Hellraisers Journal, Sunday June 23, 1907
Denver, Colorado – Report from W. F. of M. Convention
From the Duluth Labor World of June 22, 1907:
WESTERN MINERS HAND LEMON
TO I. W. OF W.
—–
Revolutionary Organization of
Industrial Workers Are Repudiated.
—–
Annual Convention of Western Federation
Takes Decisive Action.
—–
DENVER, Col., June 20.—”To hell with Moyer and Haywood—they are merely individuals.”
“To hell with Eugene V. Debs—we are revolutionists.” These inflammatory utterances made on the floor during the second annual convention of the Industrial Workers of the World in secret session in Chicago last September, were probably largely responsible for the split that has since occurred in the ranks of that organization.
This was brought out in the afternoon session of the federation convention yesterday afternoon. The disclosures were made in a communication read from Charles O. Sherman, former president of the Industrial Workers of the World. There were some quickly hushed hisses and some applause following the conclusion of the reading of the lengthy document.
The Western Federation of Miners, is known as the “mining department” of the Industrial Workers of the World. The latter association is divided into two factions—the “revolutionists” and the advocates of an economic industrial organization. The federation members are mostly from the latter class and practically left the Industrial Workers last December when they refused to pay a per capita to that body.
Since then there has been much dissension between the two organizations and many attempts on the part of the Workers to have the federation return to the fold. The question is to be settled at the convention now in session in Denver.
It is charged that the “revolutionists” are dominated by the Socialist Labor party and that leaders of the latter have many times preached that the way to subdue the conservative labor union man or the non-union laborer is to bring about a condition in the industrial world that will reduce them to starvation. “Starve them and they’ll vote for us,” the leaders are quoted as saying.
Sherman stated further in his communication that he had retired from the presidency of the Industrial Workers because he realized that he had many enemies and his continuance might result in further defection. He makes a lengthy plea to the federation not to withdraw from the Workers and states that if such action is taken the “revolutionists” will worm their way into the ranks of the federation and finally disrupt them.
There are several delegates in attendance upon the federation convention that are classed with the “revolutionary” element of the Industrial Workers. They are not losing any opportunity of making their presence known and being experienced workers in labor circles it is expected that they will make a bitter fight on the question of the federation leaving the Workers.
Charles Gilday [Gildea], a prominent figure in labor union circles in the Pennsylvania coal fields and high in the administration of the affairs of the United Mine Workers addressed the convention yesterday afternoon by special invitation: He speaks from the shoulder and takes so unkindly to interrupting applause that he halted his speech long enough to inform his audience that people who applaud with their hands do not think with their heads.
[He said, in part:]
The struggles you are making are not lost on the east. The colored reports of the capitalistic press on the Haywood trial are not believed by the workers in the eastern states. We recognize that you are engaged in a class battle, like ourselves. We know with you that it is not your officers but the advanced labor movement that is on trial at Boise.
There are more than twenty million wage slaves in the United States. At no time in the past has this slave class come to the realization it now has of the need of improvement of conditions.
The problem of equality between owner and producer must be settled by a resort to a decided remedy. We can never make progress by a slow dragging along of our claims.
We have to fight a damnable murderous system that is making thieves and murderers of some and victims of others. The class that charges us with being lawbreakers is the class that took advantage of the people during the Spanish war and killed more of our soldiers with embalmed beef than met death from Spanish bullets.
The proceedings yesterday afternoon were further enlivened by many arguments on the advisability of referring various communications to some committee or of fighting out the questions they presented on the floor of the convention.
Several amendments to the constitution or the by-laws were proposed. None of these suggested any radical changes, except one advocating that the line in the charter reading, “Wealth Belongs to the Producer” be stricken out. The explanation contained in the motion was to the effect that the motto means nothing, because economic conditions are such that the producer gets but little, if any, of the wealth he produces.
A handsome mahogany gavel, ivory tipped and highly polished, was received by Acting President Mahoney, a gift to the federation from the Amalgamated Woodworkers of Chicago. With the costly gift came a letter stating that the woodworkers at their regular meeting June 12 unanimously resolved to extend to the federation convention their undivided support in the present fight and to express their positive conviction that Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone are innocent of the charges made against them:
A verse accompanying the gavel reads:
This gavel is no tool made for tyrant’s rule—
It’s an emblem of true order, that is all.
May it fall for justice, might; may it ever fall for right.
May it fall for unity when it must fall.A motion was made and referred to a committee calling for the publication of the proceedings of the convention in three foreign languages—Finnish, Polish and Italian.
Secretary Kirwan has his books ready for public inspection, showing that the drafts made out to Simpkins and cashed by him, as was brought out in the trial at Boise yesterday, were for legitimate expenses and salary paid to Simpkins during the time he worked as an organizer for the federation.
———-
[Photograph added.]
SOURCE
The Labor World
(Duluth, Minnesota)
-June 22, 1907
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn78000395/1907-06-22/ed-1/seq-4/
IMAGES
Wealth to Producer, WFM Motto, Miners Mag Jan 1, 1914
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=BT4tAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA59-IA7
WFM Button
https://www.nps.gov/kewe/learn/historyculture/museum-guide-5.htm
See also:
Official Proceedings of the Fifteenth Annual Convention
Western Federation of Miners
Held in Odd Fellows Hall, Denver, Colorado
June 10th to July 3rd of 1907
https://books.google.com/books?id=wq03AQAAMAAJ
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=wq03AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA1
Morning Session, June 15
Greeting from Woodworkers of Chicago
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=wq03AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA207
The Gavel and the Poem
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=wq03AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA207
Afternoon Session, June 15
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=wq03AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA223
Much Communication from Sherman was read, and begins here:
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=wq03AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA232
Hissing hushed:
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=wq03AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA234
“So-called revolutionists”
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=wq03AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA236
Socialist Labor Party in control of IWW (per Sherman)
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=wq03AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA239
“To hell with Moyer and Haywood….to hell with Debs”
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=wq03AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA239
Speech of Charles Gildea of UMWA:
(Note: Gildea in Proceedings & also Gildea in Edwards Steel’s two volumes-Correspondence & Speeches of Mother Jones)
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=wq03AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA246
Morning Session, June 17
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=wq03AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA251
Resolution re WFM Motto: “Wealth Belongs to the Producer, Thereof”
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=wq03AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA260
Note: L. J. (Jack) Simpkins, member of WFM Executive Board
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=wq03AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA2
NOTE: L. J. Simpkins, at the time of this convention was on the Executive Board and was also a fugitive from justice, having been charge along, with Haywood, Moyer and Pettibone in connection with the murder of Frank Steunenberg, ex-governor of Idaho. Simpkins disappeared and was never found.
http://steunenberg.blogspot.com/2008/07/on-trail-of-jack-simpkins-disappearing.html
Solidarity Forever – Utah Phillips
“All the world that’s owned by idle drones
Is ours and ours alone.
We have laid the wide foundations
Built it higher stone by stone.
It is ours not to slave in
But to master and to own.”
-Ralph Chaplin