The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-09-01
THELABOR CONFERENCE
It Is Aroused by a Speech From
Eugene V. D5bs.
ANOTHER MEETING THIS MONTH.

D n Wy
70 Assemble In Chicago aud Take
Further Action ''in the Interest OF
the Tollers''-M eantime the strike
Mny Be Settled by Arbitration.
ST. Louis, Sept. 1.-The conference of
labor leaders Of the country which has
been in session here two days finished
its work last evening. The meeting was
productive OF several sensational
speeches and many resolutions, yet no
decisive action was taken in the prin-
cipal matter for which the gathering
was summoned-the adjustment Of
government by injunction. The con-
vention, which had been announced
as the last one OF it's kind to be held
while adjournlng sine die, has merely
postponed matters on the action before
it for three weeks, as a call for asimilar
conference, to be held in Chicago on
Monday Sept. ~, was issued
1t was agreed that the basis of repre-
sentation at the Chicago convention
should be one delegate to each local
| labor organization and two from each
congressional district, every man to
be a wage worker. The chair then ap-
pointed Messrs. Mahon, Debs, Sover-
elgn, Donnelly and O'Connell com
mittee to arrange for the Chicago con-
vention, and informed the convention
that any money intended as cOntribu-
tions for the striking miners should be
sent to Secretary Pearce, Of the United
Mine Workers, at Columbus, o.
Among the resolutions adopted, which
vigorously denounce the injunctions is
sued by the courts against strikers,
was one declaring, "That we hereby
set apart Friday, the third day of Sep
tember, 1897 as a Good Friday" for
the cause of suffering labor in America,
and contribute the earnings Of that day
to the support Of our struggling broth
ers, the miners, and appeal to every
union man and every friend of labor
throughout the country to do likewise. "
Mr.. Debs and Social Democracy
dominated the convention, and the fa-
nous labor leader carried the gathering
off its feet in the afternoon in one of
his characteristic speeches, in the
course of which he said:
Certain 1t is there are thousands of
our fellow citizens suffering, and GER
tain 1t Is this cannot last. The time
viii come to incite the populace When
this time comes you can depend on me.
1 will not stand in the rear and ask you
to go ahead. 1 will be in front, and say
to you, Come on shrink from blood
shed, but if this is necessary to pre-
serve liberty and our rights in that
event l will shed the last drop of blood
that courses through my veins.
"Plutocracy cannot buy me. They
may send me to Jail, may ostracise
me or may hang me, but, in the Ian
guage of the revolutionary heroes,
do not propose to part company with
my self respect independence and
manhood. We no longer have a re-
public. There is not a vestage of 1t
left. The judiciary of this country has
placed a paddock on my lips, forbid
| den me to walk on public highways
and destroyed all of my rights sub
NIT because you compelled me to. l am
helpless. I appeal to you and to the
country to come to the front, take this
cause to heart and these questions will
then be solved. 1 will be free and so
will you.
"The people are ripe for great
change. All they lack is direction and
leadership Let this conference supply
it. Let this conference set the pace.
Announce to the world that 1t will
temporarily adjourn for three weeks,
to renew preparations. Ask every man
to pledge himself to be there. Come If
you have to walk. No man has a right
to plead poverty.
THE significance Of this movement
portends new and important develop
ments along the line of battle. 1 look
forward to the time when people will
dethrone the power that has enslaVed
them. The movement is marching
grandly forward, and plutocracy will
soon understand that slavery and
despotism have no rights to place on
American soil"
AS Mr.. Debs finished the delegates
rose to their feet, threw their hats in
the air and crowded forward to greet
the speaker. Chairman Prescott pound
ed vigorously for order, but it was
fully five minutes before the convention
! recovered from the spell which Mr..
Deb's oratory had cast about them.
A resolution, introduced by Mr.. Ma
hon of Detroit, calling upon all miners
now at work to desert their posts and
terming them enemies of human lib
erty so long as they remained on duty,
was adopted. Mr.. Mahon had another
| resolution prepared, asking the con-
vention to call for 100 volunteers to go
into the town of Pocohontas, Va, on
the 18th Of September, and there hold
a public meeting in defiance Of the
mayor of that city, who had set him
self up in opposition to the God given
and constitutional rights of free
! speech" but at the last moment con-
cluded not to present it. The reason
why win probably come to the front at
the Chicago convention.
Notwithstanding the convention
early in the morning had declined to
act on President Ratchford's resolu-
tlon requesting President Mckinley II
convene congress for the purpose of de-
| hning the authority of judges in the
matter Of injunctions a resolution to
that effect, but requesting the conven-
/ tlon to ask President Mckinley to act
IN that direction, introduced by W. d.
/ Ryan, the Illinois organizer, went
/ through with a whoop, and shortly be-
] fore O'Clock the convention adjourned
/ sine dfa