The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1897-09-04
ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE
RATCHFORD WANTS AN EXTRA
SESSION OF CONGRESS.
Address by Grand Master Workman
Sovereign on the Rights of
Labor.

among the delegates TO the labor con-
ference arriving yesterday. "I'm out of
it to certain extent" said Debs this
morning. 81 am no longer affiliated with
any labor body, but have come simply
as a guest of the conference under the
general call
Among other arrivals were James
O'Connell, representing the city branch
of the American Federation of Labor,
Chicago; A. S. Merrill, industrial coun-
ell, Kansas City; Taylor r. Bemer, with
credentials from the Social Democracy,
Milwaukee, and Frederick f. Heath.
representing the street railway men,
also of Milwaukee,; w. d. Ryan, vice
president of the United Mine Workers
of Illinois, Jacob Tazelaar, who comes
from the Brotherhood of Painters, Chi
cago, and r. p. O'Neill, Rich Mill, Mo-;
John Mitchell, Spring Valley, H.;
George Wallace Scammon, Kansas, and
Joseph Pollard of Belleville. ILL.,, all
members of miners organizations.
w. b. Prescott, president of the Inter
national Typographical Union, of In
dianapolis, was chosen temporary chair
man, and w. G. Pearce of Columbus tenn
porary secretary. Prescott then appoint
ed the following as a committee on Gre
dentials: Mr.. Ratchford, James OCon
nor of the machinists. Chicago; Grant
Luce of St. Louis central labor organiza
ton, j. r. Sovereign and w. ID. Macon.
1t was shown that SO delegates. rep
resenting the following organizations
were present: United Mine workers of
America, Social Democracy, the American
Federation of Labor, the Stone Masons'
International Union, Brotherhood of
Bottle Blowers, Building Trades Council
of st. Louis, the Patriots of America,
Central Labor Council of Cincinnati, the
international Typographical Union, the
Peoples party of Kansas and the Indus
trial Order of Freedmen.
Speech by RatchfOrd.
Rutherford then took the floor. He
went over the miners strike from its
inception to the present day. and
dwelt particularly upon government
by injunction" He pleaded for prompt
action, and coming to the point of his
argument, advocated a special session
of congress as the best, and in fact the
only relief
Il believe" said Ratchford, "a special
session of congress is necessary to de-
fine the rights of the people of this
country-if they have any. l believe
if sufficient time were given the presi
dent of the United States will call
special session of congress to act upon
the matter of injunctions and find
means of relieving the existing troubles
in the labor world.
I'm case of refusal" said Ratchford
impressively, after an outburst had
subsidized, 1T will then be time to con-
slider more extreme measures. l am in
favor, if the president refuses to call
congress together, of a complete par
alysis of business. l believe in sym
pathetic strike"
Patrick O'Neill of Rich HILL Mo, who
said he represented 1900 organized
picks favored labor revolution. He
was socialist. he said, and believed
in the miners taking things in their
own hands if necessary. His fierce har-
angue pleased the audience greatly
Sovereign Says No.
Sovereign put himself on record as
opposed to Ratchford's plan. He be-
lieved this would be the last conven-
ton to be held under present conditions
hot no N
ed organized labor.
Ratchford's plan of pettioning Presi-
dent Mckinley to convene congress in
extra session to enact measures pro-
viding for the settlement of the pres
ent labor difficulties, or, as he put it,
''to define the rights of citizens. if any,"
did not meet with the approval he had
hoped for, and it is not believed the
plank will be incorporated in the plat
form.
In the Evening.
Not less than 5000 people, among
whom were large number of ladies, as
sembled in Masonic hall last night to
listen to addresses by prominent labor
leaders brought TO the city by the con-
ference. On the stage were a number of
the most notable of the delegates to the
conference.
Grand Master Workman Sovereign
who presided, made an imprisoned adj
dress, in which he said that the labor
ing men of this country were face to
face with the last great problem of civ
ilization-their rights and liberty of
free speech. He predicted that the con-
fo.o,,oo ,,-o,.Il ,-o-,,It A. .-......,.o r