The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-09-04
THE VOICE OF LABOR LEADERS.
RESOLUTIONS and Speeches at the
st. Louis Convention.
TALK OF REVOLUTION AND BIooDsHED

st. Louis finished its work Tuesday
evening, after two-days' session.
Inhammatory speeches were made
by Debs and Sovereign, which Gre
ated wild scenes Of excitement
among their hearers. There was talk
af revolution, bloodshed, govern
ment by injunction and everything
else having a tendency to show that
the working man has no rights.
Many sensational resolutions were
adopted yet no decisive action was
taken in the matter for which the
gathering was called-the abolish
ment of government by injunction.
The convention, which has been
announced as the last one of its
kind to be held, while adjourning
sine die, has merely postponed ac-
ton on the MATES before it for
three weeks, AZ o call for con.
vention. to be held in Chicago, Mon.
day, September 9th, was issued.
The convention ordered its chair
man, Mr.. Pomeroy of the Interna-
tional Typographical union. to re-
quest President Mckinley. in the
name of the convention, to call a
special session of Congress for the
purpose of defining the authority
Of Judges in the matter of injunc-
tiOns.
A resolution introduced by Mr..
Mahon of Detroit, calling upon all
miners now ut work to d6oert their
posts, and terming them enemies
of human liberty 60 long as they
remained on duty, was adopted.
Mr.. Mahon had another resolution
prepared asking the convention to
call for 100 volunteers to 60 into
the town of Pocahontas, Va, on the
18th of September, and there hold
a meeting in defiance of the Mayor
of that city, who set himself up in
opposition to the God-given and
ancient right of free Speech" but at
the last moment concluded not to
present it. The resolution will prob
ably come to the front at the Chi
cago convention.
The first business before the con-
vention of labor leaders was the
presentation of the platform, which
was in part as follows:
WHEREAS, The present strike of the
coal miners has again demonstrated the
fact that our SO called freedom is stu
pend0us sham, under which millions arc
while hundreds Of thou
sands men, women and chiidren-are
starving in novels aud ON the public high
way;
WHEREAS, The condition has become
permanent for large and ever-increasing
of our population, as long as
we permit comparatively small class Of
legalized expiOiters to monopOlize the
means of production and distribution Of
their private benetit-a fact again obvious
in the case of the miners;
WHEREAS, Appeals to Congress and
the courts for relief are fruitless. Since
the Legislative rs we'll as the executive and
judicial powers are under the control Of
the capitalistic class, 50 that it has come
to pass in tins country that while cattle
and swine have right to the public high.
way, Americans. SO called trcemen, have
not;
WHEREAS, Our capitalistic class, as is
again shown in the present strike, is armed
and has not only policemen, marshals,
sheriffs and deputies. but also regular
and the right to the public highway;
while on the other hand the laboring men
of the country are unarmcd and defense
less, contrary to the words and spirit Of
the Constitution of the United States !;
he it
Resolred, That we hereby set apart Fri.
day, the Sd day OF September, 1897, as a
'GOod Friday" for the cause of suffering
labor in America aud contribute the earn.
ings Of that day to the support Of our
brothers, the miners, and APP
peal to every union man and every friend
of labor throughout the United States to
do likewise.
Resolced, That if the strike of the
miners IS not settled by the goth of Sep
TENDER, 1897, and an announcement made
to that effect by the president Of the
United Nine Workers, general conven
ton he held in Chicago on Monday,
81, 1897, 10y the representatives
Of all unions. sections, lodges, branches
and kindred organizations Of labOring
men and friends Of their cause, for the
purpose of considering further measures
in the interest Of the striking miners aud
labor in general.
ResoLred, That we consider the use If
the ballot as the best and safest means
tor the ameliOratiOn of the hardships
under which the laboring classes suffer.
Resotced, That the public ownership of
all railroads is one of the most necessary
reforms Of our body polite.
Resolpsd, That We most emphstically
protest against government by injunction,
which plays havoc with even such pOlIti.
cal liberty as workingmen have saved
from the steady encroachmen Of capital
ism; and be it finally
ResOkped, That no nation in which the
people are totally disarmed can long re.
main free nation. and therefore We urge
upon al! liberty loving citizens to remem-
Der and obey article of the Constitution
Of the United States, which reads Is fol-
lows:
The right Of the people to keep and
bear arms shall not be infriDged."
As soon as the platform was be-
fore the convention a dozen dele
gates were on their feet clamoring'
for recognition. It was decided to-