resulted in their liberation. Thus the efforts of the W. F. M. in starting the I. W. W. were repaid.[1]
SECOND CONVENTION
The Second convention met in September 1906, with 93 delegates representing about 60,000 members.
This convention demonstrated that the adminstration of the I. W. W. was in the hands of men who were not in accord with the revolutionary program of the organization. Of the general officers only two were sincere—the General Secretary, W. E. Trautmann, and one member of the Executive Board, John Riordan.
The struggle for control of the organization formed the Second convention into two camps. The majority vote of the convention was in the revolutionary camp. The reactionary camp having the chairman used obstructive tactics in their effort to gain control of the convention. They hoped thereby to delay the convention until enough delegates would be forced to return home and thus change the control of the convention. The revolutionists cut this knot by abolishing the office of President and electing a chairman from among the revolutionists.
In this struggle the two contending sets of socialist politicians lined up in opposite camps.
The Second convention amended the Preamble by adding the following clause:
“Therefore without endorsing or desiring the endorsement of any political party.”
A new executive board was elected. On the adjournment of the convention the old officials seized the general headquarters, and with the aid of detectives and police held the same, compelling the revolutionists to open up new offices. This they were enabled to do in
- ↑ Berger in the “Social Democratic Herald” of Milwaukee denied that the Moyer, Haywood, and Pettiobone case was a part of the class struggle. It was but a “border feud,” said he.
