The Coming Fight

COLUMBOS O.. F-L. 11 -rHisrh nbove tiie stage of tne City i.aü. in eVer r :i letl ira a foot lo:i,', lianas the motto: ".■iz it ! Hours Diy' Elsèrb re apon the walls of the spaciou room hïi o; h ir mottoes haviuij asimilar import, 'i'iiey express the sentiment and inlicate the future dernuLi Is thr Unie! Mine Workers of America. w!io-e flrst nnnual convention begüu here veterd;iy niorniiig. The American iediTdiioa, it is kuowo, has selected the giunt miners' organization to make the next great national struggle for eiiit hours ïhousaads of workmen, with an ulmost perfect oranization and baoked by milüons of dollars, will engace in the battle against aggregated capital. Prominent Iea Presnit. At this mine workers' aonual convention it is expected that much of tbe preliminary detail of the impendins; battle ; will be arranged. For this reason the sion is attracting national interest from other than the mining interests. Besides the general officers of the mine workers, many distinguished labor leaders are ! ent, among whom are Samuel ! pers, president of the American ' tíon of Labor: Secretar" aud Treasurer Hayes, of the Knights of Labnr general assembly; A. ". Wright, member of the general executive board. Knights of ! bor; Hugh J. Kavanaugh, general worthy foreman, Knights of Labor, and Hon. John McBride, Ohio state commissioner of labor statistics. Hands Across a Chasm. At tbe morniug session committees on credentials and on rules having been appointed a committee was sent to escort President Gompers and the other distinguished geutlemen to the hall. When j they appeared upon the stage a dramatic ! scène ensued. President John B. Rae, of ; the United Mine workers, stepped forward to the front of the platform, holding in nis own the hands of Mr. Gompers, of the American Federation, and Mr. Wright, of the Knights of Labor. The resonant cheers which a moment before had beat against the castellated roof of the vast hall were for a moment hu-hed into stillness profound. Said President Rae, in tones of triumph and exultation: "These clasped hands are indicative of the true spirit of fraternity of feeliug which joins and cements the interests of these three eiaot labor organizatious " Gompers Delivers an Address. Then again great volumes of sound broke the stillne.-ss. Cheer upon cheer from the lusty tbroats of brawny miners rose to the ceilins and were echoed back only to be caught and returned upon an advancing wave of renevred applause. President Gompers theu addressed the convention, bis remarles treati;ig principally of the eight-hour movement. He Said, substantially: I think the very happy incident jast given by your president indieates the feeling between the labor organizations of the country. I think it would be apropos to speak of the eighthour movement. The American Federation of Labor decided that there shall be a successive movement of national trades for the establishment of the eight hour work day. Advantages of Eight Hour. We believe. or rather the history of the labor organizations illustrates, that a reduction in the hours of labor has been invariably followed by an increase in wages; also a betterment of the condition of the wage-workers. It gves them that most important factor in lifetime; time that commences with our first breath and endsonly when we die; time to cultívate our minds. our bodies; time to devote to our families; to raise our children as they should be raised; to promote the fraternal feeling among men. There is no one question so far-reaching that promises so great results and to accomplish our emancipation as to reduce the hours of labor. Successes of the Past. May 1. 1890, witnessed and passed over a bloodless revolution. The carpenters selected by the A. F. of L. not only reduced the hours of labor, but thousands of others reduced their hours of labor. While there were quite a large number who did not succeed, they came out of the contest with flying colors; numerically, ñnancially, and in every way better than when they entered. Movements of labor for reform are rewarded by an amount of success in the same degree that there is a spirit of valor on the one hand. a spirit of aggressiveness on the other. No faint-heartedness in the labor movement ought to be tolerated. We must go at it determinedly and not take a step baekward. Work lïetore the Convention. Irecognize the representativo character of this convention, and its power to do good work. You not only are required to carry out the instnietions of previous conventions of miners, but come fresh from your constituent, knowing their wants and feelings, and you are in a position to legislate positively 'their wishes. You also have the wighes of other trades to carry out, that you insist on the enforcement of the eighHiour work-day. [Applause.] May 1, I 1890, must witness the inauguraticm for the miners of the country of an eight-hour workday. You will meet in conferenc-e in a few months with the operators. Let them understand that the United Mine Workers are a unit on at least one question, that is, eight j hours; that you are standing as a solid pha: lanx from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from gulf to gulf, for an eight-hour work day. A Plea for United Action. There must be peafect accord and frankness with up. All through the working forces of the country there is a pulse-beat. a common impulse for the success of the movement. The Ímpetus obtained by the miners this year will give the employers such an idea that a suspension will not be necessary in the othur trades to secure eight hours. I hope they will show the good sense to concede you eight hours. A Contest Settli'U. At the afternoon session there was a long and animated eontest aKtothecredentials of John Costello and ' b. irles McDonald, of Pittsburg Emch claimed to be entitled to a seat in the convention. Both were finally idmitted upou tii tacit understanding that they wonl;i ;j;iy certain duea which had forice I t e h m ■ of contentiou Ieai!ini5 to the cd ii A Multitude tu i The result of this conv ill probably be that 175,000 Amelírswill strike for eiijt hour on ... I it is almost equally certain tbal uu ..il date thousamls of tnioers in Eu;4i ui and Europe will join in a despera! ;i;i.l concentrated effort to obtn hiüher -.vages and shorter hours of toil. Whilu the attack will be led by the miners, it is more than probable that other trades will be drawn into the iight. So there is a lively prospect in the labor field.