Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-09-09
LABOR LEADERS MEET.
Conference in Aid of Miners IL HeId
in St. Louis.

Conference In Ala OF MAuSTS
in ST. Louis.
In speech at the conference Of LABOR
leaders in st. Louis NJ. D. Ratchford,
president Of the United Mine WORKERS o.
America, advocated great sympatnetlc
strike of all branches of organized LABOR
unless Congress met at once and gave Tue
laborers relief and wiped out the laws
which empowered the judiciary to con-
duct government by injunction.
The forces of labor met at Masonic
Temple at 10 o'clock Monday morning. u:
w. Steinbiss, secretary Of the Trades anu
Labor Union, occupied the char. NO
business was done at this session, re-
cess being taken until IL o'clock. ADou.
200 men composed the convention. Al -
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 q com
mittee composed of M. D. Ratchford,
James O'Connell, Grant Luce, ). Il. Sow
ereign and W. d. Mahon.
The Committee on Credentials made It's
report Immediately upon the ASCENDING
Of the conference for its afternoon SEES
sion. It was shown that lightweight
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 Bot
tie Blowers, Building Trades Council Of
st. Louis, the Patriots Of America, Inter-
national Brotherhood Of Track Foremen,
the Single-Tax League Of America, Cen
trail Labor Council Of Cincinnati, the In
ternational Typographical Union, the PEG.
pies party of Kansas and the lndustrlal
Order of Freedmen.
Mr.. Ratchford took the floor and went
over the miners strike from it's inception
to the present day, dwelling particularly
upon government by injunction" lie
pleaded for prompt action, and, coming to
the point Of his argument, advocated q
special session of Congress as the best and
in fact the only relief. "In case Of re-
fusal to convene Congress" said
Mr.. Ratchford, cit will then be time to
consider more extreme measures. l am
in favor, if the President refuses to call
Congress together, Of a complete paralysis
of business. I believe then in sympa-
thetic strike"
Patrick O'Neill Of Rich HILL Mo-, who
said he represented 1900 unorganized
''picks," favored a 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 a resolu-
tons committee was useless. The con-
vention 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.. E.atch-
ford's proposition. James M. Carson, pres
ident Of the Illinois miners, then recited
at 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 lost their strike. He said the
miners were winning their strike, and.
furthermore, his men were not asking this
convention for aid.
At o'clock the convention adjourned
until Tuesday morning at o'clock.