which represented twenty-five
organizations. The new organization was called the American Federation
of Labor. Until 1889, this was considered as the first annual meeting of
the new organization, but in that year the Federation resolved that its
"continuity...be recognized and dated from the year 1881."

For some years the membership increased slowly; but in 1889 over 70,000
new members were reported, in 1900 over 200,000, and from that time
the Federation has given evidence of such growth and prosperity that it
easily is the most powerful labor organization America has known, and it
takes its place by the side of the British Trades Union Congress as "the
sovereign organization in the trade union world." In 1917 its membership
reached 91,371,434, with 110 affiliated national unions, representing
virtually every element of American industry excepting the railway
brotherhoods and a dissenting group of electrical workers.

The foundation of this vast organization was the interest of particular
trades rather than the interests of labor in general. Its membership is
made up "of such Trade and Labor Unions as shall conform to its rules
and regulations." The preamble of the Constitution states: "We therefore
declare ourselves in favor of the formation of a thorough federation,
embracing every trade and labor organization in America under the Trade
Union System of organization." The Knights of Labor had endeavored to
subordinate the parts to the whole; the American Federation is willing
to bend the whole to the needs of the unit. It zealously sends out its
organizers to form local unions and has made provision that "any seven
wage workers of good character following any trade or calling" can
establish a local union with federal affiliations.

This vast and potent organization is based upon the principle of trade
homogeneity--namely, that each trade is primarily interested in its own
particular affairs but that all trades are interested in those general
matters which affect all laboring men as a class. To combine effectually
these dual interests, the Federation espouses the principle of home
rule in purely local matters and of federal supervision in all general
matters. It combines, with a great singleness of purpose, so diverse
a variety of details that it touches the minutiae of every trade
and places at the disposal of the humblest craftsman or laborer the
tremendous powers of its national influence. While highly centralized