The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-30
DEBs STILL TALKS.
Hardly Expects a sympathetic Strike
-Gcyernluent by Iuiun nctfou


| ST. LOUIS, Aug. 80, 1S97.-E. v. Debs,
| of Terre Haute, Ind; NJ D. Ratchford,
| of Columbus, and w. D. Mahon, of De-
! troit, were among the delegates to the
| Labor Congress who arrived this morn
| ing and registered at the Laclede. Mr..
| Debs, who is not representative of any
| organization, comes on general invitation
| and WILL of course, give his advice if
4 called upon.
'.Of course, you know, I'm out of it,
said Mr.. Debs this morning. 81 am no
| longer affiliated with any labor body, but
have come simply as a guest of the con-
| ference
| Mr.. Debs would not venture an opinion
on the probable outcome of the confer
| ence.
rs there any probability of a SYM
pathetic striker was asked
II hardly think so. In fact, these dele
gates are not empowered to order a strike
| They can do no more than report back
| to their respective bodies the sense of the
convention.
| Government by injunction" Mr.. Debs
| went ON to say, .'as exemplified in the
great struggle of the miners, has been
carried to the extreme and the people
will take some very decisive action in this
matter
Mr.. Ratchford has a plan which he
| probably will present to the conference
calling upon every workingman and wom-
an in each county to contribute one day
of their wages to further the relief of the
striking miners. This money, he thinks
will amount to between $1,000 and 81, 900
nf f11nd xxri1J sod
to keep men at work among the strikers
in the Pittsburg district where the oper-
ators propose to start their mines with
non-union men. In other words, the
camps there will be maintained with the
hope of eventually influencing those now
at work to quit.
Among the other arrivals of the morn
ing were James O'Connell, representing
ton of Labor, Chicago; S. J. Meserall, of
the Industrial Council, Kansas City; Vic
tor L. Berger, with credentials from the
Social Democracy of Milwaukee, and
Frederick F. Heath, representing the
Street Railway men, also of Milwaukee,;
w. D. Ryan, vice president of the United
Mine Workers of Illinois. Jacob Tazelaar,
from the Brotherhood of Painters, Chi
cago, and R. P. O'Neill Rich Hill, Mo-;
John Kitchell, Spring Valley, ILL., John
Wallace, Scammon, Kansas; and Joseph
Pollard, of Belleyflle, ILL.,; all members OF
miners organizations.
Much disappointment was expressed at
headquarters this morning over the nom
lieved he will yet put in an appearance
1t was reported last night that Mr.
Gompers had conferred with Mr.. Ratch-
ford at Columbus and that he would be
1t is believed Mr.. Gompers will be in
ST. Louis this afternoon. The intense
cool weather this morning. AS to what
the convention would do none of the dele
gates seen this morning was willing to
tbafcdb tbat he social Democraey D. no % movement, M @
headed by Mr.. Debs, has large following
and it would not be surprise to see that
new venture gain control OF the as.e meetlng lli;
be made to amalgamate all the brother
hoods represented, and to this end a reso-
luton looking to the appointment OF a
general conference committee will be pre-
sented some time during the convention
by Mr.. Steinbus of st. Louis.
My idea Isl said Mr.. Steinbus this
from each branch of organized labor form
general conference committee While
hardly think such committee If appointed
by the conference will do ANYTHING al
this meeting. they will get together later
By that time ours will have crystallized
ana some pidtlOIlil upon WHICH d general
amalgamation of labor could stand would
be formulated. We must be united"
1t is not expected that the convention
will do anything today beyond perfecting
organization. and appointing committees
on credentials.
Chas. Steinbiss of the Committee of Ar
rangements, called the labor conference
to order at ten O'Clock. About 100 people
were scattered about the hall, not all of
them. however, being delegates. Mr.
Steinbiss suggested that as hte call for
ficta had hkaar
and as many of the delegates were yet
unadvised as to the meeting place and
hour an adjournment be taken until
eleven O'Clock. He named a committee
to go to the different hotels and inform all
delegates that the convention was about
to assemble, and a recess was taken. 1t
is probable that the men who called the
Davis. Carson. Dolan. Kennedy, Stephen
son and Dilcher. will be chosen as the
Committee on Credentials: