The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-07-30
LABOR LEADERS MEET.
The Purpose of the Conference is to
Aid in the Termination
OF the Gigantic Coal Strike-The Meet.
ing Lasted Until After Midnight-
kilograms Pledging Financial Aid
Received-A Manifesto Issued

and largest gathering of the heads of
labor organizations America ever neid,
is now in session in this city. IT, is the
conference of labor leaders called last
week by President M d. Ratchford,
of the United Mine workers, and APP
proved by President Gompers, of the
American Federation of Labor, of
which the miners organization is
part. The purpose vf the conference
is to aid in a speedy and successful
termination of the great coal strike
Nearly every labor organization in
the United States is represented at
this meeting
kilograms, pledging financial aid for
the miners, were received from nearly
all of the heads of organizations who
had been unable to attend on account
of the short notice, Mr.. Morrison
says that the. chief aim of the confer
ence will be to effect suspension of
work in West Virginia and at the
Dearmit mines The night ion of
the conference was still in session
at midnight. The report of the
special committee to devise ways and
means to aid the miners is as follows:
IA wall of anguish, mingled with des-
peration, arises from the bowels of the
earth, and the miners cry for relief.
for some degree Of justice touches the
responsive chord in the hearts and con-
sciences of the whole people, drudging
at wages when employed which are IN
adequate and portend misery, starva-
ton and slavery, the miners are con-
fronted with a condition by which
their scant earnings are denied them
except through the company pluck
me stores, which out-shylock the
worst features of the nefari-
the eScutcheon of our country and a
blot on our civilization. We, the rep
resentatives of the trades unions and
of all organized labor of the United
States in convention Assem- bled to con-
slider the pending struggle of the min
ers for wages sufficient to enable them
to live and to enjoy at least some de-
gree of the necessities of life, are de-
termined to forever put a stop to a
state of starvation in which they are
now engulfed.
miners is we'll known to all of our peo-
pie. They live in novels, unable to
buy sufficient bread to ward off star
walton, in many cases not sufficiently
clothed to cover their nakedness, and
their children unfit to attend school
because of lack of food and clothing,
making them a danger TO the future
stability of our republic. We feel as
sured that all men and women
who love their families or who
have one spark of humane sympathy
for their fellows can not 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 injunction when
exercising their fundamental right
of public assembly and free speech
to present to the world their
grievances. We, as American citizens,
resent this interferen ce with the rights
guaranteed to us under the constitu-
ton. In the ordinary affairs of life all
enjoy privileges and rights which con-
situations neither confer nor deny, but
the guarantee of the right of public
assembly and free speech was intended
to give opportunity to the people or
any portion of them to present the
grievances from which they suffer and
which they aim to redress.
1--WE denounce the issuance of in
junction by the judges of West Vir-
GINA, Pennsylvania and other states
as wholly unjustified, unwarranted
md upnraoadaDtad roora aSDao;all,, -,
the absence of any exhibition or man
Hesitation of force on the part of the
outraged miners. We call upon the
governor of West Virginia, and upon
the governors of all other states, and
of all public officials for full
and ample protection in the exer-
else of our rights of free speech
and public assem- blage. We have no
desire to trespass upon the rights of
any one and we demand protection in
the exercise of those rights handed
down to us by the founders of the re-
public. We recommend that indigna-
ton mass meetings be held through
out the entire country to giva express
sion to the condemnation of the un-
warranted INDUCTION in interfering
with the free rights of free assem blage
and free speech, and we also extend
sympathy and support to the mine
workers to the utmost extent.
I'VE hereby call upon each national
and international organization of labor
to send representatives to act for and
by the direction of the United Work
ers as organizers in West Virginia,
Pennsylvania and such other states as
may be necessary. Fully i'm bued with
the heroic struggle which the miners
are making for pure wOmanhood and
innocent childhood, for decency, for
manhood and for civilization, and
with the consciousness of the justice
of their cause and of the responsible
ty of their actions, we call upon the
workingmen of our country to lend
all possible assistance to our strug-
Cling, fellow workers of the mines
and to unite in defense of our homes,
our rights, our citizenship and our
country"
Miners Want Immediate Help.
y