Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-07-31
MINERS MANIFESTO.
It is Issued by the Conference OF
Labor Leaders.
Financial Aid Pledged to Sustain the
strikers-ETorts VIII be Put Forth
to Make the Strike General
and More Effective.

numerous labor organizations of the
country, called to meet in Wheeling at
noon yesterday for the purpose of con-
sidering ways and means to win the
great coal strike, was delayed in get
ting to work on account of the failure
of President Ratchford, of the coal
miners, to arrive early in the morning,
as was expected.
The first session of the conference
was held at 1 o'clock, on the arrival of
Messrs Ratchford and Pears from Co
lumbus. On motion of Mr.. Sovereign,
Samuel Gompers was chosen to pre-
side and Secretary Morrison, also of
the Federation, was made secretary.
Chairman Gompers then called upon
the miners representatives to detail
the situation. They were also asked
to suggest in what manner the other
laboring organizations could give their
aid. President Ratchford, of the
miners, addressed the conference at
some length. stating fully the causes
that had led to the suspension of work
in the bituminous regions and pre-
sented the conditions of the miners
who are taking part in the strike.
kilograms pledging financial aid for
the miners were received from nearly
all the heads of organizations that had
been unable to attend on account of
short notice. Mr.. Morrison says that
the chief aim of the conference will be
to effect suspension of work in West
Virginia and at the De Armitt mines.
The conference has not yet come to
the point of believing it necessary to
ask the tiremen, conductors and brake
men to refuse to haul West Virginia
coal.
The following manifesto was issued
at midnight:
A wall of anguish mingled with desperation,
! arises from the bowels of the earth and the
miners cry for relief for some degree of JUS
| tice. touches the responsive chord in the hearts
| and consciences of the whole people, drudging
| ct wages when employed which are inadequate
| and portend misery, starvation and slavery.
the miners are confronted with n condition by
| which their scant earnings are denied them ex-
| cept through the company pluck-me stores
which out-Shylock the worst features of the
| nefarious system, is a stigma on the eScutch-
con Of aur country and blot on our civilza-
tion.
We, the representatives of the trades unions
and of all organized labor of the United Stntes
in convention assembled to consider the pend
ing struggle of the miners for wages sufficient
to enable them to live and to enjoy at least
termined to forever put stop to state OF
starvation in which they now engulfed.
The deplorable condition of the miners is
well known to all of our people. They live in
novels unable to buy sufficient bread to ward
off starvation, in many cases not sufficiently
clothed to cover their nal1edness and their
children unfit to attend school because OF lack
of food and clothing making them danger to
the future stability of our republic. We feel
assured that all men and women who love
Nl,ntr fnY, 1fng .rl,., hn.ra ali lf
human sympathy for their fellows cannot fail
to give all the aid in their power to enable the
miners to win their present battle.
The representatives of the miners have been
; restrained by injunction when exercising their
fundamental right OF public assembly and free
speech to present to the world their grievances.
We, as American citizens, resent this interfer-
ence with the rights guaranteed us under the
constitution.
In the ordinary affairs of life all enjoy priv
/ ileges and rights which constitutions neither
confer nor deny, but the guarantee of the right
of free public assembly and free speech was
: intended to give opportunity to the people or
any portion of them to present the grievances
from which they suffer and which they aim TO
redress
We denounce the issuance of injunction by
: the judges of West Virginia. Pennsy .vania
f and other states n wholly unjustified, unwar-
ranted and unprecedented more especially in
the absence of any exhibition or manifestation
of force on the part of the outraged miners. We
call on the governor of West Virginia and the
= governors of all the other states and on all
public officials for full and ample protection in
, the exercise of our rights of free speech and
l public assemblage.
/ We have no desire to trespass upon the
I rights of any one, and we demand protection
in the exercise of those rights handed down TO
US by the founders of the republic. We rec
ommend that Indignation meetings be
held throughout the entire country to give ex-
preston to the condemnation OF the unwar-
G ranted injunction interfering with the free
rights of free assemblage and free speech and
we also extend sympathy and support to the
Mine Workers to the utmost extent.
t We hereby call upon each national and in
! | ternational organization of labor TO send rep
, resentatives to act for and by the direction oil
, the United Mine Workers us organizers in
West Virginia, Pennsylvania and such other
= states may be necessary.
Fully imbued with the heroic struggle which
q | the miners are making for the pure woman
a hood and innocent childhood for decency, fol-
! manhood and for civilization, and with the
y consciousness OF the justice of their cause and
a of the responsibility of their actions we cal
4 upon the workingmen of our country to lend
a all possible assistance to our suffering, strug.
y. Cling fellow workers of the mines and TO unite
, in defense of our homes, our rights our cit :
= zenship and our country.
: The conference adjourned at mid
night. 1t was decided that President
= one in arranging for sympathetic mass
: meetings ali over the country on Au,
gust 5. Officers of the American Fed
: Grafton of Labor were requested tc
, communicate with union organizations
g as to what shall be done to further the
o plan outlined in the appeal. Officer.
e of the United Mine Workers are to ar
Il range for the systematic work of on,
n hundred labor organizers in West Vir
v ginia, in WI ch state and Pennsylvania
q renewed efforts to make the strike gen
o eral will be made. The railway broth
I erhoods, except the engineers, are il
e hearty sympathy with the movemen
to make the strike effective.
Cold Day In Gotham.
IS New York July 2s.-Yesterday wal
, the coldest July 81 on the records o
:. the weather observer. The minimum
, | temparature was so at 3 and 4 o'clocl