The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-07-17
STRIKE ECHOES.
Labor Organizations and Leaders Are
at Loggerheads.
Blu The Associated Press.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 1.-THE confer
ence lately held in Chicago under the
auspices OF the American Federation oil
Labor was one OF the most important
labor gatherings u,i ever heid .snrstarus IN .n,s
treasurer OF the United Mine Workers,
today.
Mr.. Mcbride represented the national
miners in the conference and In speaking
of the gathering, gave an interesting side
light on the proceedings.
said Mr.. Mcbride: "a convention OF
local unions declared in favor of gene.
raj strike and demanded the presence
OF Mr.. Gompers in Chicago. Mr..
Gompers recognized the gravity OF the
situation and sent kilograms to all the
NATIONAL and international trade unions
and to different railroad brotherhoods oil
firemen and trainmen. President Arshur
of the engineers wrote he was unable 10
be present.
Gas the conference was about to convene
delegation from local unions that had
already left work, informed the dele
gates that IL they did not agree to call
a national suspension, the strike was los.
and that the conference would DC neio
responsible for the defeat.
s'The delegation was quietly but hrmiy
informed that the conference would take
such action as IL believed to be in the IN
terest of the workingmen OF the country.
"After the delegates had listened TO
statement made by Mr.. Debs and investi-
gated for themselves into the trouble at
Chicago, peculiar state OF affairs
presented itself. There was Mr.. Debs
and the A. X. u. on the one side, ana
there was Mr.. Pullman, the railroads
and the different brotherhoods on the
other. The representatives of the hre-
| the strike, or rather to the boycott, bad
nothing but words OF praise for Mr..
| Debs; for his associates they had nothing
| but words of condemnation. Indeed, II
has seldom been my lot to hear
men get such scoring as MT. Howard and
| other members OF the A. r. U. Board, ex-
| cept il be the language used against 4. M
| Arthur of the engineers by the trade
union delegates at the conference.
'Tt seems that the organizers OF the A
! r. II. have been so indiscreet as to contest
that they intend to break up the Older
organizations and boasted that it only
required victory OF the present battle ii
| order to be successful.
osIt can be readily seen, therefore, tha
the boycott at Chicago was not only
fight against capital but a life and deatl
struggle between the different railroad
organizations, the older order
being on the side OF the corporations.
is but fair to state that some OF Tn
brotherhoods, like the trainmen, although
opposed to the strike, allowed the mem
bers to act for themselves and over lbOO
of them Joined hands with the A. X. U.
"'You must declare for q national sus
pension, said the trade unionists O
Chicago.
"'The fight il a fight OF capital versu
labor said Mr.. Debs.
Z" You have no right toItake sides Wit
one organization against another sal
the Brotherhoods.
"And so the delegates talked, discusse
and talked all around the subject, eac
afraid TO spring a resolution lest 1t nigh
be premature. In this condition
MIR. Debs found the conference
lie realized the difficult task b
had to perform, the men he were TO di'
cuss were not amateurs in the methods {
labor organs. number of them ha
more experience than himself. The ma
seemed an icicle, but his voice held IA
hearers spell bound "a he recited u
suffering OF tho workmen at Pullman, II
high handed policy OF tho board OF maj
ayers and the determination OF the men
(CoRtipued on Page 81