The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-24
RATCHF0RD APPEaLS FOR Aid,


PARAMOUNT, w. Va, July 29.-M.
D. Ratchford, president of the United
Mine Workers of America, telegraphed
the following letter 20 Samuel Com
pers, president of the American Fedora
ton of Labor, tonight at Washington:
On the fair soil of West Virginia peaceable
assemblage has been forbidden and free
speech suppressed. A crisis is upon US, which
must be met If we would escape total slavery
The great mining strike now extends over
five states; 900 miners and their families
almost a million souls, are involved. Public
sentiment is overwhelmingly with us. Only
the hollow, heartlesS sentiment of corporate
capital echoed by its vulgar parrot the sub
sidized press, is opposed to US. The acute
stage has been reached. This is no longer a
strike for justice, but a struggle against star
vation. Every atom of nobility in human ma
ture imDels us to rise to the emergency and
by performing our duty as becomes men, res
cue the miners of the country from the cruel
grasp of bondage, and their wives and -clil-
dren from the tortures of famine.
West Virginia is the fed of action, and her
forces must be converged.s The miners here
are eager, anxious to join in our movement
for their emancipation, but are restrained by
the fear of discharge and eviction. They are
as much the property CT their masters as
were the black slaves before the guns Of
Sumter thundered the doom of slavery Here
upon the soil made sacred by Thomas Jeffer-
son and Patrick Henry, the slavery of labor
has become universal. The patriotic cry Of
the impassioped Henry, Give me liberty or
give me death" is once more in order: the
united hosts OF organized labor must come
to the rescue. The millions of sturdy crafts
men OF our country must be aroused.
l therefore call upon you, in behalf o. the
struggling miners, to convene all the chief
executive officers of all national labor organi-
July II, for the purpose OF meeting this crisis
and achieving victory for The cause of labor
No duty which any labor official may have
at this time is to- be compared in importance
to this great demand, and it is therefore
hoped and expected that each and all of them
will attend in person. This is not the time
to consider differences between organizations
if differences there be, and no man who has
our cause at heart will raise that objection
The call to duty is to all organized labor
ana the chief executive of each organ!zai-
is expected to give the. conference the benefit
OF his personal presence. If this battle is
won organized labor in every department
Will be immeasureably strengthened but if
lost the cause will be set back at least ten
years. Never have the American people SO
unanimously supported a labor strike. Fully
80 per cent are with us, and will support our
cause to the end.
This is the supreme opportunity to strike
the blow for industrial liberty; ignored, the
doom Of labor is sealed and we trusted
leaders, must bear the odtum of our coward:y
lnactlon. Inc very presence Of the combined
leadership OF labor in this state will waken
the hosts to duty. The downtrodden miners
VIII take heart, and as if by mage will
stand erect and assert their rights as men
The unity OF labor is all that is required TO
decide this contest in favor of the miners, in
favor of justice, and in favor of humanity.
FAIRMONT, w. Va, July 23.-Today
has been the agitators' day. This
morning the miners at Hite's mines
came out as did also forty others at
the shaft, and it is reported that some
are out at the New England mines A
successful meeting was held at Willow
Tree school house this afternoon by
Debs, Ratchford and Mahon. Three
hundred of the Mononagh miners
marched through the hot sun to an
intermediate point between Mononagh
and Fairmont, where they were met by
delegation of miners from Hite and
ether places. Mr. Ratchford was the
first speaker introduced.
Mr.. Debs started his speech saying:
''The longer a man works the poorer
he is. The only way to get out of debt
is to quit work had my choice of
agitation or stagnation and L chose