The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-08-31
To Determine the Rights of the
People, If Any They Have.
LABOR
CONFERENCE
Receives the Proposition COldly
-Mahon Says
Convene the Courts, Where the
Power of the Nation Lies.

made its report Immediately upon the
assembling of the convention.
1t was shown that 50 delegates, rep
FeSenting the following organizations,
were present:
United Mine Workers of America, the
Social Democracy, the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, the Stonemakers' In
ternatiOnal Union, Brotherhood or
Painters and Decorators, Brotherhood
of Bottle Blowers, Building Trades
Council of ST. Louis, the Patriots of
Foreman, the Single Tax League of
America, Central Labor Council of
Cincinnati. the International Typo
graphical Union, the Peoples Party or
Kansas and the Industrial Order of
Freedmen.
The report after some discussion was
adopted.
1t was decided. however. that dele
gates be recognized as coming from
the particular organization they rep
resent instead of general body. The
general representatives showed also
the presence of one woman delegate
Miss Mary Jones of Chicago, who rep
resents the Social Democracy.
The temporary organization was then
made permanent and the chairman
read the call for the convention.
1t was moved and seconded that a
committee on resolutions, to be made
up of one member from each national
organization, be named, each delegation
to choose their member.
This was amended by delegate Steph-
ems of Philadelphia to read: "And
plan of action
Mr. Mahon of Detroit objected to this
committee as unwieldy and said he
was perfectly satisfied to let the mat
ter of resolutions go to committee of
five, to be selected by the chair. He
amended the resolution to that effect.
IF you are going into the resolution
business" said Mr.. Mahon, you bet
ter go home"
Mr. Mahon's amendment was carried
dix-iS
of Mr.. Stephens.
The chairman then named as the
committee ION resolutions and plan of
action" w. c. Pearce of the miners, w.
A. Mahon of the street railway men,
Victor Berger of Milwaukee, who rep
resents the Social Democracy, in whose
favor Mr.. Debs declined, G. c. Glenn
ems of Topeka, representing the Popu-
lists, and James r. Sovereign.
Mr.. Ratchford then took the floor. He
went over the miners strike from its
inception to the present day, and dwelt
particularly upon government by in
junction" He pleaded for prompt act
ion, and, coming to the point of his ar
gument, advocated special session of
congress as the best and only relief.
II believe" said Mr.. Ratchford, "a spe-
cial session of congress is necessary to
define the rights of the people of this
country-if they have any. believe If
sufficient time were given, the president
of the United States will call a special
session of congress to take action upon
the matter of injunctions and find
means of relief from the existing trou-
bles in the labor world.
In case of REFUSAL said Mr.. Ratch-
ford, impressiveLy, after an outbust had
subsidized, lit will then be necessary to
consider more extreme measures. 1 am
in favor, if the president refuses to call
congress, of a complete paralysis of
business. I believe in a sympathetic
strike
Mr.. Patrick O'Neill of Rich Hill, Mo-,
who said he represented 1900 organ
lied pickS,' favored a labor revolution.
He was a socialist, he said, and believ-
ed in the miners taking things in their
own hands if necessary. His fierce
harangue pleased the audience greatly.
Mr.. Sovereign put himself on record
as opposed to Mr.. Ratchford's plan.He
believed this would be the last conven-
ton to be held under present conditions
and that the crucial test now confront
ed organized labor.
Mr.. Mahon of Detroit said resolu-
lions committee was useless. The con-
vention should vote on Ratchford'S
proposition and then go home. The
power of the nation, he said, was in the
courts, and if a body was to be con-
vened, let it be the courts.
He was opposed to Mr.. Ratchford's
proposition Mr.. Mahon, as did his
predecessor, took a fling at Senator
Hanna, saying the president had to get
Hanna's consent to the converting of
congress.
James NJ. Carson. president OF the IL
length, the conditions confronting the
miners of his state and said he believed
his men would be beaten in two weeks.
kilograms of greeting and protest
against government by injunctionS''
were received from the Populist execu-
tive committee of the Sixteenth con-
gressional district of Ohio, the German
Trades assembly of Philadelphia and
the Atlanta Federation of Trades. A
polite request to quit monkeying and
strike for single tax on land values"
was then read from the Youngstown,
Ohio, single takers, and the talk went
on. Mr.. Ratchford took exception to
Mr.. Carson's statement that the min
erS were not winning their strike, and
said furthermore that his men were not
asking this convention for aid. They
wanted this gathering to eradicate, if
possible the power of the injunction.
Taking a fling at Miner Pat Reilly he
Winchesters had no place in the con-
vention. Down our way" said Mr.
Ratchford, miners don't know how to
handle guns
Less than 1000 people, among whom
were a large number of ladies. assem-
bled in Masonic hall at the night ses-
sion to listen to addresses by prominent
labor leaders brought to the city by the
conference. There was much enthusi-
asm shown. When it became known
that Eugene v. Debs, president of the
Social Democracy would not speak
there were signs of indignant diSap-
prevail and loud cries for that noted
leader. On the stage were a number of
the most notable of the delegates to the
conference, among them being James R.
Sovereign, grand. master workman of
the Knights of Labor; NJ. Ratchford
president of the National Mine Work
ers' union; G. c. Clemens, the Populist
leader of Topeka. Kan; w. D. Mahon
president of the Street Railway Mems
association; John V. Lloyd of Chicago
a representative of Deb's Social De-
mocracy and Frank Stevens of the Del
aware Single Tax league
Grand Master Workman Sovereign.
who presided, made an impassioned ad-