Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-20
CROWDED BY LABOR
HOmestead's Opera House
Packed to the Doors With
BraWny Workers to
DISCUSS THE SITUATION
Speeches Made by Officials of the
Amalgamated Association.
STRONG APPEALS FOR HARMONY
Burgess McCluckie Advocates the Study of
Politics.
STRONG APPEALS FOR HARMONY
Burgess McCluckie Advocates the Study of
Politics.
ANOTHER MASS MEETING TO BE HELD

at Homestead yesterday morning to listen
TO discussion, the main principles of which
involved that old axiom, ''In union there is
strength" The men began arriving as early
as 9 o'clock, and one hour later, the time
set for the meeting, the house was packed
from the platform to the door, leaving some
200 or 800 who had to content themselves
with standing room.
The meeting was called to order BY First
Vice President William A. Carney of the
Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel
Workers in this city, who officiated as chair
man. After few preliminary remarks,
stating the object of the gathering, Mr..
Carney called upon the first speaker, Vice
President p II. Alvey, of the Sixth dis
trict, including Youngstown and the Ma
honing Valley. 1t is common talk in and
around Homestead that the local unions,
although possessed of an extraordinary
large membership, are and have been
for some time past divided in their opinions.
Realizing that internal dissension in any
labor organization may work serious harm,
an attempt is now being made to adjust the
difficulty so that when the proper time ar
rives the men will be on friendly terms and
better prepared for action, whether it be
peace or war.
Must Sink All Personal Grievances
The remarks of Mr.. McAvev, while
brief, were thorough and to the point He
advised the men, if it was true that they
had any personal grievances with their fel-
low workmen or differed in their opinion
from other members in the association, to
> H. -
iure the union and themselves by internal
dissension. The speaker also said the time
was approaching when all of the men would
very probably be called upon to stand
shoulder to shoulder and to protect their
rights, and in this event more good could be
accomplished by making their fight COM
mon cause.
Mr. McAvey concluded: SIN my district
1 have communicated with every one of the
60 manufacturers who have establishments
there at many different times and upon
various questions, but not one of them has
ever presented us with an ultimatum and
threatened to render an amicable settlement
impossible by Withdrawing from the con-
ference. Such demand is nothing less
than tyranny and L congratulate you that
you have the courage to reject it. am
Republican; have voted that ticket all my
life, but if the manufacturers attempt to
force their present demands, 1 will never
again walk to brass in the Republican
ranks" |
All Eyes Fixed Upon Homestead.
Vice President Hickey, of the Fourth dis |
trict, including Chicago and Milwaukee,
j. IL al
place of its size in the world that is attract |
ing such attention as Homestead. The press |
all over the country has called attention to
the struggle which seems to be impending,
and both labor and capital are anxiously
awaiting the result knowing the sentiment |
here. have no doubt as to how it will ter |
terminate" He further stated that in his off, !
cial capacity hehad frequent disputes with
the Illinois Steel Company, which is a larger |
concern than the Carnegie's, and has a cap
ital stock of S5OOOO,0O0, but they invariably
arrive at a satisfactory conclusion without |
the necessity of an ultiInatum; that the me- n |
agement of this corporation had stated to
him in the past year that they preferred CIV
ing their mills under the control of the asso-
citation, as they are always able to obtain |
fair treatment and good work. He could |
not understand why the Carnegie interests, |
which manufacture the same product as |
the Illinois Steel Company, should be so |
opposed to organized labor, when their COM i
John Killgallon, Assistant Secretary said /
that Homestead must be retained in the AS |
sociation ranks, and the whole force of Or |
ganiZation would be concentrated on this |
Edward Jones, OF Schoenbergers mill, and /
Jeremiah Doherty, representing Mononga- |
hela Lodge No. %, spoke in the same strain |
their predecessors.
Burgess MccIuckie Talks to the Men,
Next on the list was John McCluckie, Bur-
CESS of Homestead. In the course of his ad- /
dress he said: 81 am a believer in cause and |
not in results. The present trouble is the |
result of dirty legislation, therefore more
good can be accomplished by political re-
form than the reformation of labor. In cleo
ton times politicians from both parties call
upon you workmen and promise that if you
give them your votes they will see that you
are protected. Have anv of those promises
ever been redeemed? How have you been
protected? If the men to whom you gave
your votes meant to do as they promised |
would You be engaged in the present diff.
culty7 No! And, furthermore, you will
never stand upon solid basis until You en-
ter into politics yourselves and know when
YOU cast your vote what You are
dGYi doing. When En. the TN Mckinley tny tariff
protected material in our mills at that time
was the four-inch billets. Upon these we
based our scale, and when the manufactur.
ers refused to sign the scale, the result was
a strike. Conferences were held and con-
cessions offered, but the workmen would |
not YlelQ ana 0nallV our scale was signed, |
But while were fighting here what did !
the manufacturers do? They quietly went
to Washington and had the four-inch billets,
upon which we based our scale, reduced |
from l111 cents TO II cents. The millionaire |
does not care which party is in power, for
under every circumstance he is always pro-
tected.
"They don't want foreign competition
shut out Why? Simply because in case or
q strike at their mills or they are obliged to |
close down their mills for other reasons
they can import their steel and iron at
slightly increased rates to supply and hold
their trade. The workingman has no such |
alternative, and for the laboring man there
is no protection, for the sluice gates of every
seaport in this country are at all times open
to the foreign element VINO can take the
place of laboring men. Three years ago YOU
voted for protection and high tariff, and
what did you receive in return? Nothing
but high fences. The only protection which
they will afford you is from the winds of
winter"
The Burgess Takes a Gloomy View.
Burgess McCluckie returned to his seat
amid great applause. When seen after
the meeting, he said; There will undoubt-
edly be strike, which, from the present
outlook, will center in Homestead. When
this occurs will occupy a very unenviable
position. Being member ofand sympathizer
with the Amalgamated Association, yet as |
Burgess OF the borough / will have to use |
my best efforts in preserving the peace"
When the Burgess had become seated Mr.. |
George Loveday from the audience, asked
permission to speak. In his remarks he said
he did not think the Amalgamated Associ-
alton had treated the laborers and me-
chanics fairly during the strike three years
ago, inasmuch when the associations |
scale was finally signed by the manufac-