Iron County register., 1897-09-09
LABOR CONVENTION.
Results OF the Gathering of Labor
Leaders at St. Louis.
The Platform Setting Forth the Ideas Of
the Observation-Disclosures Asked to
Contribute the Earnings of
Friday, September o.

ST.. LOUIS, Sept 1.-The labor con-
vention at Masonic hall debated IT
length report from the committee on
resolutions and plans of action con-
| corning the future course of the miners
strike.
The report set apart Friday, Septem-
| Der 8, day on which all labor organ
izations and their friends shall con-
| tribute to the relief of the miners. 1t
| further declared that if the strike be
not ended by September 30 mass con-
vention be held at Chicago. September
%, to consider the course then to be
| pursued.
1t inveighed at length against gov
ernment by federal injunction" and
called attention in a threatening man.
ner to that provision of the federal
constitution, providing that citizens
| have the right to bear arms.
During the prolonged discussion, in
which Eugene V. Debs and ]. r. Sow
ereign took part, there were evidences
| of extreme dissatisfaction with the
committees report, most of the speak
ers arguing that it was ''all sound and
fury, signifying nothing"
A number of the orators talked calm
| ly of shot-guns and violence, but these
were not very enthusiastically received,
| since they failed to make it clear who
and what were to be aimed at.
The section of the report providing
| for collection to support the miners
was adopted. Its scope can only be
realized when the figures are consid-
cred.
NJ. d. Ratchford, president of the
United Mine Workers union, says
there are 100000 union laborers in
| the country. One days pay for these
| laborers will amount to $5, 600, 900, Mr..
Ratchford thinks, but he says the num-
Der of laborers may be 1900, 900, and
that will increase the amount to over
| 1000, 600.
The Platform.
The fears Of the more watchful fathers of the
| republic have been justified The judiciary has
| become supreme. We witness political phe-
nomenon absolutely new in the history of the
| world; republic proStrate at the feet of the
! judges appointed to administer the laws. They
| acknowledge no superior.
Under the cunning form of injunctions courts
! have assumed to enact criminal laws and, after
| thus drawing to themselves the power of legiS-
| latiOn, have repealed the bill of rights and for
the accused the right of trial by jury. The exer
! else of the commoneSt rights of freemen-the
right of assembly, the right of free speech, the
| right OF travelling the public highways-have
| by legislation, under injunctions, been made a
| crime, and armed forces dlSperSe as mODS peO-
| pie daring in company to exercise these rights.
AT its last term the supreme court of the United
| States decided that the thirteenth amendment,
| forbidding involuntary Servitude, is not vio-
| lated by arreSting a seaman, imprisoned him
iS tn loava nd
| forcibly putting him on board to serve out the
term of his contract; a decision under which
| the old fugitive slave laws may yet be revived,
and striking laborerS beSieged and returned to
| the service of their masters.
Having drawn to themselves all the powers
of the feoeral government until CO ngresses and
presidents may act only by judicial permis-
sion, the federal judges have begun the
subjugation Of sovereign states, SO that,
unless check is soon put upon the
government, but the absolute dispotism of fed
eral judges will exist anywhere over any por-
tion of American soil The pending strike of
coal miners, starved to feebleness by their
scant wages for arduouS and dangerous toll;
the pending strike for the right to be fool
enough to make labor possible, has been pro-
life of judicial uSurpation, showing the will
ingneSs of judicial despotS to resor' to the most
shameless defiance of decency wul as of law
and humanity in order to enable heartleSS
avarice to drive its hungry serfs back to the
mines to faint and die at their drudgery; and
there remains to-day not one guaranteed right
of American citizens the exercise of which an
injun tion has not somewhere made a crime.
Startled by these SubverSionS of conStitu-
tional liberty, we have met as American citi-
ZenS 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 so-called liberty is not freedom. but is u
Stupendous sham, under which millions are de-
generating. while hundreds of thousandS-men,
women and children-are starving in novels and
on the public highways.
WHEREAS. This condition has become per-
manent for large and ever-increasing number
of our population, as long as we permit COM
paratively small class of legalized exploiterS to
monopolize the means of production and dis
tribution for their private beneht-a fact again
obvious in the case of the miners.
WHEREAS, Appeals to congress and the courts
for relief frultleSs, since the legislative as
we'll as the executive and judicial powers are
under the control OF the capitalist class so that
it has come to pass in this free country that
while cattle and swine have a right to the pub
lie highway Americans, so-called free men,
have not:
WHEREAS, Our capt. alist class, as is again
shown in the pre- ent strike, is armed, and has
not only policemen marShalS, Sheriffs and dep
utieS, but also regular army and militia at it +,
command in order to enforSe government By
injunction, uppre >sing lawful aSsemblage, free
speech and the ri hts to the public Highways
whilr on the other hand the laboring men of the
country unarmed and defenseleSs, contrary
to the words and the spirit of the constitution
of the United States, therefore be it
ReSolped, That we hereby set apart Friday,
September 3, 1897, a Good Friday" for tue
cause Of suffering labor in America, and con-
tribute the earni ,gS OF that day to the support
Of our struggling brothers, the miners, and sp-
peal to every friend of labor throughout the
country to do likewise
KesoIr6d, That If the str Ike Of the miners is
not settled by Septem DER 20. 1897. and announce
ment made to that eieUt by the president OF tie
United Mine Workers, a general convention at
Chicago on Monday, September q, 1898, be aeld
by the repre- ,entatiVes of all unions, sections.
branches, lodges and kindred organizations Of
Iaboring men and friends OF their cause, for the
interest OF the indu strisl masses and labor In
general
Resolved That we consider the use OF the bal
lot as the best and safest means for the amelt-
oration of the hardships under which the Ia
boring class suffers.
Resolred, That the public ownership OF ali
mines and railroads is one OF the most neceS-
sary reforms OF our body politic.
Resolved, That we most emphatically protest
against government by injunction. " 'ich plays
havoc with even such political liberty as work.
ingrnen have saved from the steady encroach-
ment OF capitalization. and be finally,
Resolved, That no nation in which the people
are totally disarmed can long remain free ma
tion, and, therefore we urge upon all liberty
loving eiIizens to remember and obey article
OF the constitution of the United States, which
read as follows:
The right of the people to keep and bear
arms sh IL not be infringed
COMMITTEE NAMED.
After the ylatform and resolutions of