The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-07-13
LABOR LEADERS
To Secure the Corporation and Practica
Aid of Organized Labor for the Strug-
Cling Miners.

40 secure the CO-Operation anu fractica
Aid of Organized Labor for the strug-
Cling Miners.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, July 10.-The
greatest gathering of labor leaders
that ever assembled in this country
during a national strike was held in
this city Friday night to devise means
to assist the miners in their contest
for increased wages. The conference
was called suddenly. but the officials
responding represented nearly every
branch of organized labor in the
United States.
The conference was fixed for 10
o'clock Friday morning, at the Monon-
gahela house, but owing to the deten-
ton of President Ratchford, who
missed connection and did not reach
Pittsburgh until after o'clock Friday
evening, it was nearly 9 o'clock before
the meeting convened.
The session was secret and it was
almost midnight before it was over.
The press committee, Messrs Gompers,
Ratchford and Connahan, then gave
out the following state ment, in which
was Incorporated, they said, all that
was done at the conference. The man
ifesto follows:
After an informal discussion re-
ports were made by Messrs. Ratchford,
Dolan and Warner in regard to the
situation of the movement, and it was
demonstrated that the suspension was
practically general in the competitive
bicuminous coal district, extending also
to Kentucky and Tennessee, excepting
few points in West Virginia 1t was
realized that the situation in West
Virginia required attention in order
that the suspension should become alb
solutely general and success assured.
With that object in view, action was
recommended by President Gompers,
of the American Federation of La
Dor, and it was determined upon to
overcome this feature of the con-
test. 1t was also determined that
every effort be made on the part of
those present to secure the co-opera-
ton and practical aid of organized Ia
Dor for the struggling miners. ALI the
circumstances warranted the firm con-
viction that the miners will ultimately
achieve victory and to this end the aid
of labor and the sympathetic public is
invoked. Conscious of the great interest
which the public has in a contest so
widespread as that of the miners gives
us great satisfaction to know that the
miners have not been and are not now
opposed to ar bitration. We, therefore,
urge and advise that a conference be
held by representatives of the miners
and operators with the view of arriv-
ing at a settlement of the present sus-
pension"
Notwithstanding the positive an
nOuncement by the committee that the
statement furnished the press covered
all the proceedings of the conference,
it is known that an organized effort to
secure general suspension of mining
in West Virginia was decided upon.
After a thorough canvass of the situ-
alton, it was unanimously agreed that
the West Virginia miners held the key
to the situation, and without their
united support the success of the gen.
eral movement would be greatly
jeopardized.
Itis known that concerted action
will be taken at once to make the sus-
pension of mining in West Virginia
complete, which move, if successful,
will kill off the most effective enemy
the strikers have to encounter. 1t
was this field that broke the strike
in '94, and no effort will be spared
to bring it into subsection at this
time.
To supplement the conference Of
Friday evening, a special meeting of
the State Labor league has been called
for Sunday night in this city at which
further means of support will be de-
vised. The operators in the meantime
are viewing the conditions calmly and
profess to be in no wise alarmed at
the ultimate success of their cause.