The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-09-04

and most of the seats were empty, q
resolution was adopted authorizing the
chairman to mann a committee of five
to issue a call for the Chicago conven'
ton September %, on the following
basis of representation: One dele
gate for each local union, and two
for each congressional district.
Only wage-workers, farmers and
w~elI-known friends of labor will be
eligible as delegates. The chairman
named the following committee to is
sue the official call: j. z. Sovereign,
Eugene Debs;s O'Connell, of the Ma
chini3ts' union; Mahon, of the Street
Railway union, and Donnelly of the
Trades and Labor union.
w. Marble, of Burden, Ill, said he
had returned from : Arkansas with
S9O3. 80 contributed from the miners OF
that state for the Illinois strikers.
The chairman announced that all
money collected September 3 for the
striking miners should be sent to w. c.
Pearce, secretary of the United Mine
Workers, Columbus, o.
Mr.. Ratchford thanked the conven-
ton in a short speech for what it had
done in behalf of the striking miners,
and expressed regret that the president
had not been asked to convene con-
gress with a view to restricting the
federal courts from interfering with
the rights of strikers.
Before Mr.. Ratchford had time to
take his seat, w. D. Ryan, of Illinois,
offered such a resolution. and it was in.
stantly adopted, and the officers of the
convention instructed to SO notify the
president.
The usual complimentary resolutions
were adopted, and a protest against
the Armour Packing Co. at Kansas
City, Kas., and then the greatest con-
vention of speech-makers that ever as
sembled in st. Louis was at an end.
1t would be diff cult at this time to
predict the most important business
transacted by the convention. Just
before adjournment resolutions were
adopted calling upon the president OF
the United States to convene ION.
greSs in special session to define the
jurisdiction of federal courts in the
matter of issuing injunctions, and
calling upon the coal miners of Mis-
souri,, kentucky, Kansas and other
states who are still at work to join the
striking miners in Illinois, Pennsylva-
mia, West Virginia and other localities.
Doubts were freely expressed as to
whether Senator Mark Hanna would
permit the president to convene con
gress for the purpose of limiting the
jurisdiction of the feGerai courts in
dealing with strikers, ana others freely
expressed the opinion that sven if con-
gress were convened for such purpose.
no laws would be enacted Interfering
with the power now exercised by the
courts.
The resolution calling upon the coal
miners in Missouri, kentucky. Kansas,
Iowa and other state to joir in the
strike may prove of much consequence.
Members of the convention, who
claimed to speak for these miners, said
they would join the strike If called
upon to do SO In the states named,
and also the Indian territory, pretty
much all the miners are at work
and have been for a long time. They
are better off than the miners any.
where east of the Mississippi river, ac-
cording to accredited reports, and
prior to last night no doubts were eX-
pressed from any official quarter that
they would remain at work. There
are about TO- 600 coal miners employed
in Missouri.
Resolutions adopted by the conven.
ton, after eight hours of speech-mak-
ing, denouuce the interference of
courts by injunction against strikers,
set apart a day for contributions to
the miners, call a second convention
to meet in Chicago, and contain doc.
trines p~alliating almost every ele.
ment that comprised the remark
able convention save the advo-
Gates of single tax. Advocates of the
theories of Henry George were on hand
early and late, and, headed by Col. IL.
Martin Williams, of Missouri, their
presence was made known at all times,
and an hour before the close a deter
mined effort vas made to inculcate
some of their doctrines into the resolu.
tions, but they failed. The socialists
We're too strong for them.
The convention was made up of ele-
ments of humanity that are invariably
replete with theories which do nothar-
monte well in such a strangely mixed
assembly, and yet nearly every faction,
except the Single Tax league, ex-
pressed satisfaction when adjourn.
ment was reached. The only organ-
ization %afiliating in the proceedings
which did not have a full quota CT ora
tors present was the musical union.
1t furnished some excellent music, but
otherwise was not heard.