The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1892-09-08
ATTENTION, LABORERS
A TOUCHING APPEAL FROM cARNE
clE's HIGHLY PROTECTED WoRkMEN.


I. Tells the True Story of the Condition
of the Laboring Men Who Earned
Every Dollar Of Carnesie's S3o, ,ooo, 900,
But who Are Now Appealing to Char
itv for Bread-Every Lsborins Man
should Read and Ponder il Well.
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABoR,)
HID QRs: Ia CLINTON PLACE, NY.
HOMESTEAD, PA, Aug. ~, 1872
To the American Public: Seldom IN
the history of our country have we wiz
messed the lines of battle so clearly drawn
upon the field of labor as is now Witnessed
at Homestead. The Carnegie steer COM
pany, one of the most gigantic monopolies
az the age. has undertaken to reduce the
wages of their employees from loto aoper
cent. -,
In their desperation and avarice they
hired and brought 800 armed mencenaries
PinkertoD detectives, to Homesteau 70 in !,
wade the homes of the men VINO createu
tbe millions that the CArnegies now
possess. Under cover OF the Plnkertons,
the company endeavor to Introduce
pAuperized and degraded set OF laoorers
60 sIlppIant our fellow American WORK
men. The contest with tine Fluher'ohs
and its results are well known. ..
So many erroneous and false statements
have been published as to the cause Tor
which the men are so noDly cohtenulng'
their conduct during the struggle, the
present situation and their prospects OF
victory, that We feel called upon to lssue
this statement to the American puulc'
1t is not true tuat tau men ere receiving
the high wages generally supposed, nor
do a large numoer own their uonss' wy
have made careful! investigations anu
flnd that Just before the lockout there
were 3,43l employed Ia tue miils Oh thls thls
number there were 10 whose wages
averaged about 81 80 per day 40 averaged
between So and 81 per day; 64 averaged
from 81 to S5 per day; 1877 averaged from
81, ,6S to 81 50 per day, and l,6Zl received IA
cents per hour or less, And tutIneE, we
find to 10 per cent own thelr hoines,
and about 10 per cent. more nave thelr
homes under mortgage; the remainder
nay rent, and numoer OF these nave
been eyicted by the CarneHles.
1t is not true that the men are only de-
Tending the wages of the high priced
workmeu. 1t is in defense OF the Iourteen
cents Der hour men as much as any o'her
that the Homestead workmen are making
their gallant fight. -
THE cunning, calculating company pro-
posed that the scale should terminate
when the cold blasts OF winter
penetrate with biting seVeTly'
The company desired to place
the men in the disadvantageous position
of neg gJtiating with them on new scale
in January, instead OF as formerly In July.
Notwithstanding the military forces of
the State of Pennsylvania have been un-
der arms at Homestead for nearly I'VE
weeks, and the entire country has been
ransacked to flnd beings so low as to hire
themselves TO the company, there are less
than 800 persons in the mills, and less
than doz an skilled workmen who can
perform the work required. The situation
is such, we confidently assert, that al no
time during the struggle were the pros
poets o. victory as bright as they are now
Whg' the men in this contest Iced IS
your su 1Jtantial support as well as your
sympa my. The poorer paid men IN Homes
stead and other Carnegie mills where tile
men are now ouE TO nelp their brothers At
Homestead are the ones who need your
immediate help and money is required to
maintain their manhood, honor and ln-
terests. |
Every worker and liberty.loving citizen
should contribute 20 tha financial support
of the brave men wuo today occupy the /
position of the advance guard OF the labor |
movement Of America.
The struggle at Homestead represents !
the issue between freedom aud slavery, |
progress and rsaction,aud must be mains
taiued until the workmeu have some fair |
measure or recognition from the Carne-
gies,
We assure you that every dollar contrib
uted will be devoted to the men engaged
in this contest. An effective system OF
relief has been organized, with proper
: safeguards, and every cent will be econo-
micalIy expended aud rigidly accounted
FIR. Ws also advise all workinRmen not
to come 20 Homestead or Pittsburgh for
uutil the pending dispute
with the Carnegie Steel Company is set'
tied.
Send all contributions to William
Weihe, Prs sident of the Arnalgamated
Association of Iron and Steel Workers,
No. 5l2 Smitbhsld Street, Pittsburgh, Pa,
and notify Thomas j. Crawford, box 1856 |
Pa.
Fraternally yours,
SAMUEL GOMPERS,
P j. MCGUIRE,
WILLIAM A. CARNEY,
JOHN b. LENNON,
CHRIS EVANS,
fx. Council American Federation Labor. 4
WILLIAM WEIHE,
sTEPHEN MADDEN,
NJ. NJ. GARLAND,
AmaIpnmatcd Association |. d ), W.
HUGH O'DoNNELL,
JOHN MCLUCKIE,
THOMAS j. CRAWFORD,
DAVID LYNCH,