Connecticut western news., 1897-07-29
AN APPEAL FOR AID.
LABOR LEADERS INVOKE ASSISTANCE FOR THE MINERS ON STRIKE.

Nearly All of the National Trades Union,
 Represented In the Assembly conveneo
 In the Interest of Striking Coal Miners
 A General Strike Not Yet Advised.
 Wheeling, July 2s--what Is declared
 10 be the most important and largest
 gathering of the heads of labor organ.
 lzations of America ever held is now in session in this city. It Is the confer ence of labor leaders called last week by President M. D. Ratchford of tho
 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
 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-
 Hented 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 Mir. Sovereign Samuel Com
 pers was chosen 10 preside and Secre-
 tary Morrison. also of the Federation.
 was made secretary,
 Chairman Gompers then called upon the miners representatives 10 detail the
 situation. They were also asked to sug- gest In what manner the other laborinR 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 Hl N.N
 nous regions and presented the condi- tons 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, | preferrinP that important subject to be
 left to 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-
 peration, arises from the bowels of the earth. and the miners cry for relief for some degree of justice touches the rec sponslve chord in the hearts and con- sciences of the whole people. Drudging at quate and portend misery. starvation and
 slavery, the miners are confronted with n 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 a stigma on the cscutcheon of our country and a blot on our civiliza- ton.
 unions and of all organized labor of the United States, fin 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 state of starva- ton In which they are now inRulfed. The deplorable condition Of the miners | is well known to all Of our people, They
 i've In novels, unable to buy sufficient cases not sufficiently clothed 10 cover
 their nakedness and their children unit
 10 attend school because of lack Of food and clothing, making them danger Co the future stability Of our republic We feel assured that all men and women who love their own families or who have one | spark of human sympathy for their fel- | lows cannot fall to give all the aid in
 their present battle. The representatives | of the miners have been restrained by inc
 Junction when exercising their funda-
 mental right of public assembly and free | speech to present to the world their | grievances. We as American citizens rec
 sent this interference with tho rights | guaranteed to us under the constitution. In the ordinary affnirs Of life all enc | joy privileges and rights which connti-
 
 | guarantee of the right of free public us- | sembly and free speech was intended to
 give opportunity to the people or any por- | ton of them to present the grievances
 from which they sufrer and which they | aim to redress.
 We denounce the Issuance Of injunctionH | by the judges of West Virginia, PcnnHyl- | vania and other states as wholly untusu- | fled, 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 full and ample | protection in the exercise Of our rights of | free speech and public assembiaEe. We have no desire to troEpass upon the rights | Of any one and we demand protection In | tho 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 condemnn- | ton of the unwarranted injunction, Inter- | fering with the free rights of free aascm. blaze and free speech, and we also extend sympathy and support to the mine work | CTS 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 organizers in West Virginia, PcnnHyVn- | nin and such other states as may be nec- cssary. Fully tmbued with the heroic struggle which the miners are making for | pure womanhood and innocent childhood, | for deccncy. for manhood md for civillzH- | ton, and with the consciousness of the | justice of their cause and of the rcrpon- | sibillty Of their actions. we call upon the | possible assistance to our suffering. struE- | gling fellow workmen of the mines and | to unite In defense of our homes, our rights our citizenship and our country