The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-02-17
RANKIN.s REpoRr.
He GiAes the True Inwardness of tho Pot
teT's Troubles at East Liverpool.


teg's Troubles at East Liverpool.
PITTsBuRGH, PA. Feb. 15.-It was re-
ported that the strike at East Liverpool
among the p0tters was over; that the
members OF the knights of Labor were
seeking work elsewhere, and that A. c.
Rankin, the District Master Workman,
had given those who could not leave
the privilege Of withdrawing from the
order and going to work as nOn-UniOn
men. Mr.. Rankin being called on at
his home on Robinson street, Allegheny,
said the report was entirely unfounded.
81 will tell you the truth about the
situation, said he, when he had read
the telegram. "Three of our men left
the order last week, and went TO work
at LaughliD's on Monday of this week.
Harkers secured one from Wheeling and
that Is the total of the recent acQuisi-
tiOns to the operators side. That did
US no harm. 1t forwarded the plan Of
the operators to combine skilled and
unsktlled labor in an attempt to freeze
US out by gradually teaching the un-
skilled rOustabOuts In their art. Now,
to show you whether, we have given up
the fight, let me explain:
"On Wednesday night our assembly
at East Liverpool had meeting. was
present and paid the men their dues.
The decision was unanimous to cOntin-
ue the fight as long as the potteTs pre-
sent the irOn-clad agreement to the men
for signature. Another clause has been
added to it, which makes it a sufficient
cause for discharge and blacklisting for
one man to tell his fellow workman
what wages he gets for his labor. That
Is rough. But have been depressing
from my story. In East Liverpool the
knights are working in four white ware
70
have 400 men in good standing in the
order who are at work. We have 109
locked-out pOtters on our pay rolls, not
one Of whom has failed to receive his
dues every week. We pay married men
81, and single men 30 per week. have
not only given my consent, but have ur-
ged the locked out men to go elsewhere
and seek employment. They are doing
1T rapidly. Ideem such a course expS-
dent now, but it was not at first. The men
were all out then, and had they left, no
one would have been here to watch their
interests. Now we have the majority
OF our men at work, and they can state
our case to all cOmers as we'll as those
locked out could, and we can thus re-
dnee our pay rolls. ID,
Il have just received the consent Of
the Grand Executive Board to canvass
the whole North and West with bene-
NJ troupe Tor The aid or the East Liver
pool pOtters. The scheme Is big one,
but 10 Is possible, and promises large re-
turns. have written to the Secfetat-
les of all the principal labor unions In
the principal cities, explaining my OBJ
ject, and they all say, "COme on 1--WE will
give you free halls and crowded houses
l Will engage some Of the East Liver
pool men as advance agents to work uD
the boom. We Will be ready by the end
of next week, and will first make tour
of the oil country, then all through the
West, and back south Of the Ohio. Ny
object Is not only to clear money for
cause Of labor. We will explain the
irOn-clad agreement, and as effectually
as possible boycott the potteries where
free labor cannot exist. Our dodgers
and hand-bills will explain the whole
matter. We are in for the war, and
mean to win. Now does that look
like lost causep" ..- ..s