Then we'll sing one song of the One Big Union Grand,
The hope of the toiler and slave,
It's coming fast; it is sweeping sea and land,
To the terror of the grafter and the knave.
-Joe Hill
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Friday July 7, 1905
Chicago, Illinois - Convention Adopts Article I Section 2 After Two Days of Debate
Today's edition of the
Inter Ocean would lead one to believe that the Convention of Industrial Unionists, meeting in Brand's Hall in the city of Chicago, is in complete disarray. In fact, the Convention, yesterday, settled it's differences over Article I Section 2 of the proposed Constitution, and then proceeded quickly forward. The adoption of a Constitution will most likely be completed by the end of today's session.
The sad news that Mrs. Emma F. Langdon had been robbed was greeted with dismay by the Convention, and a committee was appointed to investigate the theft.
Mrs. Emma F. Langdon is the author of the The Cripple Creek Strike, a history of the recent strike which has been officially endorsed by the Colorado Federation of Labor. She is an honorary member of the Western Federation of Miners and was appointed to the position of Assistant Secretary of the Convention at the suggestion of Mother Jones.
Below the fold, our readers can find the Hellraisers report on Day Nine of the Convention, but first we offer this account from the Inter Ocean. The Inter Ocean, a member of the kept press of Chicago has, as is usual, twisted the story to suit its own bias.
FRIEND OF WAGE SLAVES ROBBED
BY PLAIN THIEF
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Secretary of Socialists Shocked at Degeneracy of Man,
Which May Compel Her to Walk to Denver.
There was consternation in the ranks of the "industrial" unionists in convention in Brand's hall yesterday afternoon. It was caused by the discovery that common, ordinary sneak thieves had invaded the sacred precincts of the men who are endeavoring to save the world.
Imbued with purely altruistic motives, the delegates have no thought of themselves. They are anxious to rescue the "wage slaves" of the country, whether the latter want to be rescued or not.
But the thieves who entered the hall during the convention thought only of immediate wants and appropriated the pocketbook of Mrs. Emma Langdon, the assistant secretary of the convention. It contained $50 in money and a railroad ticket to Denver, the home of Mrs. Langdon.
Mrs. Langdon left the pocketbook on a table in the rear of the platform while she carried some books and documents to an ante-room. When she returned it was gone. She announced her loss with tears in her eyes, as visions of walking to Denver arose before her, and the delegates decided to take up a subscription to help her. Some of the delegates changed their ideas of reforming society and decided that it was essential to reform individuals first.
The entire time of the convention yesterday was taken up in discussing a constitution for the proposed organization. David C. Coates, who has fought for an organization purely on industrial rather than on economic lines, was defeated by a vote of 39,540 votes to 11,523. The report of the constitution committee was adopted.
After the vote was announced Coates proposed to discharge the committee on constitution and appoint a new one, but his motion was defeated by decisive vote. He left the hall in disgust shortly after and left the theorists in full control.
The adoption of the report of the constitution committee was a victory for "Father" Hagerty and Daniel De Leon and proved that they control the convention. The trade unionists and the regular socialists are disgusted and they predict that the convention will end in smoke.
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Convention of Industrial Unionists
Day Nine-July 6, 1905
MORNING SESSION
The Convention was called to order by Chairman Haywood at 9 a. m. who then announced those appointed to fill the vacancies on the Ratification Committee: Delegates W. E. White, Lynch, Starkenberg and Mrs. Forberg.
Secretary Trautmann read the minutes of the previous day's session and a communication from Local Union No. 9, Brewery Workers of Milwaukee, which organization donated $25 toward the stenographic report.
DEBATE ON COATES AMENDMENT CONTIUES
The debate on the Coates Amendment, begun on Day Seven of the Convention and continued all through Day Eight, was then resumed.
At issue was Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution as proposed by the Constitution Committee:
The 13 Division are loosely based on
Father Hagerty's Chart on Industrial Organization.
`````
Section 2. (a) And shall be composed of thirteen international industrial unions, designated as follows:
Division 1 shall be composed of all persons working in the following industries: Clerks, salesmen, tobacco, packing houses, flour mills, sugar refineries, dairies, bakeries and kindred industries.
Division 2. Brewery, wine and distillery workers.
Division 3. Floriculture, stock and general farming.
Division 4. Mining, milling, smelting and refining coal, ores, metals, salt and iron.
Division 5. Steam railway, electric railway, marine, shipping and teaming.
Division 6. All building employes.
Division 7. All textile industrial employes.
Division 8. All leather industrial workers.
Division 9. All wood working employes excepting those engaged in building departments.
Division 10. All metal industrial employes.
Division 11. All glass and pottery employes.
Division 12. All paper mills, chemical, rubber, broom, brush and jewelry industries.
Division 13. Parks, highways, municipal, postal service, telegraph, telephone, schools and educational institutions, amusements, sanitary, printing, hotel, restaurant and laundry employes.
Central bodies. Central bodies (first) composed of seven or more local unions in two or more industries shall be known as industrial councils; (second) Local unions, in such industries as are not organized and represented on the General Executive Board; (third) Individual members in such places where there is not a sufficient number of workers to organize a local union in any industry.
The Coates Amendment to Article I, Section 2:
DEL. COATES [on Day Seven]: Mr. Chairman, I want to offer an amendment. The amendment is that the second paragraph of Article 1 shall read “This organization shall be composed of national and international unions embracing all workers of an industry,” instead of thirteen division as made up.
Del. Coates took the floor to continue his closing argument in support of his amendment. We refer our readers to the debate on Article I, Section 2 which took place yesterday, for, notwithstanding the long-winded speech to which Mr. Coates subjected the delegates, we cannot find where he added anything new to support his position.
A vote was taken, with a roll call as demanded by Del. Coates, and the Coates Amendment was overwhelmingly rejected by the Convention. Our records show a vote of 10,617 in favor to 38,937 against.
The vote of the Western Federation of Miners delegation was unanimous totaling 27,000 votes. The vote of the American Labor Union was split with McDonald, Coates, and Cronin supporting the Coates Amendment and the remainder of the A. L. U. delegation opposed. Haywood and Moyer are members of the both delegations, and were, therefore, allowed to vote twice in opposition to the Coates Amendment.
HAYWOOD'S MOTION TO REFER
Del. Sherman was called to the Chair so that Haywood could present a motion to refer Article I Section 2 back to the Committee on Constitution:
That Section 2 of Article 1 be referred back to the committee with instructions to specifically satisfy and provide for that part of the Manifesto providing for craft autonomy locally, industrial autonomy internationally, and working class unity generally.
Much debate followed, during which, Haywood appealed to the members of the delegation from the Western Federation of Miners to support his motion. Nevertheless, Haywood's motion to refer was rejected by the Convention by a vote of 22,471 supporting and 28,679 opposed. With the exception of Haywood, himself, the entire W. F. of M. delegation voted against the Haywood Motion, including Charles Moyer.
The Convention adjourned at 12:10 p. m. until 1:10 p. m.
AFTERNOON SESSION
The Convention was called to order by Chairman Haywood at 1:25 p. m.
THE TRAUTMANN AMENDMENT
W. E. Trautmann
`````
THE CHAIRMAN: When the convention adjourned we had just disposed of the motion to refer. The motion now occurs on the adoption of Section 2 of Article I of the constitution as recommended by the committee.
Secretary Trautmann: I would ask, in order to eliminate too much discussion, the consent of the Constitution Committee to insert in their report on Section 2 the following clause: “Shall consist of thirteen industrial divisions subdivided into industrial unions of closely connected industries in the appropriate organizations for representation in the departmental administration.”
DEL. BRADLEY: Do you make that as a motion?
SECRETARY TRAUTMANN: Yes, sir.
DEL. BRADLEY: I will second that motion.
THE CHAIRMAN: You have heard the amendment offered by Secretary Trautmann to Section 2, Article I of the constitution.
Del. Trautmann gave a short speech in support of his amendment, after which, Del. Coates took the floor:
DEL. COATES: I understand now that this motion or this amendment is before the house.
THE CHAIRMAN: This amendment is before the house.
DEL. COATES: I want to make a motion. I am willing to submit this motion without any debate. I do it largely on account of this new matter coming in and the temperament as I understood of the convention when it voted on the previous motion. My motion is this: I move that the present Constitution Committee be discharged and the amendment now before the convention be referred to a committee of the same number and selected in the same manner as the present Committee on Constitution, with instructions to report a constitution complying with the Manifesto declaring for craft autonomy locally, industrial autonomy internationally, and working class unity generally.
DEL. PARKS: I second the motion.
Question called for.
DEL. COATES: I wish to ask for a roll call, Mr. President.
COATES APPEALS DECISION OF CHAIR
Chairman Haywood refuse to consider the motion and Coates then appealed the decision of the Chair:
THE CHAIRMAN: I would say to the mover of the motion that the motion will not be entertained by the Chair until such time as the disposition of this convention is determined as to the plan that has already been selected to form a Constitution Committee of this convention. (Applause). The Chair will suspend his decision in regard to this very serious matter. The committee will be selected in the same manner as the present committee, as this provides. Permit the Chair to say that in his opinion the selection of the group from the Western Federation of Miners would consist of identically the same delegate that is now on that committee, the President of the Western Federation of Miners. And it is the opinion of the Chair that the formation of this committee would be identically the same as it is at the present time, and until such time as this amendment has been disposed of, and the sense of this convention in regard to the committee that have already submitted their work has been defined, the motion will be declared out of order. If you have a desire to appeal from the decision of the Chair, you will be so permitted.
DEL. COATES: Give me a chance. I want to say, Mr. Chairman, that I appeal from the decision of the Chair, and in that appeal I wish to state my reasons. My reasons for appeal is this: I disagree with the Chairman when he says the make-up of the committee will be the same. I do not believe the Chair or any other delegate can assume that right or that position; I do not believe it.
I make the appeal on another ground. Mr. Chairman, we have realized all the way through that this Constitution Committee has absolutely pledged itself to support this report, and we know that behind that pledge is a sufficient number of votes to carry that amendment. At the same time the temper of the resolution, or rather of the convention, on the previous motion that was voted on, to refer it back to the same committee, shows to us that there are some members of the Constitution Committee that would be willing to send it to some other committee. They are simply standing together as a committee. They would prefer that this be unloaded onto some other committee. Now, Mr. Chairman, that is my only reason, and I do not think this convention ought to be forced to go up against a committee that is absolutely pledged to support this motion regardless of whether they are convinced that it is right or that it is wrong; and I make my appeal on those grounds, and I ask a roll call on the appeal.
THE CHAIRMAN: The Chairman would take the position that every member on this committee is placed on his honor; that after coming into this convention and listening to the debate which has consumed twenty hours of time, I say the members of this committee must have absorbed some ideas, and that the will of this convention stands above any action that may have been taken in that committee. Delegate Miller, will you kindly take the chair?
(Delegate Miller took the chair.)
The decision of the Chair was sustained by the Convention by a vote of 28,891 to 22,648, with Charles Moyer voting twice (for the W. F. of M. and for the A. L. U.) against the decision of Chairman Haywood
RATIFICATION MEETING
The Ratification reported on progress made in planning for the ratification meeting which will take place on on July 7th (tonight!) at 8 p. m. at Brand's Hall, corner of Clark and erie streets.
ATICLE I, SECTION 2 AMENDED AND ADOPTED
The question of the Trautmann Amendment was put before the Convention and was adopted. The question was then called as to the adoption of Article I Section 2 as amended. The roll call revealed a vote of 40,801 in favor of adoption and 10,363 opposed.
Haywood on "Parliamentary Railroading."
During the roll call, Del. Parks explained his vote against:
DEL. PARKS: Mr. Chairman, I want to state my reason for the vote which I gave. I object to the parliamentary railroading that has lately been inaugurated in this convention. Therefore I vote no.
After the vote was announced Chairman Haywood took exception to the statement of Del. Parks:
THE CHAIRMAN: The Chair at this time wants to resent any imputation on the part of any delegate that there has been any parliamentary railroading of any proposition m this floor. Two days and a half of time have been consumed in discussing this proposition, and then a delegate Las the impudence to get on the floor and say something has been railroaded. (Applause.)
Father Hagery
`````
PROGRESS ON ADOPTION OF CONSITUTION
The adoption of the report of the Constitution Committee then progressed rapidly for the rest of the afternoon with Del. Hagerty, Secretary of the the committee, reading the proposed Constitution paragraph by paragraph. The Constitution was adopted, with a few amendments up to and including Article IV Section 2.
A PERSONAL ANNOUNCEMENT.
Sadly, during the deliberations on the adoption of a constitution, Del Sherman took the floor to announce that the Assistant Secretary of the Convention had been robbed:
DEL. SHERMAN: I would ask, as special privilege, the ears of the delegates of this convention for two minutes. I would ask it as a special privilege, if there is no objection. (No objection was heard.)
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Sherman has the floor.
DEL. SHERMAN: Mr. Chairman, Sisters and Brothers, I have an announcement to make, and I desire to make a motion following the announcement. Our little sister here on the platform, Sister Langdon, who has so efficiently served us through this convention, had the misfortune yesterday of having some one steal all her belongings from this platform, including her return transportation, some $40 or $50, and some valuable credentials that she had from various organizations in her work that she has done for many years. I want to make a motion that the Chair appoint an uninstructed committee to take up this case and make such provisions as in their judgment will be fitting for the occasion. (Seconded.)
THE CHAIRMAN: You have heard the motion. Are you ready for the question? (Question called for). Those in favor of the motion signify it by saying aye. Contrary no. The motion is carried. The Chair would appoint on that committee, the mover of the motion, Brother Sherman, Brother McCabe and Brother Hickey.
The Convention was adjourned at 6 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/...
The Inter Ocean
(Chicago Illinois)
-July 7, 1905
http://www.newspapers.com/...
IMAGES
Emma F Langdon
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/...
Father Hagertys Wheel,
from Miners Magazine of April 20, 1905
http://www.gutenberg.org/...
David C Coates
https://books.google.com/...
Big Bill Haywood, 1904
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/...
William E Trautmann
https://libcom.org/...
Father Tomas J Hagerty
http://www.iww.org/...
See also:
CONVENTION-Industrial Workers of the World
NINTH DAY-Thursday, July 6
MORNING SESSION
https://www.marxists.org/...
CONVENTION-Industrial Workers of the World
NINTH DAY-Thursday, July 6
AFTERNOON SESSION
https://www.marxists.org/...
Luke Grant reports to Samuel Gompers
http://www.gompers.umd.edu/...
Grant's Report on 9th 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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My Old Kentucky Home - Paul Robeson
We Will Sing One Song - Joe Hill
We will sing one song of the meek and humble slave,
The horn-handed son of the soil,
He's toiling hard from the cradle to the grave,
But his master reaps the profits from his toil.
Then we'll sing one song of the greedy master class,
They're vagrants in broadcloth, indeed,
They live by robbing the ever-toiling mass,
Human blood they spill to satisfy their greed.
CHORUS:
Organize! Oh, toilers, come organize your might;
Then we'll sing one song of the workers' commonwealth,
Full of beauty, full of love and health.
We will sing one song of the politician sly,
He's talking of changing the laws;
Election day all the drinks and smokes he'll buy,
While he's living from the sweat of your brow.
Then we'll sing one song of the girl below the line,
She's scorned and despised everywhere,
While in their mansions the "keepers" wine and dine
From the profits that immoral traffic bear.
We will sing one song of the preacher, fat and sleek,
He tells you of homes in the sky.
He says, "Be generous, be lowly, and be meek,
If you don't you'll sure get roasted when you die."
Then we sing one song of the poor and ragged tramp,
He carries his home on his back;
Too old to work, he's not wanted 'round the camp,
So he wanders without aim along the track.
We will sing one song of the children in the mills,
They're taken from playgrounds and schools,
In tender years made to go the pace that kills,
In the sweatshops, 'mong the looms and the spools.
Then we'll sing one song of the One Big Union Grand,
The hope of the toiler and slave,
It's coming fast; it is sweeping sea and land,
To the terror of the grafter and the knave.
-Joe Hill
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