The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-11

nth annual convention oil the OF same 70,
ton. IN the interest Of organized iabo
and the uplifting of humanity l Dtd yo'
welcome. and trust that YOU Will prov
equal to the confidence reposed in you D,
Your respective unions that nave electe'
you 10 represent them in the deiioerationi
Of tfl.s body
The unfortunate death of Vice-Presi
dent James Leonard. April 4. deprived
this convention of the truest man in tn
Federation. His very heart and soul wa:
in the welfare of the organization since
In outlining the policy by which tn,
organization shall be guided for the mex
year let independence mark your action:
Irrespective Of comment or criticism from
friends or enemies; adopt such measure:
as the cool. calm judgment of the ma
jority shall deem proper for the bes
interests OF the organization:
BY wise and intelligent action the West
ern Federation of Miners will become
the strongest and most formidable labor
organization N the world; none of us
have any conception of our strength. II
members could be induced to use their in
telect and take more interest in theil
Own welfare The organization has not
yet reached It's fourth birthday. and borr
at q Derio6 when one of the severesi
commercial and financial crisises known
TO modern history swept the entire coun-
try. demolishing some of the strongest
and well regulated institutions in the
nation, the existence of the Western Fed
GRAFTON of Miners at this time is almost
miraculous
Notwithstanding the opposition of cor
porate wealth. and the persecution of a
large number of our brothers through
corporation influence we have steadily
increased. under more favorable circum-
stances and more aggressive system of
organization we should continue to in
crease until we reach every mining camp
west OF the Mississippi.
THE LEADVJLLE STRIKE.
Were it not for the Leadville strike I
could have organized twice as many
unions as / have during the past year.
At the last convention the delegates
from the Cloud City union reported that
reduction of wages in Leadville was
contemplated by mine operators, paying
81 per day; they requested that the presi-
with the view of inducing the operators
paying $3.50 per day to increase to So. I
reached Leadville on the Goth of May and
remained there eight days. During this
time l called upon three mine operators
that We're paying $3.50 per day and en-
deavored to induce them to pay s.. To
TINS proposition one of their number con-
scented. the others Messrs. Smith and
Moffat refused. asserting that they We're
operating their property in Lake county
for the benefit of their employees. Other
operators made the same assertion, but
their action afterwards proved their
statement TO be false and misleading.
On the 18th of June the men receiving
500 per day requested the operators TO
increase their pay to IS. This request
was ignored. and the men ceased work
which included nearly % per cent of all
u.
the mine operators paying So per day
shut down in sympathy with the $3.50
operators. throwing 10 per cent of all the
men out of employment This action
proved the correctness of the statement
made by the Cloud City delegates to the
convention.
At meeting of mine owners it was
agreed 10 pay no higher wages than g. 30
per day and they formulated plans for inn
porting non-union men from the lead
mines OF Missouri; however, their inn
Dortations proved failure The mine
owners saw that other tactics had to be
ADOPTED; decided to use the state militia
in their nefariOus work. and beyond the
shadow of a doubt formulated plans with
the militia to Leadville on the slightest
pretext.
CALLED OUT THE MILITIA.
In conjunction with this the mine own
ers decided to make a pretended at
tempt at the destruction of property.
They placed a number of thugs on guard
At the Coronado mine, worthless and
undeveloped property within the city
limits. On September 20. this property
was destroyed by their hired emissaries.
This gave Governor McIntire the excuse
he sought and the following morning he
ordered out the entire state militia.
At this time was in Denver; / left inn
mediately for Leadville. reaching there
September p; the same day / was ar
rested with number of union men at the
instigation OF the mine owners; however, |
the incarceration was of short duration,
as the corporation SWash bucklerS failed !
10 produce evidence to criminate any of |
the men arrested.
The mine owners left nothing undone |
to secure conviction of the union Of |
ficerS: they endeaVored to have the dis I
trict Judge Crank w. Overs removed |
on account of his fairness and integrity /
on the bench; in this attempt they were
frustrated. but not with unqualified sue
cess in their appointment of the present !
sheriff of the county.
THEN CAME DEBs.
on January 10, Mr.. Debs. at my re-
quest, arrived in Leddville and en-
deavcred to effect a settlement but was |
unsuccessful as you have seen by the re-
pert sent each union.
At this time ii is proper that | should
refer to the attitude of Governor Adams
After his Inauguration he went TO
Leadville nretentiously bearing the olive
branch. but his actions proved him to be
a fawning sycophant of corporation
"a pacity: nc wonder laboTing men groan
beneath the iron heel Of corporations.
" hen they elect their uncompromising
enemy 10 the highest office within their
gift-such men as Governor Adams and
A ttorney-G General Carr of Colorado
Through this long and bitter struggle
he men of Leadville stood true without
any break in their ranks. this speaks
more for their noble character and in
dependence than words can express.
LOUISVILLE STRIKE.
In the month of May the coal miners
# Louisville and La Fayette struck
Ig1iest q reduction of wages, which
arminated in the usual way The COM
ANY operating at La Fayette shut down
n order to Starve the men into Submis-
ion while a short true previous one of
heSe coal combines went into the hands
f a receiver and defrauded their en-
loyecs out Of two or three months pay
In the month of June trouble arose be-
ween the Yellow Jacket union and yell
oW Jacket Mining company over wages.
Both parties agreed TO submit the points
arbitrator. but before | could attend to
he matter the company suspended opera
ions and has not yet resumed.
In January a reduction of 80 cents per
Az in car mems wages was inaugurated
Z DeIsamar Ida. At the time of this
eduction l received a dispatch from the
eeretary of the union requesting me 10
roceed there. Through a mistake in the
eiegra oh Office ] went to DeLamar, New
believe the wages paid at DeLamar,
d.. at this time, are equal TO the pre-
As delegate to the American Federation
f Labor convention l have little report
o make The convention convened De-
ember 18th and continued in session six
ays. During this time there was nothing
ccomnlshed in the interest of labor nor
o ! believe the American workingmen
an ever regain their rights through
trade unionsm. Every wage Garner
nows if a corporation orders reduction ,
wages or an increase OF hours among ,
5 employees. all the trades unions .
America canot prevent it. With this {
and the bitter experience of
ne past surely il is time for working
zen TO see that trades unionism" is a ?
allure. :
In this brief review permit me TO men :
on two men who have proved their r
slf-sacriflcins devotion to the cause of I
Dor Brothers Graham and Debs. \
When the situation in Leadville looked :
aSDprate I telegraDhed Brother Graham =