The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-07-29
STARVATION MUST End
Labor Conference Demands
Living Wages For Miners.
COURT INJUNCTIONs DENOUNCED.
Governors of the Different States Called
Upon to Guarantee to Min srs the
Rights Of Free Assembiage and Free
speeoh-Those at the Meeting.


ference of labor leaders, has issued a
manifesto to the country, which says
1--WE, the representatives of the trade
unions and of all organized labor of the
United States, in conference assembled
to consider the pending struggle of the
miners for wages sufficient to enable
them to live and to enjoy at least some
degree of the necessities of life are de-
termined to forever put a stop to
state of starvation in which they are
now engulfed.
1.-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 star
walton, in many cases not sufficiently
clothed to cover their nakedness, and
their children unfit to to attend school
because of lack of food and clothing,
making them danger to the future
stability of our republic. We feel as
sured that all men and women who
love their own families, or who have
one spark OF human sympathy for their
fellows, cannot fail to give all the aid
in their power to enable the miners to
win their present battle.
I'VE denounce the issuance of in
functions by the judges of West Nir-
ginia, Pennsylvania and other states as
wholly unjustified, unwarranted and
unprecedented, more especially in the
absence of any exhibition or manifesto
tion of force on the part of the outraged
miners. We call on the government of
West Virginia and upon the governors
of all other states and on all public
officials for full and ample protection
in the exercise of our rights of free
speech and public assemblage We
have no desire to trespass upon the
rights of anyone and we demand pro-
lection in the exercise of those rights
handed down to us by the founders of
the republic. We recommend that in-
dignation massmeetings be held
throughout the entire country to give
expression to the condemnation of the
unwarranted injunctions 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.
1--WE hereby call upon each national
and international organization Of labor
to send representatives to act for and
by the direction of the United Mine
Workers as organizers in West Vir-
ginia, Pennsylvania and such other
states as may be necessary. Fully i'm
bued with the heroic struggle which
| the miners are making for pure woman
hood and innocent childhood, for de-
cency, for manhood, ssand for civiliza.
ton, and with the consciousness Of the
| justice of their cause and of the respOn.
sibility of their actions, we call upon
the workingmen of our country to lend
all possible assistance to our suffering,
struggling fellow-workers of the mines,
and to unite in defense of our homes,
our rights, our citizenship and our
country"
The following labor leaders were
| present: Samuel Gompers of New
York, president of the American Fed.
Grafton of Labor Frank Morrison of
Chicago, secretary of the Federation
M. d. Ratchford of Columbus, presi.
dent of the United Mine Workers of
America; W. @. Pears Of Columbus,
secretary of the Miners organization
| p. Fl. MOrrissey of Peoria, Ills, grand
master of the Brotherhood f Railway
Tralnmen w. ID. Mahon of Detroit,
president of the Street Railway union
James II. Sovereign, president of the
Knights of Labor; James II. Sullivan
of Baltimore, president of the Interna.
tional Association of Decorators and
Painters ;J. B. Lennon of Bloomington,
| Ills, president of the Custom TailOrs'
union; j. +. Mulholland of Toledo,
| president OF the international Union of
| Bicycle Workers Jesse Johnson of
Nashville, president of the Interna.
tional Printing Pressmen's union :
| Theodore Perry of Nashville, vice pres.
ident of the International Typograph-
ical union; Robert Askew of Ishpem.
| ing, Mich, secretary of the Northern
Mineral Mine Workers William Nc.
Kinney of Lafayette, Ind, president of
| the Painters union j. w. Rea of Chi
cago, president of the Painters and
| Decorators union G.. w. Perkins of
Chicago, president Of the International
| Tobacco Workers union; Patrick Do.
Ian of Pittsburg, president of,the Pitts.
burg district miners M. M. Garland of
Pittsburg, president of the Amalgamated
| Association of Iron, Steel and Tin
Workers @. II. wilkins Of Chicago,
assistant grand chief of the Order of
Railway Conductors II. p. Sargent of
! Peoria, Ills, grand master of the Broth
erhood Of Railroad Firemen Val Fitz.
| patrick of Columbus, third vice presi-
dent of the Brotherhood of Railway
| Trainmen Il. l.. Lewis of Bridgeport,
o., secretary of the Ohio Miners Or
| ganization; Il. V. Debs of Chicago,
| former head of the American Railway
union j. Kunzeler of PitCsburg, secre.
tary of the American Flint Glass Work.
ers' union w. II. Riley of Wheeling,
| president OF the National Stogie Work
ers' league Nj. r. Carrick of Pittsburg,
secretary of the Painters organization /;
P. j. Counaghan of Pittsburg, seere-
tary and treasurer of the National
Plumbers and Gas Filters union
On motion of Mr. Sovereign, Samuel
Gompers was chosen to preside, and
Secretary Morrison, also of the FEEDER
alton, 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 labor
organizations could give their aid.
President Ratchford of the miners ad-
dressed the conference at some length,
stating fully the causes that had led to
the suspension of work in the bitumi-
nous regions, and presented the condi-
tions OF the miners who are taking part
in the strike. He did not propose any
thing in the way of recommendations
as to what the organized labor of the
country should do in aid of the strike,
preferrinR that important subject be
left to the consideration of the confer
ence. An appeal for aid was made in q
general way. w. q. Pears, Patrick
Dolan and 4. l.. Lewis also addressed
the conference, speaking in the same
strain.
In the course of their remarks it was
brought out that the miners believe
that the hardest fight should be made
at the works of the Cleveland and Pitts