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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday June 11, 1902
Denver, Colorado – W. F. of M. and A. L. U. Conventions Favor Socialism
From the Lead City Daily Tribune of June 10, 1902:
Moyer Elected President.
———-Denver, June 9.-The annual convention of the Western Federation of Miners adjourned last night. Edward Boyce refused to serve as president and Charles Moyer of Lead, S. D., was elected in his stead. The other officers elected follow: Vice president, E. D. Hughes, Butte, Mont.; secretary and treasurer, W. D. Haywood, Silver, City, Ida.
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[Emphasis and photograph added.]
From the Butte Labor World of June 9, 1902
-Convention Number:
FEDERATION OF MINERS FAVORS SOCIALISM
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Charles Moyer, of Lead, S. D., Is Elected President
-Ed Hughes, of Butte, Vice President
-Edward Boyce Retires from Office
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[Highlights from article.]
President Boyce, after a number of years of successful service as president, has retired. His successor, Charles Moyer of Lead, S. D., is regarded as a strong man, and one who will judiciously administrate the affairs of the organization…..
Paul Corcoran of Idaho, whose pardon as one of the Coeur d’Alene miners was effected through the miners, sent a warm and appreciative letter to the federation thanking it for assisting in rescuing him from prison…..
For favoring the pardon of Paul Corcoran a vote of thanks was extended to Governor Hunt and Secretary of State Basset of Idaho……
While the delegates upstairs at the Western Labor Union convention were discussing socialism and adopting it, those downstairs were debating the question with great vigor. The matter came up on the report of the committee on President Boyce’s report. John M. O’Neill of Cripple Creek was chairman, and recommended that President Boyce’s socialistic program be carried out in its entirety…
[T]he resolution and its political plans was adopted Wednesday morning….
One of the most significant actions of the Western Federation of Miners’ convention was the turning down by a unanimous vote the proposition of the American Federation of Labor for a reaffiliation of the two big bodies…..
A Gentle Refusal.
Secretary-Treasurer W. D. Haywood was instructed to notify the American Federation of Labor that in view of the action of the convention’s new departure in espousing socialism the invitation is respectfully declined…..
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WESTERN LABOR UNION CHANGES ITS NAME
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Will Carry an Aggressive Fight into the Camp of
the American Federation of Labor
-President Dan McDonald is Re-elected
———-[Highlights from article.]
The American Labor union has closed its annual convention at Denver…..
The name of the organization has been changed from the Western Labor union to the American Labor union.
The gauntlet has been thrown down to the American Federation, and war will be waged all along the line.
The territory of the Western organization will be enlarged to take in great industrial bodies of the East…..
The union has been irrevocably pledged to socialism and independent political action [see resolution below, the platform of Socialist Party of America was adopted in its entirety]…..
