Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1897-09-04
RATCHFoRD WANTS AN EXTRA
SESSION OF CONGRESS.
Address by Grand Master
Sovereign on the Rights Oh
Labor.


morning Il am no longer affiliated with
any labor body, but have come SIMPLY
as a guest of the conference under the
general call"
Among other arrivals were James
O'Connel, representing the city branch
of the American Federation of Labor,
Chicago; A. S. Merrill, industrial eoun-
ell, Kansas City; Taylor r. Bemer, with
credentials from the Social Democracy,
Milwaukee. and Frederick +. Heath,
representing the street railway men,
also of Milwaukee; w. ID. Ryan, vice
president of the United Mine Workers
of Illinois; Jacob Tazelaar, who comes
from the Brotherhood of Painters, Chi
eago. and r. p. O'Neill, Rich Mill, Mo-;
John Mitchell, Spring Valley, ILL.,;
George Wallace Scammon, Kansas, and
Joseph Pollard of Belleville, ILL.,, all
members of miners organizations.
w. b. Prescott, president of the Inter
national Typographical Union, of In
dianapolis, was chosen temporary chair
man. ana W ~. L tdttt VI NpidiiAbho VIM
porary secretary. Prescott then appoint
ed the following as a committee on ere
dentials: Mr.. Ratchford James OCon-
nor of the machinists, Chicago; Grant
Luce of st. Louis central labor organiza-
ton j. r. Sovereign and w. d. Macon.
1t was shown that SO delegates, rep
resenting the following organizations,
were present: United Mine workers of
America, Social Democracy, the American
Federation of Labor, the Stone Masons'
International Union, Brotherhood OF
Bottle Blowers, Building Trades Council
of st. Louis, the Patriots of America,
Central Labor Council of Cincinnati, the
Typographical Union, the
Peoples party of Kansas and the Indus
trial Order of Freedmen.
Speech by Ratchford.
Rutherford then took the floor. He
went over the miners strike from its
inception to the present day, and
dwelt particularly upon government
by injunction" He pleaded for prompt
action, and coming to the point of his
advocated a special session
Of congress as the best, and in fact the
,nly relief.
81 believe" said Ratchford, "a special
session of congress is necessary to de-
inc the rights of the people of this
they have any. | believe
f sufficient time were given the presi-
dent of the United States will call a
special session of congress to act upon
The matter of injunctions and find
means of relieving the existing troubles
in the labor world.
"ln case of refusal said Ratchford
after an outburst had
subsidized, "it will then be time to con-
slider more extreme measures. | am in
favor if the president refuses to call
together, of a complete par
alysis of business. believe in a sym
pathetic strike
Patrick ONeill of Rich Hill, Mo, who
said he represented 1900 organized
picks favored a labor revolution. He
was socialist. he said, and believed
in the miners taking things in their
own hands if necessary. His fierce har
angue pleased the audience greatly.
Sovereign Says No.
Sovereign put himself on record as
opposed to Ratchfords plan. He be-
lieved this would be the last conven-
ton to be held under present conditions
and that the crucial test now confront
ed organized labor.
Ratchford's plan of petitioning Presi
dent Mckinley to convene congress in
extra session to enact measures pro-
viding for the settlement of the pres
ent labor difficulties, or, as he put it.,
ito define the rights of citizens, if any,"
did not meet with the approval he had
hoped for, and it is not believed the
plank will be incorporated in the plat
form.
In the Evening.
Not less than 5000 people, among
whom were large number of ladies, as
sembled in Masonic hall last night to
listen to addresses by prominent labor
leaders brought to the city by the CON
ference. On the stage were number of
the most notable of the delegates to the
conference.
Grand Master Workman Sovereign,
who presided made an imprisoned ad-
dress, in which he said that the labor
ing men of this country We're face to
face with the last great problem of civ
ihzation-their rights and liberty of
free speech. He predicted that the con-
ference would result in the issuance of
an edict that would lead to a new era
of liberty to the laboring classes of
America.
Among the other speakers were Frank
Stevens, who said that the only solu-
ton of the question was single tax; NJ.