The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-09-03
ST.LOUI8 LABOR CONVENTION
Resolutions Committee Make
a Sensational Report.
FEDERAL COURTS DENOUNCED
tion-Friends of Labor Asked to Give
Financial support to the Miners.

Protest Against Government by Injunc-
tion-Friends of Labor Asked to Give
Financial support to the Miners.
St. Lonis, Sept. 2.-The labor con-
vention was called to order at 10
O'Clock this morning to listen to the re-
port of the committee on resolutions.
Mr.. Bergen in presenting the resolu7
tions said the report was the best the
committee could do under the circum-
stances. The report, which is very
lengthy, starts off by saying:
The fears of. the more watchful IA
theirs of the republic have been justified
and the Judiciary has become supreme
with the republic PROSTATE at the feet
of judge appointed to administer the
laws.
"Under the cunning form of injunc
tions, the courts have assumed to enact
criminal laws, and have repealed rights
and denied the accused the right of
trial by jury. The exercise of the
commonest rights of freemen, the right
of assembly, and the right Of free
speech have by legislation under the
form of injunctions, been made a crime.
Having drawn to themselves all the
powers of the federal government until
congress and the president may act only
by judicial permission, the federal
judges have begun the subjugation of
the foreign states
''The pending strike of coal miners
who starved by reason of the scant
wages paid for 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 the Willingness of judicial
despots to resort to the most shameful
defiance of decency as we'll as of the
laws of humanity, in order to enable
heartless avarice to drive its hungry
serfs back to the mine to faint and die
at their drudgery, and there remains
today not one guaranteed right of
American citizens unaffected by these
subversions of constitutional liberty.
"We have met to counsel together,
and have come to the following conclu-
sions:
''That, Whereas, the present strike
of the coal miners has again demon
strated the fact that our so-called free
dom is but stupendous sham while
hundreds of thousands of men, women
and children are starving in novels and
on the public highways;
Whereas, Appeals to congress and
the courts for relief are furitless, since
the judicial powers are under the con-
troll of the capitalistic class, SO that
while cattle and swine have the right
to the public highways, Americans, So
called free men, have not.
.Whereas, Our capitaIistic class is
armed and has not only the policemen,
marshals, sheriffs and deputies. but
also the regular militia in order to
enforce government by injunction, sup
pressing 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
defenseless, therefore,
Resolved, That we hereby set apart
Friday, the Sd of September next, as
Good Friday tor the cause of suffering
labor in America and contribute the
earnings of that day to the support of
our struggling brothers, the miners, and
appeal to every union man and every
friend of labor throughout the United
States to do likewise.
Resolved, That if the strike of
miners is not settled by the Goth of
September and an announcement made
to that effect by the president of the
United Mine Workers, a general con-
vention be held at Chicago, September
81, by representatives of all unions,
loJ0 I'd r.,
organizations of laboring men and friends
of their cause for the purpose of consid
ering further measures in the interests
of the striking miners and labor in gen.
eral.
Resolved, That public ownership Of
all railroads is one of the most neces-
sary reforms of our body politic.
Resolved, That we most emphatic
ally protest against government by in
junction, and be it finally resolved that
no nation in which the people are
totally disarmed can long remain free
nation; and therefore we urge upon lib
erty-loving citizenss 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 infringed. !"
As soon as the platform was before
the convention dozens Of delegates were
on their feet clamoring for recognition.
Delegate Osborn, of Atlanta, Ga.
offered resolution to the effect that it
was the sense of the meeting that all
unemployed men in the United States
should apply for, admission to the poor
houses of their respective counties. No
action was taken on this resolution, and
the convention went off in desultory
debate regarding the resolutions.