Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-21
ALABOR CONFERENCE
1T rs CALLED ny STRIKE LEADERS
FOR SEPTEMBER sd.
PITTSBURG PROPOSITION REJECTED.
Operators Issue n Statement Placing
Responsibility for Situation on
workers. officials.

COLUMBUS, o., August 2O.-The Ma
tional Executive Board of the United
Mine Workers adjourned to-day, after
having issued call for a conference
OF organized labor to be held in st. Louis
September Sd. The board rejected the
proposition 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 in
terests 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 competitive
district, which includes Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
The board has decided not to deviate
from the established policy until the re-
suit of the St. Louis conference is known.
! The aggressive work in the field viii be
continued, and the efforts to spread the
| strike in the West Virginia District be
renewed. The success or failure of the
strike hangs upon the st. Louis con-
ference, the call for which has been en-
! dorsed by Samuel Gompers, president of
the American Federation Of Labor. and
| j. r. Sovereign, grand master workman
| OF the knights OF Labor. They maintain
! that the night now being waged by the
miners is one of common interest 10 or
| gained labor throughout the country.
At the ST. Louis conference, all labor
organizations will be asked to join issues
with the miners The failure 70 secure
"a general suspension in West Virginia
hoe
OF success, as the coal supply from that
and a few isolated districts is meeting
the limited demand. The only hope OF
cutting off this supply appears to lie in
the refusal of organized labor in the ordi-
nary channels Of traffic and business TO
| handle or use this coal II the object OF
! the st. Louis conference Is accomplished,
the strike will be extended 10 nearly
! every branch Of labor In the country.
CONFERENCE CALL
The call among other things says: "The
/ tyrannical and un-American inJunctlons
| OF the Federal and State courts are reyo-
| lutiOnary against the first principles or
/ free government, and derogatory TO the
/ inherent rights of the masses, endanger-
/ ing the public peace, and destroying the
personal security and individual Liberties
| of the common people.
1.-THE courts have deserted the temple
/ Of justice, and now stand as the de-
! fiant bulwark of cOnfedcrated capital.
Their arbitrary rulings have set up one
/ standard Of rights for the rich and an
other for the poor. They decree mat
/ capital IS always right and labor always
wrong They have made it unlawful Tor
! starving people to appeal against tyran-
/ meal treatment present grievances, or
/ obtain just and peaceful terms Tor the
| adjustment OF their wrongs. 1t Is no
/ longer "A struggle between employer and
/ employee. The judiciary has assumed
the indofenslble claiUs Of the operators
and the strugS-~ between tyrannlcal
md . H. ho1a
! "The courts, although under oath to
/ serve the rich and poor alike, have vol
{ untecred to defend the sordid interests
/ OF the rich as against the GOd-giYen
l rights of the poor, and now threaten To
/ turn the Calling guns and WmchesterS
/ Of criminals and thugs against all VINO
/ dare protest against their despicable re-
! straiuiug orders. The judiciary Is prOst-
tuted TO the bidding of oppressive capital,
| has placed the rights OF property above
| the rights OF persons, ana mas discrlml-
| mated against the many I'm the interest
Z OF he few
MARCH BEYOND THE "DEAD-LINE."
PITTSBURG, PA, August 20-Secret
work among the working miners is 60 be
G9ont linn oga fee8 Camp, h tSus %st9 l
is said an effort may be made to resume
there Operations are also temporarily
suspended at Turtle Creek. one hundred
| and seVenty-fvc men marched from
/ CamD Isolation at Plum Creek this after
noon. They marched TO Unity, and were
stopped ar Plum Creek by the deputies.
The Injunction was read 10 them, Dul
they continued to Centres, TOUR mlle5
past the "dead-lne." They then marched
TO New Texas and returned with the
farmers from that section, VINO were
making a demonstration in sympathy
with the strikers The strikers We're JOIN
ed bv their wives and about FIVE hundred
people at a meeting, which was addressed
bv Mrs. Jones, of Chicago; Captain Nc
kaV and others
Deputy Samuel Young telegraphed for
the Sheriff 20 come TO the scene. whole
sale arrests are expected 10 follow tho
arrival of the Sheriff, and as both sides
are wrought up 20 the highest pitch,
there is no telling what the result may
be. There was trouble at the strikers
camp near the Bunoa mine during the
morning. and number OF strikers were
/ arrested for violating the injunction.
Arrests were also made at Camp VIC
tory near CanOnsburg. constable APP
reared In camp with warrants for twelve
men. but could only md two Of them.
The others had anticipated arrest and
left the camp before the officer arrived.
STATEMENT FROM THE OPERATORS.
PITTSBURG, PA, August 2O.-The
coal operators, in their meeting tonight,
! after waiting i'm vain for an answer from
| President RatchfOrd TO their telegram,
asking for a conference here tomorrow
| TO arbitrate the strike question. issued u
statement to the public shortly after mid
night. The statement was given out after
! a day OF waiting, and was precipitated
by the following resolution, passed to-
dav:
Resolved, That a committee be au-
thorized, I'm case the miners leaders agree
70 confer and no satisfactory basis can
be agreed upon in said conference. TO pro-
pose that the matter in dispute between
the miners and operators of the Pittsburs
District be submitted 10 arbitration, pro-
vided the miners are put to work at once
IL oil of al hngT1
arbitration"
The operators statement says. 'Tht
operators now have exhausted every et
fort 10 make amicable settlement, but th'
| miners will neither meet in conference
| nor arbitrate. The position taken by MT
Ratchford occasions great surprise 10 IN
| operators. He insists In bringing in an
competitive States, when he knows tn
operators OF other States under no cir
cumstances will attend joint conference
In making this demand MT hatcnloId u
seeking TO delay a settlement In the hop
, ! that he may bring TO his aid all the labo
: organizations Of the country and ASSUME
| such political influence as VIII frlghtei
the politicians into insisting upon a set
| Element Of the strike without regard u
= | the merits of the case. lie has AWAY
| insisted that the Pittsburg District Is N
/ | KEY TO the situation, and the operator
/ | hold out TO him an olive branch, iron
| which Is susDended the key he sought
.NIr Ratchford IS using the Pittsbur
q miners as a cats-paw to scratch poitlca
= chestnuts off the idle coal-upples IN I'M
$ district. He knows very wen tnat ueiH
In settlement will deprive Pittsbur
miners OF work which will be done durii
the winter by the miners OF the ono -.
diana Illinois and Iowa regions. Mi
= Ratchford must arrange a conference (.
q once for settlement or arbitration or IN
$ troubles in the Pittsburg District or n
: must stand accused Of inconsistency an
n i,sincerifv pIblic opinion will certalnl