Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-22

ganized or more thoroughly harmonious
than today
President NJ. d. Ratchford of the United
Mine Workers was referred to by Mr.. Com
pers the first man who had managed
victorious strike for the miners.
THE villainous shooting down of the
poor miners at Hazleton," continued Mr..
Gompers. was crime against civilization.
do not pretend to say that those men
were upon the highway upon a pleasure
trip; but no one has right to take either
human liberty or human life in antici-
patton that the party will commit crime.
That butchery at Hazleton has shocked
The conscience of the people of the whole
country. The effect for the cause of
ganized labor will be good, and it will con-
vince the people everywhere that labor will
be Free
Results of the Strike.
President Ratchford of the United Mine
Workers said. in part: II ask you to forget
for the time being any impressions that
may have been gained, either favorable or
unfavorable, for the miners cause from
the daily press. / have no doubt many
broad land think that the miners get into
too many disputes. The miners organiza-
ton has in its management been as con-
serVatNe as any trade union organization
in the world.
THE production of coal is far in excess of
its consumption; the miners of our coun-
try do not, as a result, make one-half
time From 1872 to the present there has
not been single day that the labor mar
ket has not been full and to spare. Since
lSI2 there have been brought into this
country annually more than 5OO,OOO labor
ers and mechanics.
Il am not opposed to that class of foreign
labor which comes here to support our in
situations and love our flag, but / am op-
posed to those who come here simply to
accumulate few hundreds Of dollars and
then return to their native land to live a
retired life The backs of the miners have
been broken by the immense weight of for
elgE labor that has been dumped in upon
them
purpose of our government to invite for
efSn labor here, there ought to be some
means to enable it to make a living with
out crowding out the American laborer
The miners, through the aid of machinery
are producing more coal than ever before
and their wages in Ohio. which is Il fair
average, amounts to but s1S.4O a month
gross.
The Company Store.
Mr. Ratchford said the question has been
sometimes asked: Why does not the miner
move away from that locality and go into
other kinds of business?' He simply can
not. Not only does the miner in Yves. Vir.
lN.it
but he has to deal at the company's store
where, for example. he has to pay more
for sack of flour than he gets for mining
six tons of coal"
Mr.. Ratchford said the miners were COM
PEELED to resist the offer of a reduction of
six cents a ton rendered by the operators
and as result gained en- advance of five
cents ton for mining. He explained that
while in the recent settlement of the min
ing strike the miners did not gain all they
as much or an advance as they could ex-
pect under all the circumstances Had the
United Mine Workers been able to take
care of the 10000 men who were on strike
for an indefinite period, the result might
have been different.
I'VE have $4,000 miners While MANY Of
tnese nave not affiliated with our unions
it is not because they are opposed to
strikes, but because they are more radical
than we
1T Is my opinion that the trades unions
must DO practical work; that we must be
conservative enough to command the mid
dle classes OF society. With them against
US We cannot win. Our policy must be
practical; it must be in the interest of the
lacorer throughout, and the man who talks
OF an Ideal form of civilization is dealing
with something that is too far off; some
thing that neither you nor l will live to
see.
In conclusion, Mr.. Ratchford said. If II
had not been for the sympathies of the
trades unions, the press and public senti-
ment. the miners could not have been vic
torfous and he desired to thank the trades
unlontstS of Washington and every one
else, for what each had done for the min
ers cause Henceforth, when one craft has
difficulty with capital, it must be the con-
Germ of organized labor everywhere; then
victory Will perch upon { ur banners.
District Trades Unions.
Second Vice President James Duncan of
the American Federation of Labor, who
was next called upon, said he believed the
action of the trades unionists of Washing
ton, as taken in reference to the subject
by the Central Labor Union recently. will
be pretty nearly the action that will be
taken by the American Federation of La
Dor when 1t meets in national convention
at Nashville Tenn, next December.
Mr.. Duncan explained how immigration
had interfered with the members Of the
paving cutters craft of the United States
lew years ago PAYERS made" he said,
from 81 to $50 for a day of nine hours
The immigration of Fins, he said, had COM
PEELED members of the same craft on the
coast of Maine to work for from 45 to 20
cents day. He strongly advocated the an
pllcaton of an educational test to immi-
grants. which would, he said, he believed
If carried out, keep away a great many OBJ
jectionable immigrants, while 1t was not
likely the good effect would last for many
years, he said. because the people on the
other Side would undoubtedly see to it that
those intending to immgrate to America
were given sufficient education to pass the
required test.
In conclusion Mr.. Duncan made an argu-
ment in favor of the adoption of an eight
hour system by trades unionists through
out the United States. He told of the eff
forts made to induce Congress to pass an
eight-hour law, and the attempts made by
various parties to defeat it's operation q fter
the law went into effect.
The best way to enforce the eight hour
law, he said, was for the members of trades
union organizations to resolve that the
government law on that subject shall be
carried out.
Effect of Sympathy.
Mr.. Cameron Miller. a member of the ex-
ecutive council of the United Mine Work.
ers, said: THE result of the miners strike
shows the grandeur of having the SYM
pathy of your fellow men, especially of the
members of the trades union organizations
In our late struggle it was not the Italian
and the Hun and the Fin who always gave
US the most trouble: there were times when
II was the Englishman and the Irishman
and Scotchman. and even the American,
who worked against us. / am not in favor
OF a certain class of foreign immigration
coming here, but when l see, as did. how
some of the Huns and the Fins and the
Slavs suffered to advance the wages Of the
lab