Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-07-27


the American millionaire. Any old
thing in the way of duke or count
will do for his daughters, just so they
get the title, but there is nothing good
enough for them in America. ZAP
plause.)
"The time has come-it is open to
you now-in the State of West Vlr-
ginia, and we are here to plead with
you on behalf of your fellow work
men. 1t cuts no figure with me what
the coal miners get. Ny trade is
local one You can't paint a house
here in Wheeling and take it to Chi
cago, but you can take ton OF coal
there, and if you allow that you might
as we'll send your miners there, and
in return for that, the organized labor
of this country will wipe you of the
face of the earth. (Cries OF Good!
Good" "Good,")
Yesterday man in Clarksburg
said to me: But how are you going
to do that? | said to him: The peo-
pie of this nineteenth century will do
it, and this meeting here in Wheeling
is one of the ways we have of gain
ing our point. (Applause.) 1t is one
of the things we have up our sleeve.
(Applause) The other day, in Pitts
burg, l received a cypher dispatch, and
an editor came to me and asked me
to let him have the text Of it. / said
no, that l did not propose TO put
gun in a mans hand, and tell him that
at a certain time | would be at the
corner of Clark street. and that he
could then and there put bullet in
me. (Applause) But | added that
after a while, when the time came,
that dispatch would be at his service,
and even though he might not then
want it, he would be welcome TO 1t.
Oaughter) That is what we are here
in conference tomorrow for-to come
to an understanding as to what we
are to do for the miners of West Vir-
ginia, and Of Pennsylvania, and Ohio,
and Illinois, and Indiana, and OF Ala
bama, and clear out to Colorado, and
if you will help us, just as sure as the
sun rises in the east and sets In the
west, you of West Virginia will be
benefited as well as the miners of
Pennsylvania or of Illinois. (Applause0
We can fix such corporations as the
Baltimore and Ohio road. We care
nothing for Arthur and such men as
he (Cries of: I'VE are with you!'O
Mr. Debs has only one object in
this State. He is not a member OF
any union connected with it, but he
has an honest sympathy with the men
who are in it, and so he told Mr. Ratch-
ford that if his services were of any
value they were at his disposal. ZAP
plause.) That is my position. When
the miners of Spring Valley, Ills, ap-
pealed to our union it was voted to
devote a sum of money to the cause of
the sstike, and 7 was asseeat seaat.. to glXe the
Strikers all the aid in my power, and
every mile l travel and every bite l
eat is paid for out of the funds OF my
local union.
ITO the business men of Wheeling, |
want to state that your interests and
ours are Identical. tell you that is
fact Why is it that when the tariff
was put on sugar, in one day a few
men cleared ten millions Of dollars?
Was that strike? You say no, 1t is
lawful But | say it was a strike, and
as long as we advocate nothing but
what is right the day is not far dis
tant when the people at Washington
will stop selling us out for their per-
sonal gain. The interests Of the bust
ness men and wage earners should be
more consolidated. Our business men
and wage earners should stand togeth-
er. (Applause)
"The newspapers call us 'agitators.
Now, l have no objection to that term
if it is used in the proper sense. Any
question must win by agitation, but
many use the word in the sense Of re-
negade | stand here as a lawyer,
pleading the cause Of labor, just as an
attorney does that Of a capitalist. Gap
plause) Let the people Of West Nir-
ginia be true to themselves, and true
to their neighbors. If you are not in
the trades unions, get there, for Gods
sake. If the miners lose this strike,
every one of you will lose something,
even if you think you are all right, and
have a steady job. If the miner goes
down. all must go down to some de-
gree"
At this point the speaker referred to
the incident Of the denial Of free
speech at Pocahontas, and said he had
not learned until last evening that Po-
cahostas was across the Virginia State
line. and he rendered an apology TO
Governor Atkinson for anything which
might been said resulting from his
ignorance of State geography. Mr.. Rea
spoke for a few minutes longer in the
same strain, and then gave way 70 Mr..
Tighe. who at once introduced Nr.
Debs, the main speaker of the evening.
Mr.. DEBS' SPEECH.
Mr.. Debs was received with applause
as he came forward. When speaking
was possible he said:
Ladies and Gentlemen and Fellow
Citizens Of West Virginia-Such
meeting as this is unusually signif-
cant. 1t bears testimony to the fact
that the people in every walk Of life
are aroused, and that there is on
every hand an increasing interest in
the labor question, and that 1t has eX-
panded TO such proportions that 1t is
taking precedence over all other mat
ters. | shall not appeal to your pre-
judices. | would not if / could arouse
your passions or incite the populace.
| appeal to your sense Of business and
to your patriotism, and | ask you TO
examine the conditions under which
millions of your fellow beings are
dragging out a wretched existence,
and to ask you TO get closer together
so close that yau can hear one an
others heart throbs. In the words OF
Paul, let US reason together. a great
strike is in existence More than 1S0.-
paUad in a Crrr1Upln
for enough wages 10 keep soul and
1 WITH thnir- families