Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-09-02
LABOR LEADERS MEET.
Conference in Aid Of Miners 10 Held
in st. Louis.

Conference in Aid Of Miners IL Held
in Sc. Louis.
In speech Mt the conference of labor
leaders in st. Louis NJ. ID. Ratchford,
president OF the United Mine Workers OF
America, advocated great sympat hetic
strike Of all branches Of organized labor
unless Congress met at once and gave the
laborers relief and wiped out the laws
which empowered the judiciary Ito con-
duct government by injunction"
The forces of labor met at Masonic
Templei at 10 o'clock Monday morning. III.
Nv. Steinbiss, secretary of the Trades and
Labor. Union, occupied the chair. No
business was done Mt this session, a re-
cess being taken until II o'clock. About
200 men composed the convention. AT II
o'clock Sheridan Webster nominated w.
b. Prescott. president Of the International
Typographical Union, for temporary
chairman. His election was unanimously
adopted and was greeted with applause.
Chairman Prescott then appointed a COM
mittee composed of NJ. ID. Ratchford.
JAMES O'Connell, Grant Luce, J. X. Sow
ereign and w. d. Mahon.
The Committee on Credentials made its
report Immediately upon the assembling
sion. 1t was shown that eighty eight
delegates, representing the following or
CARNATIONS, were represented: United
Mine Workers OF America, the Social De-
mocracy, the American Federation Of La
Dor, the Stonemakers International
Union, Brotherhood of Painters
and Decorators, Brotherhood Of Het-
tie Blowers, Building Trades Council Of
<,,ysr D,% YvA
national Brotherhood of Track Foremen,
the Single-Tax League OF America, Cen
trail Labor Council Of Cincinnati, the In
ternational Typographical Union, the PeO-
pies party of Kansas and the Industrial
Order of Freedmen.
Mr.. Ratchford took the floor and went
over the miners strike from its inception
to the present day, dwelling particularly
upon government by injunction" He
pleaded for prompt action, and, coming to
the point of his argument, advocated a
special session Of Congress as the best and
in fact the only relief. I'm case of n re-
fusal to convene Congress-" said
Mr.. Ratchford, sit will then be time to
consider more extreme measures. l am
in favor, il the President refuses to call
Congress together, of a complete paralysis
Of business. l believe then in sylnpa-
thetic strike"
Patrick O'Neill of Rich Hill, Mo-. who
said he represented 1900 unorganized
picks" favored labor revolution. He
was a Socialist, he said, and believed in
the miners taking things in their own
hands if necessary. Mr.. Sovereign put
himself on record as opposed to Mr..
Ratchford's plan. He believed that the
crucial test now confronted organized la
Dor. Mr.. Mahon of Detroit said resolu-
tons committee was useless. The con-
venton should vote on Ratchford's porpo-
sition, and then go home. The power Of
the nation, he said, was in the courts. and
if anybody was to be convened let it be
the courts. He was opposed to Mr.. Ratch-
ford's proposition. James NJ. Carson, pres
ident of the Illinois miners, then recited
Mt great length the conditions confronting
the miners of his State, and said he be-
lieved his men would be beaten in two
weeks.
M. Ratchford took exception to Mr..
Carson's statement that the Illinois min
ers lad host their strike. He said the
miners were winning their strike, and.
Furthermore, his men were not asking this
convention for aid.
AT 5 o'clock the convention adjourned
until Tuesday morning at 8 clock.