Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-01
LABOR PLATFORM.
planks Adopted BY The Conference
at st. Louis.
SEPTEMBER Sd A "G00D FRIDAY"
Earnings Thereof 10 Be Devoted TO
Aiding the Striking Miners.
CONVENTION SEPT. % AT CHICAGO.
All Labor Organizations Urged to
he Represented-Debs Makes n
Striking speech-"Governmen by
Injunction" Condemned Severely.
CONVENTION SEPT. 20 AT CHICAGO

ton:
The fear of the more watchful fathers
OF the republic has been justified. The
judiciary has become supreme. We wit
ness a political phenomenon absolutely
| new In the history OF the world-a repub-
| lie prostrate at the feet of judges ap-
| pointed to administer the laws. They
| acknowledge no superior on earth, and
| their despotic deeds recall Miltons warn
| ing to his country: "Who bids q man
rule over him above law may be as well
savage beast" Under the cunning form
of injunctions, courts have assumed TO
| enact criminal laws, and after thus draw
ing to themselves the power OF legislation,
have repealed the Bill Of Rights. and for
violations OF those court-made laws have
/ denied the accused the right of trial by
jury.
The exercise Of the commonest rights
| of free men-the right OF assembly. the
| right Of free speech. the right OF travel
| ling the public highways-have by legis-
| lation under the form of injunctions, been
/ made a crime, and armed forces disperse
| as mobs people daring TO exercise these
| rights.
/ oEiNNil bDH<'
| At the last session OF the Supreme Court
| the court decided that the law against
"involuntary servitude" Is not violated
| by arrestng a seaman, imprisoning hiin
| until his vessel is ready to leave port,
| and then forcibly putting him on board
| TO serve out the term of his contract-a
| decision under which the old Fugitive
| slave laws may yet be revived ana
| striking laborers be seized and returned to
| the service of their masters. They nave
| drawn to themselves all the powers OF
| the Federal Government, until Congress
| and presidents may only act by judlclal
| permission, so that, unless check is put
| upon the usurpation. in a short time no
| government but the despotism of the
| Federal judiciary will exist over any por-
J ton Of American society.
| The pending strike OF coal-miners
starved to feebleness by their scant
wages, and by arduous and dangerous
1 toll a strike for the right to be fed
| enough TO make labor possible, has been
prolific OF judicial usorpation, showing
| the willingness of judicial despots TO
resort TO the most shameless defiance
| Of decency, as well as of law, pre-
sumably in order TO enable heartless
ayarice TO drive its serfs back to the
| mines. to faint and die at their drudg
cry; and there remains to-day not one
guaranteed right OF American citizens,
| the exercise of which an injunction has
not somewhere made a crime, started
by these subversions Of constitutional
| liberty.
We have met to counsel together, and
have come to the following conclusions:
That,
OUR LIBERTY a SHAM.
whereas. the present strike Of coal
miners has again demonstrated the fact
that our so-called liberty is not free
dom. but is n stupenduous sham, under
which millions are degenerating, while
hundreds OF thousands. men, women, and
children, are starving in hoveis and on
the public highways.
Whereas. this condition has become
permanent. for a large and ever-increas-
ing number OF our people, as long as
we permit comparatively small class
of legalized exploiters to monopOize the
means OF production and distribution for
their private benefit-a fact again OBJ
vious in the case Of miners.
Whereas. appeals to Congress and TO
the courts for relief are frutless. since
the legislative, as well as the executive
and judicial, powers are under the con-
troll of the capitalist class, so mat IL
has come to pass I'm this free country"
that, while cattle and swine have
right TO the public highway, a man. So
called freeman. have not. Whereas.
our capitalstic class. as is again shown
in the present strike. is armed. and has
not only policemen, marshals sheriffs.
and deputies but also a regular army
and militia in order 10 enforce govern
ment by injunction and suppress lawful
assemblage, free speech, and the right
to the public highway, while, on the
other hand the laboring men of tho
country are unarmed and defenc.less.
contrary to the words and spirit OF tho
Constitution Of the United States: there
fore, be il
A GOOD FRIDAY"
Resolved. I. That we hereby set apart
Friday. the Sd day Of September 1897,
as a Good Friday" for the cause Of suf-
fering labor in America, and contribute
the earnings Of the day TO the support
of our struggling brothers, the miners.
and appeal TO every union man and every
friend OF labor throughout ne country
TO do likewise.
Resolved. 2 That II the strike of the
miners is not settled by September 20,
1897. and an announcement made 10 that
effect by the president of the United
Mine Workers, a general convention be
held at Chicago on Monday, SaptembNr
o. 1897, by the representatives OF all
unions, sections branches. lodges, and
kindred organizations of laboring men,
and friends of their cause. for the pur-
nose OF considering further measures in
the interest OF the striking miners and
labor I'm general.
USE OF THE BALLOT.
Resolved, 9. That we consider the use
of the ballot as the best and safes. means
10, Of h,-. r..
under which the laboring class suffers.
Resolved. 4. That the public ownership
NJ railroads and telegraphs Is one Of the
most necessary reforms of the body poll
tic.
Resolyed. s, That we most emphatically
nrotest against government by injunc-
tion. which plays havoc with even such
nolitical liberty as we have saved from
the steady encroachment of capitalism;
and be 1t finally
Resolved, 6, That no nation in which
the people are totally disarmed can long
remain n free nation, and therefore We
,,rge every one TO obey Article /. OF the
Constitution, which reads as follows:
.sTbe right OF the people TO keep and bear
arms shall not be infringed."
AS soon as the platform was before the
convention a dozen delegates were on
their feet clamoring for recognition.
Amendments were laid On the table to be
taken up later.
UNEMPLOYED TO PooR-HoUsEs.
Delegate Osborne. of Atlanta, Ca.
offered resolution 10 the effect that II
was the sense OF the meeting that all
unemployed men in the United States
should apply for admission to the poor
houses OF their respective counties. No
action was taken on this resolution, and
the convention went OF In a desultory
manner, regarding the debate. Mr.. Clay
horne of Springfield. No.. moved 10