Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-07-30
AN APPEAL FOR ARD.
LABOR LEADERS INVOKE ASSISTANCE
FOR The MINERS ON STRIKE.

FOR The MINERS ON STRIKE.
Seariy All Of the national Trades Unions
Represented In ths Assembly Convened
In the Inteyest 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 II Is the confer
enco of labor leaders called last week
by President NJ j. Ratchford Of the
United Mine Workers and approved by
! President Gompers Of the American
/ Federation Of Labor, Of WHICH the min
urs' 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 an The national labor organi-
/ zations In the United States ere repre-
sented In the conference
/ The first session OF the conference was
! held Ola the sarrival Of Messrs. Ratch-
/ ford and Pearse from Columbus on
motion Of Mr. Sovereign Samuel Com
pers was chosen 70 preside. and Secre-
I tary Morrison. also OF the Federation
/ was made secretary.
! Chairman Gompers then called upon
! the miners representatives 20 detail the
/ situation They were also asked to sug-
1 gest ia what manner the other laboring
organizations could give their aid. Pres
/ ident Ratchford Of the miners address
ed the conference az some length. stat
ing fully the causes that had led TO
the suspension of work In the bitumi-
nous regions aud presented the condi-
tlona 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 Ia aid of the strike
preferring that important subject to be
1 lett to the consideration Of the confer
ence.
labor Leaders Appenl.
A committee appointed to devise ways
and means TO aid the miners presented
the following appeal, which was ap-
proved by the conferences
! vail Of anguish. mingled with des-
] pcration, arises from the bowels Of the
/ earth and the miners cry for relief for
some degree Of justice touches the re-
/ sciences Of the whole people Drudglng at
/ wages when employed which are made
quate and portend misery. starvation and
I slavery. the miners are confronted with a
condition by which their scant earnings
I are Mod them except through the com
pauv pluck me" stores which outshv-
/ io1F The worst features Of the ncfarioi,e
, system and is a stigma on the escutcheon
! OF oNr country and "a blot on our civiliza-
We. the representatives of the trades
unions and Of all organized labor Of the
/ United states, IN convention assem- bled
! 10 consider the pending struggle Of the
miners for wages sufficient 20 enable them
| 70 live and to enjoy ut least some degree
of the necessities of life, are determined
I to forever put stop TO a state Of starva-
tion IN which they are now ingulfed
The deplorable condition of the miners
IS wen known to all Of our people. They
1--we in novels. unable to buy sufficient
| bread 10 ward of starvation, in many
cases not sufficiently clothed to cover
/ their nakedness and their children unit
Z to attend school because Of lack of iood
and clothing. making them a danger TO
! the future stability of our republic. We
feel assured that all men and women who
| love their own families or who nave one
| spark Of human sympathy for their fel-
| 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 funda-
| mental right of public assembly and free
speech to present to the world their
! grievances. We as American citizens re-
sent this interference with the rights
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
sembly and free speech was Intended to
give opportunity TO the people OF any por-
ton OF them to present the grievance
from which they suffer and which they
aim to redress
We donounce the issuance OF injunctions
by the judges Of West Virginia, Pennsyl-
af anF rf zoe ue Wi MILL
fed. unWarranted and unprecedented,
more especially in the absence Of any eN-
hlbition or manifestation Of force on the
part of the outraged miners, We call on
the government Of West Virginia and up
on the governors Of all other states and
on all public officials for fun ana ample
protection in the exercise of 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
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 70 the condemna-
ton Of the unWarranted injunction, inter
fering with the free rights of free assem-
biage 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 tC
send representatives to act for ana by the
direction of the United Mine Workers as
organizers IN West Virginia, Pennsylva-
MIA and such other states as may be nec-
essary. Fully imbued with the heroic
struggle which the miners are making fol
pure womanhood and innocent childhood
for deeenoy for manhood and for ciViliza-
I ton, and with the consciousness OF the
Justice Of their cause ana OF the respOn-
sibility 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. oui
rights our citizenship and our country.