The Portland daily press., 1897-09-01

judicial permission, the Federal judge
have begun the subjugation of sovereign
states, so that unless check is soon put
upon the progress of usurpat1on, in q
short time no government but the abso-
Lutte despotism of Federal judges will ex-
list anywhere over any portion OF Ameri;
can soil. The pending strike. ofacoal
miners starved to feebleness by their scant
wages and by arduous and dangerous toll
the pending strike for the right to be fed
enough to make labor possible, has been
prolific of judicial usurpation, showing
tho willingness of judicial despots to re-
sort to the most shameless defiance OF de-
cency, as we'll as of law and humanity,
in order to enable heartless averice to
drive its hungry serfs back to the mines
to faint and die at their drudgery and
there remains today not the guaranteed
right of American citizens, the exercise
OF which an injunction has not some
where made a crime by these subverslons
OF constitutional liberty. We have met to
counsel together and have come to the
following conclusions:
That whereas the present strike OF
the coal miners has again demonstrated
the fact that our socalled liberty is not
freedom, but is a stupendous sham, under
which millions are degenerating, while
hundreds Of thousands-men, women and
children are starving in novels and on
the public highways.
Whereas, this condition has become
permanent for large and ever increasing
number of our population, as long as we
permit comparatively small class of
legalized exploiters to monopolize the
means Of productions and distribution for
their private benefit-a fact again obvious
in the case of miners.
Whereas, appeals to Congress and to
the courts for relief are fruitless, since
the legislative Eas well as the executive
and judicial powers, are under the con-
Jrol of the capitalist class, SO that it has
come to pass in this Free Country that
while cattle and swine have a right to
public highways, Americans, so-called
freemen, have not.
Whereas, our capitalist class as is
again shown in the present strike, is
armed, and has not only policemen, mar
shals, sheriffs and deputies, but also a
force government by injunction, suppress
ing lawful assemblage, free speech and
the right to the public highway, while on
the other hand the laboring men of the
country are unarmed, and defenseIess
contrary to the words and spirit of the
Constitution of the United States. There
fore, be 1t
Friday, the third of September, 1897, as
q "Good Friday" for the cause of suffer
ing labor in America, and contribute the
earnings Of that day to the support Of our
struggling brothers, the miners, and ap-
peal to every union man and every friend
of labor throughout the country to do
likewise.
Resolved, No. 2, if the strike of the
miners is not settled by the Goth day of
to that effect by the president of the
United Mine Workers, general conven-
ton be held at Chicago Monday, Septenl-
Der 27, 1897, by the representatives Of all
unions, sections, branches, lodges and
kindred organizations of laboring men
and friends of their cause for the purpose
of considering further measures in the in
terests of the striking miners and labor in
general.
Resolved No. 8, that we consider the
use of the ballot as the best and safest
means for the amelioration of the hard
ships under which the laboring class
suffers.
tResolved No. 4, that the public owner
ship of railroads and telegraphs is one of
the most necessary reforms for our
politics.
sResoived No. S, that we most en-
phatically protest against government by
injunction, which plays havoc with even
such political libsrty as workingmen have
saved from the steady encroachment of
capitalism and be it finally
"Resolved No. 6, that no nation in
which the people are totally disarmed can
long remain free nation, and therefore,
we urge upon all liberty loving citizens
to remember and obey Article 2, of the
Constitution OF the United States, which
reads as follows: The right of the people
to keep and bear arms shall not be In
frtnged ="
10 MI. Mahon moved is take recess, at
this point, until 2 p. m.
Mr.. Mahon's motion was amended to
read, ten minutes by Mr.. Ratchford,
and this was agreed to.
.a7 Mr.. Osborne introduced an amendment
to the platform to the effect that the
country should take care Of the unem-
ployed and thsIt the striking miners and
other laborers Of the country should apply
to the authorities of their respective
counties for admission to the poor house
and again cuatory was in full swing.
There was no particular attention paid
to the motion before the convention and
delegates turned themselves loose. Mr..
Clemens. a member of the committee on
resolutions and who was expected to
bring minority report, enlivened the
proceedings by witty speech. This is
the tamest aggregation of wild animals