educational.com/...
Lucy Parsons
https://en.wikipedia.org/...
See also:
CONVENTION Industrial Workers of the World
SECOND DAY—Wednesday, June 28
MORNING SESSION.
https://www.marxists.org/...
CONVENTION-Industrial Workers of the World
SECOND DAY-Wednesday, June 28
AFTERNOON SESSION
https://www.marxists.org/...
Report to Gompers by Luke Grant:
First Day, June 27, 1905
http://www.gompers.umd.edu/...
Grant's Report on 2nd Day
http://www.gompers.umd.edu/...
In 1905 Luke Grant, the labor editor of the Chicago Inter Ocean, attended the founding convention of the Industrial Workers of the World. A member of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters, which was an AFL affiliate at the time, Grant kept Gompers informed of the convention's progress.
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Annie Laurie - John McDermott
(Sung by Albert Parsons for Lucy Parsons the night before he was executed.)
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