Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-04-30
EIGHT HOURS.
an Address to the United Nine
Workers Of America
Explaining Why the Strike Was
Postponed.

The Executive Committee Gives the
Trouble in the ConneilsvllIe Coke Re
gion and the Bncksliding of Members of
! the Order in other Quarters as the
| Cause of Their Decision.
| COLUMBUS, o.. April 30.-Thp Nation-'
N board of United GIine Workers of
| America has concluded a session of sew
eral days and adjourned. The meeting
was called TO hear statements from the
presidents OF state miners organizations
relative to the proposed strike ON May
| for the enforcement Of the eight hour
labor day, The reports were almost
unanimous against the movement. Nari-
| GUS reasons We're given why they could
not enter upon a strike at this time.
Address to the Miners.
The result of the conference was the
following address to the United Mine
| Workers of America:
W-MINERs-FrOm the time mining
became an industry of importance within
the boundary of the United States of
America the question Of lessening the
hours of labor has exercised the minds of
the thinking men of our trade. Circum-
stances brought about by the exception
ally peculiar condition of our industry
both with regard to geographical location
and diversity of thought and opinion en-
tertained by the divers classes of people
seeking employment within our trade,
rendered il impossible to unite the miners
of the country in one solid phalanX for
any given object of reform. But by the
natural law of evolution, and by practice
and exercise of manly patience, and by "A
Suppression Of prejudice on the part of the
miners Of the country during the past two
years, we had arrived at the stage of or
ganizaton at our last annual convention
when every friend of the miners through
out the whole land believed that this
great reform-eight hOurs-was within
our easy grasp, and steps were taken, by
resolution and otherwise, to inaugurate
the system.
Since that time the world has been
startled by one Of the most aweinspiring
strikes in tie annals of our trade. The
coke workers of the Connelsvile region
for the past twelve weeks have been the
participants in battle waged by organ
lied capital a~,ainst organized labor, which
can only be termed the CORY precursor of
the two forces in general and more COM
prchensive manner While the men, women
and children of this region have been the
victims of the sheritl's writs and the depu-
ties Wnchesters and while they are now
threatened with the still more cowardly
and still more unscrupulous methods of
the dastardly Pinkertons, it has has been
the duty of the United Mine Workers
t, ~ oil ba fine ,4io ri
assistance possible and compatible with
the laws of the organization. Therefore
it is unnecessary that we should say that
the funds which, under other circum
stances, would have been available for our
purpose on the lst of May have been very
materially reduced. In word, the time, !
attention and finances of our organization
have been diverted to channel which, at
the time of our annual convention, was
almost wholly unexpected.
When the late Pittsburg convention was
held it was ordered that, if necessary to re
view the situation previous to May /, the |
district presidents should he called together
with the National executive board to con
suit as to the proper course to be adopted, |
and we learn hat there has been, within |
the competitive district, a detection on the |
part of the disorganiZcd miners Of various
sections, and rs the cuStodians Of the in |
trrests of the people who have placed as in |
the positions which we occupy we posi- |
lively. though reluctantly, refuse with our
eyes open and with II full and complete |
l,uowlpge of the situation, to ieopardiHc
those interests, and will not he responsible |
for the accompanying suffering and Sacri- |
ticeS of a strike to our constituents and .
their families seeing as we do, the above |