Workmen's advocate., 1889-06-29
CHICAGO.
American Section and South West
 Branch Meetings-Intruders.

assembled last sunday afternoon at Waverly Hall. A stranger happening in might have been pardoned for mis- taking the affair for a Methodist class meeting. The local reporter, not being accustomed to the odor of sanctity with which the atmosphere seemed redolent, and apparently apprehensive that he might be called upon at any moment to relate his experience" tidgeted nervously in his seat, tried to fill in his time by scanning the columns of q wicked capitalistic journal, gazing ever and anon mournfully and long ingly toward the entrance, inspired by the vain hope, as he afterwards in- formed your correspondent, that Mrs. Parsons and her valiant cohorts might even at the eleventh hour, conclude to put in an appearance and infuse little wickedness and excitement into the too decorous and orderly proceedings. Fin ally, in utter desperation, he seized his hat and other personal effects, includ. ing a not very voluminous budget of notes, and made nasty exit, mentally vowing that nothing short of an anar- chistic riot should ever again induce him to grace Waverly Hall with his journalistic presence.
 The above, reduced to plain, cold prose, simply means that our anarchist friends arrived yesterday at the very sensible conclusion that the Waverly Hall grapes" were exceedingly "sour," and not worth the trouble of plucking. They therefore repaired to a we'll known West Side resort, where they dispensed their eloquence to more ap- preciative ears than they have recently found at the Socialists headquarters, and had, it is understood, an excellent meeting.
 The exercises at the "Waverly" were, as usual, of varied and interesting character, and consisted of sundry reso- lutions upon topics of local interest, discussions upon the same, and short address by MT. Martin, delegate from the mining country, who gave very clear and forcible statement of the troubles in that locality, and the causes of them. He spoke of the conditions imposed by the corporation upon its em- ployees, the agreement which they were required to sign and it's humiliating terms, almost equivalent to a confession of voluntary vassalage. He declared that the scale of wages proposed by the corporation virtually amounted to de- duction of 40 per cent from the almost starving rates formerly paid. Help had been received, but up to the present time 1t had been insufficient to relieve, to any appreciable extent the suffering and Restitution prevailing in their midst.
 He was informed that our committee had on hand a sum amounting to about sixteen dollars, which might still be aug mented, collected and contributed by our members for the Miners Relief Fund. He was instructed to endeavor t0 make his co-laborers realize that by judicious exercise of the powers of the ballot, by wise and concerted political action, they might overthrow their existing condi- tions and place themselves hereafter in an independent position. He was also presented with box of our literature, which he promised to distribute among his fellow workers on his return.
 Comrade Morgan offered resolutions, and appropriate and interesting re, marks concerning the situation of the miners and other matters, and Mrs. Woodman then read a paper on "The Canadian Annexation Problem and Its International Significance" which gave rise to an exceedingly interesting discus sion, which was participated in by Comrades Morgan, Berlyn, Adams and Hamilton. The last-named gentleman is, we believe, the only genuine, full blooded American on the working-force, the others being, respectively, English, Scotch, Dutch, German and Nova Sco- tian. Mr. Hamilton's remarks were, therefore, exceedingly interesting from an American standpoint, and tended to prove that patriotism and cosmopoli- tanlsm are not necessarily at variance,
 The South West Side Branch, $. L. F., at regular meeting on the 18th inst. discussed plans of agitation. The following resolutions were adopted:
 "WheredS, Hardly week passes in which accidents do not occur on the Ierkes street railways; and
 "WheredS, Our citizens are thus con- tinually placed in jeopardy, and num- Der of wOrkmen have thus lost their lives, while some have been severely injured. and these occurrences are due to the criminal negligence of the con- tractors and Yerkes' greed for gain; and
 "HhereaS, Such murderous and ex- plotting system can only be abolished by the people owning the street railways; therefore
 "Resolred, That we call upon the city to obtain possession of the street rail- ways and operate them in the interest of the people; and
 'ResOlred, That we call upon all workers and citizens of Chicago to ex-