Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-11-21
HOMESTEADERS' PLIGHT
Leaders Denounced for the
 Collapse of the Strike.
A STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE NOW.

Starvation Staring Many of the striker
 in the Face-Only a Small Proportion
 Can Hope to Re-enter the Carnegie
 MiIs-Non-UntOn Men Will Not be
 Dis placed.
 HOMESTEAD, Pa., Nov. 21.-Now that the agony is over, and the great Home, stead strike has been declared off by the strikers advisory board, the men are not backward in expressing their opinions oi the men who have posed as leaders, con- fidently prom ising a victory when they knew for certainty that the battle was hopelessly lost. These men are furiously denounced.
 According to Supt. Wood, of the Home stead works, not more than 800 or 300 of the total number of employees will be able to secure employment.
 Before the break of last Thursday there were left in Homestead 3, 800 of the original $500 men who were locked out on June 25.
 Of these 9, 800 men, 2,200 were me- chanics and iaborers, and 600 were Anal gamated Association men. Up to date l, 100 men have applied for work, and it is estimated that not more than $50 have been supplied with work.
 The question of declaring the mill open began to agitate the minds of cer- tain Amalgamated men as soon as it be- came apparent that the mechanics in tended breaking away in body. Not only the rank and file but many of the leaders recognized that without the nu- merical aid of the mechanics and laborers they could not hope to carry the day.
 Money, or lack of it, also became an important factor. The failure to receive promised money of large amounts, together with the unfulflment of other promises, all came in for consideration. They could not subsist upon promises and so told their leaders, who, seeing that it would be useless to try and hold the men together longer took steps to place their brethren upon equal footing with the mechanics in the grand rush for work.
 Saturdays meeting was attended ex clusively by Amal0amated Association members, much to the chagrin and dis appointment of the sympathetic mechan- icS, who were turned aside. They turned to their homes in silence, hope dead within them. The meeting was not a large one, and considerable surprise at tended the announced resignation of Chairman Crawford.
 When his resignation had been accepted a striker arose and moved that the lock- out be declared at an end and that the men be allowed to seek employment in the Homestead mill.
 Discussion of this question continued until D. m., when the meeting ad- journed without result. Yesterday the same question was taken up, but those for and against such a move were afraid to force the question to a vote, SO evenly were they divided. Only about 200 men attended the meeting.
 Those opposed to bringing the fight to an end struggled hard to prevent a bal lot, pleading, arguing, and predicting the disintegration of the Amalgamated Asso- citation.
 These patriotic steel workers, who have repeatedly stated that they would prefer nakedness and starvation rather than de- feat, were in the minority, and they knew it. Net they pleaded with their brethren to stand firm, if for no other reason than to show the world that they had not for gotten the men who were lying in prison cells awaiting trial.
 It was of no avail. The question was put, the vote being a standing one. When Vice President Carney announced the result, 101 to 01, there was no joyous outbreak.
 For few minutes the men sat and stared at each other. Then followed angry denunciations. The men slowly left the ball in twos and threes. They seemed 10th to leave the building, the very rafters of which have Quivered with the declaration, made a thousand times, that victory was theirs if they would only be patient.
 Last evening the men stood in small groups about the streets, discussing the plight they found themselves in. With winter upon them, they see nothing in store now but a struggle for existence, which may assume the proportions of 8 famine.
 The oft-repeated declarations of the Carnegie officials that the non- union men will not be displaced to give employment to the strikers gives absolutely no hope for ,, 900 of the defeated steel workers.