The Saint Paul globe., 1897-08-21
MAY INVOLVE $, ALL LABOR.
OFFER OF ARBITRATfON IN THE
PITTsBURG DISTRICT REFLECT
ED By MEN.
MANIFESTO NOW ISSUED.
The Case of the stfikiprg Miners Pat
Before the Public by Their
OGiciaIsIt

tlOnal executive DOdrO OF the united
Mine Workers adjourned today, after
having issued a call for conference of
organized labor to be held in ST. Louis
Aug. 80. The board rejected the prop
osition of the Pittsburg operators for a
conference to arbitrate the wage dis
pute in that district, claiming that such
action would be prejudicial to the inter-
ests of the miners at large. The board
is ready to consider overtures for the
arbitration of the issues of the great
strike only when these overtures come
from all the operators in the competi-
tive districts, which include Ohio, Jndi-
ana, Illinois, West Virginia and Penn
sylvania.
The board has decided not to deviate
from the established policy until the
result of the ST. Louis conference is
known. The aggressive work in the
field will be continued and the efforts
to spread the strike in West Vir-
giria will be renewed. The success or
failure of the strike hangs upon the
ST. Louis conference, the call for which
has been indorsed by Samuel Gompers,
president Of the American Federation
O
master workman of the knights of La
Dor. They maintain that the fight now
being waged by the miners is one of
common interests to organized labor
throughout the country. At the st.
Louis conference all labor organizations
will be asked to join issues with the
miners
The failure to secure general suspen-
sion in West Virginia, has greatly in
terfered with the prospects of success
as the coal supplies from there and the
few isolated districts is meeting the
limited demand. The only hope of cut
ting off this supply appears to lie in
the refusal of organized labor in the
ordinary channels of traffic and bust
ness to handle or use this COAL If the
object of the ST. Louis conference is ac-
compliShed the strike will be extended
to nearly every branch of labor in the
country.
Following is the call for the con-
ference:
Organized labor, it's various divisions and
subdivisions. and to all REFORM social, edu-
cational and scientific bodies, who condemn
government by injunction and the use of
force to coerce the people and deprive them
of their rights as American citizens: The
great miners strike has gone beyond a
struggle for living wages. crisis in the
affairs of the nation has arrived in which
all patriotic people must determine whether
they will accept and consent to live under
the rule of the oligarchy ef wealth or whether
the institutions of free government, the rights
of free speech and peaceabie public assem-.
blage are to be preserved. 5 - 80.
The present struggle has assumed the form
of contest for preservation of civil libert,
and constitutional rights. Tyrannical and un-
American iniunctions of the federal and state
courts are revolutionary, against the first
principles of free government and derogatory
to the inherent rights of the masses, endan-
gering the, public policy and destroying the
personal security and individual liberties OF
serted the temple of justice and now stand
for the defiant bulwark of cenfederated capital
The arbitrary rulings have set up one stand
ard of right for the rich and another foI
the poor. They decree that capital is always
right and labor always wrong. They have
made 1t unlawful for starving working peo
pie to appeal against tyrannical treatment
present grievances or propose just and peace
able terms for the redress of insufferable
wrongs.
The present great miners strike is an ex.
preston of discomfort that originated in pov.
erty and starvation, it was born in the
sorrow and destitution of hungry women and
children, it was the last protest of impov.
erlshed and enslaved labor and presents tC
the world a cause as righteous and humane
as ever inspired the souls of a Christian
| people The philanthropic heart of this grea
nation has responded in sympathy with the
miners appeal for the right to receive
respectable living for the most arduous ant
hazardous labor in the world. Their appea
for the wealth they create and for the right
to enjoy some of the fruits OF advanced civ
iIization finds a responsive cord everywhere il
the commonality of mankind and if it was
struggle between miners and mine operators
only the liberty would triumph over oppres
son, industry over greed and right ovel
wrong, without the necessity of this call.
But 1T is no longer a struggle between en-
pioye and employer. The judiciary has as
| sumed the indefensble claims of the Cd
orators and the struggle is between tyrannica
| courts and the whole people. The courts
although under oath to serve the rich an(
poor alike, have decreed to serve the sordit
interests of the rich against the God-g -giver
rights OF the poor, and now threaten t
turn the Gatling guns and the Winchester.
| of criminals and thugs against all wht
dare protest against their despcab.e re
stra1ning orders. The judiciary is prostituted
| the rights of property above the rights O
persons and has Disseminated against thu
many in the interest of the few.
That $50. 900 miners should be condemned
| arbitrary rulings of the courts is an insul
| to benehcent Creator, ans outrage upo1
| free government and disgrace tp the Chris
tian civilization under which we live.
me recent injunctions and the extreme
| application against the lawful rights of thu
poor, the arrest and Incarceration of hun
| dreds OF innocent inoffensive people, thu
general employment of armed thugs to over
| awe, harrass and coerce the miners, have
! so eXasperated the people in localities whert
applied that men feel that we can longe
be responsible for the public peace.
AND to this end that just and equitable
settlement OF the differences between employ
ers ana employees may be effected the public