The Monmouth inquirer., 1897-07-29
AN APPEAL FOR AID.
LABOR LEADERS INVOKE ASSISTANCE
FOR THE MINERS ON STRIKE.

FOR THE MINERS ON 81 RlNE.
Nearly All of the National Trades Unions
Represented In the Assembly Convened
In the Interest of striking Coal Miners.
A General Strike Not Yet Advised.
Wheeling July 2s.-What is declared
to be the most important and largest
gathering of the heads of labor organ
izations of America ever held is now in
session in this city. 1t is the confer
ence of labor leaders called last week
by President M. d. Ratchford Of the
United Mine Workers and approved by
President Gompers Of the American
Federation Of Labor, of which the min
ers' organization is a part. The pur-
pose of the conference is to aid in a
speedy and successful termination OF
the great coal strike. Sessions of the
conference were held during the day
and night but until the night session
was held little had been accomplished.
Nearly all the national labor organi-
cations in the United States are repre-
sented in the conference.
The first session of the conference was
held on the arrival of Messrs. Ratch-
ford and Pearse from Columbus. On
motion of Mr.. Sovereign Samuel Com
pers was chosen to preside, and Secre-
tary Morrison, also of the Federation,
was made secretary
Chairman Gompers then called upon
the miners representatives to detail the
situation. They were also asked to sug-
gest in what manner the other laboring
organizations could give their aid. Pres
ident Ratchford of the miners address,
ed the conference at some length, stat
ing fully the causes that had led to
the suspension of work in the bitumi-
nous regions and presented the condi-
tions of the miners who are taking part
in the strike. He did not propose any
thing in the way of recommendations
as TO what the organized labor of the
country should do in aid of the strike
preferring that important subject to be
left 10 the consideration of the confer
ence.
Labor Leaders Appeal.
A committee appointed to devise ways
and means to aid the miners presented
the following appeal, which was ap-
proved by the conference;
"A wall of anguish. mingled with des-
perations arises from the bowels OF the
earth and the miners cry for relief for
some degree of justice touches the re-
sponsive chord in the hearts and con-
sciences of the whole people. Drudgfng at
wages when employed which are made
quate and portend misery starvation and
slavery, the miners are confronted with a
condition by which their scant earnings
are denied them except through the com
pany pluck me- stores, which outshy-
lock the worst features of the nefarious
system and is stigma on the escutcheon
of our country and blot on our civiliza-
tion.
We, the representatives of the trades
unions and of all organized labor of the
United States, in convention assembled
to consider the pending struggle of the
miners for wages sufficient to enable them
to live and to enjoy at least some degree
of the necessities OF life, are determined
to forever put stop to a state of starva-
tion in which they are now ingulfed.
The deplorable condition of the miners
is well known to all of our people. They
live in novels. unable to buy sufficient
bread to ward off starvation, in many
cases not sufficiently clothed to cover
their nakedness and their children unit
to attend school because Of lack of food
and clothing. making them danger TO
the future stability of our republic We
feel assured that all men and women VINO
love their own families or who have one
spark of human sympathy for their lei
lows cannot fail to give all the aid IN
their power to enable the miners TO win
/ their present battle. The representatives
of the miners have been restrained by IN
junction when exercising their fundd-
mental right of public assembly and tree
speech TO present to the world their
grievances. We as American citizens re-
sent this Interference with the rignts
guaranteed to US under the constitution.
In the ordinary affairs OF life all en-
joy privileges and rights which consti-
tutions neither confer nor deny but the
guarantee of the right of free public as
sembIy and free speech was intended TO
give opportunity to the people or any por-
ton of them to present the grievances
from which they suffer and which they
aim to redress
We denounce the issuance of injunctions
by the judges of West Virginia, Pennsyl-
vania and other states as wholly un1ustl-
fed. unwarranted and unprecedented.
more especially in the absence of any ex-
hibition or manifestation of force on the
part of the outraged miners We call on
the government of West Virginia ana up
on the governors of all other states and
on all public officials for full and ample
protection in the exercise or our rights OF
free speech and public assemblage- We
have no desire to trespass upon the rights
of any one, and we demand protection IN
f. the exercise of those rights handed down
to US by the founders of the republic. We
recommend that Indignation mass meet
ings be held throughout the entire coun-
try to give expression to the condemna-
tion of the unwarranted injunction. inter-
fering with the free rights of free assem-
blage and free speech, and we also extend
sympathy and support to the mine work
ers to the utmost extent
We hereby call upon the national and
international organizations of labor to
send representatives to act for and by the
direction of the United Mine Workers as
mia and such other states as may be nee
essary Fully imbued with the heroic
struggle which the miners are making for
pure womanhood and innocent childhood.
for decency. for manhood and for civiliza-
ton, and with the consciousness of the
justice of their cause and of the respon-
sibiity of their actions, we call upon the
workingmen of our country to lend all
possible assistance to our suffering, strug-
Cling fellow workmen of the mines and
to unite in defense of our homes. our
rights, our citizenship and our country.
Operators Conference at Pittsburg.
Pittsburg. July 2S.-Eighty- mine coal
companies whose mines are located in
the Pittsburg district are represented