The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-09-20
THOUSANDS OF
LABORING MEN
They Met 10 Take Action with Reference
10 the Trouble at Lattimer.
ASSEMBLED AT NAY AUG PARK
Was n Quiet Meeting of Immense
Proportions--Geo Chance, the
Labor Lobbyist, and Hugh O'Don-
nell, of Homestead Fame, Were
Two Noted speakers--Reso olutions
of Indignation Adopted--speakers
Urged the Miners TO Organize.

mine employees, responded to the call of
the Central Labor union for yesterdays
| mass meeting at Nay Aug park for the
purpose of expressing Indignation upon
| the Lattimer killing and to encourage
labor organizing among mine employees
| in this region. The real business of the
| meeting began about 3 o'clock and
| lasted over two hours during which
! time not the slightest suspicion of dis
| order prevailed and no incendiary ut
| terances were heard, excepting possibly
| the TRADE of a man who gave the name
of Il. l.. Williams, a West Side miner,
| and who addressed the crowd from the
! platform in response to the chairman's s
| general invitation. The prominent
spirits of the meeting soon perceived
they had made mistake and Williams
speech was cut short in time to pre-
vent his making the gathering and its
object appear ridiculous.
George Chance, of Philadelphia, pres
ident Of the Pennsylvania State Legis-
lative Labor league, and Hugh O'Don-
nell, the famed labor leader during the
extensive Homestead affair, were the
two speakers of note and the only ones
from outside the city. O'Donncll re-
Trained from any extended discussion
of the Lattimer trouble and talked for
only about five minutes, explaining his
breVity and conservatism in the state
ment that he was In the mining regions
as q representative of a Philadelphia.
paper, as a reporter and investigator
ard for the purpose of forming pro-
nounced views to be expressed later.
Chance, who has attained no little re-
pute as a labor lobbyist at Harrisburg,
talked for over half an hour. The bur-
den of his speech was denunciatior of
the action of Sheriff Martin and his
posse, an arraignment of the company
store system end an urgent appeal for
miners labor organizations.
OTHER SPEAKERS.
There were addresses by P.J. Thomas,
of the Carpenters union, who presided;
City Treasurer c. G. Boland, City So
licitor NJ. A. Mckinley, Representative
John r. Farr and Common Councilman
James Moir.
Previously prepared resolutions of
considerable length were adopted with
out discussion, committee was named
to solicit subscriptions in aid of the
Luzerne strikers and the families of the
killed and wounded and a spirit of or
ganization was engendared into the big
crowd-this was the accomplishment OF
the meeting.
AT 2 o'clock the hour announced for
the business of the meeting to begin,
about 5000 men had gathered on the
play ground where had been erected the
platform for the speakers and the Cen
trail Labor unions general committee
of arrangements, and a thousand 9TH
ers arrived before the meeting was
we'll under way. Messrs. Chance and
O'Donnell were late in reaching the
park as they did not arrive here from
flazleton until 12.45 o'clock via the Jer-
sey Central railroad. They were met
at the depot and conducted to the st.
Charles hotel, from whence after din
ner they were accompanied to the park
in a carriage by Mr.. Thomas and NJ. D.
Flaherty,president of the Central Labor
union.
Mr.. Thomas announced from the plat
form that the object of the meeting
was Ito express an opinion on the out
rage perpetrated at Hazleton Sept. TO-"
He then read letters Of regret from
several prominent Scrantonians who
had been invited to address the meet
ing. Mayor Bailey had been announc-
ed to preside but he was not present.
His letter of regret or declination was
in the possession of the committee but
was not read. There was a letter from
City Treasurer Boland who later ap-
peared in person. The letter proclaim
cd that Sheriff Martin had acted in a
hurried manner; that the deputies had
lost their heads; that the shooting was
without provocation: that the affair
had cast foul blot on the history of
the state, and that the remedy rested
in the ballot.
LETTERS OF REGRET