Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-07-24
RATCHFORD CALLS
Wants the Heads Of Organized
Labor in West Virginia.
SENDS THE WORD TO aoNPERs

Demanding That He Convene the Chiefs
to Help the Miners Win the Strike
Declares That 1t IL Labor's Fight and II
Not Won viii Set Back the 0ause-
Meeting of Pittsburg Operators Called
fer Tuesday to Talk True Uniformity.
Fairmont, W. Va. July 24.-M. D.
Ratchford, president of the United Mine
Workers OF America last night tele-
graphed the following letter to Samuel
Gompers, president Of the American
Federation Of Labor. at Washington:
''On the fair soil of West Virginia peace
able assemblage has been forbidden and
free speech suppressed. A crisis is upon
US which must be met If we would es-
cape total slavery. The great mining
strike now extends over five states; $780,
600 miners and their families-almost
a million souls-are Involved. Public
sentiment is overwhelmingly with US.
Only the hollow, heartless sentiment Of
corporate capital. echoed By its vulgar
parrot the subsidized press, is opposed
to US. The acute stage has been
reached. This is no longer a strike for
Justice, but a struggle against starva-
tion."
Call on All Organized Labor.
After further remarks Of similar
tenor the letter goes on as follows:
The millions Of sturdy craftsmen of
our country must be aroused. / there
fore call upon you in behalf of the
struggling miners to convene all the
chief executive officers of all national
labor organizations at Wheeling, w.
Va. on Tuesday. July q, for the pur-
pose of meeting this crisis and achiev-
ing victory for the cause of labor. No
duty which any labor official may have
at this time is to be compared in i'm
portance to this great demand, and it
| is therefore hoped and expected that
each and all of them will atteAd in
| person. This is not the time to consider
differences between organizations, IL
| differences there be, and no man who
| has our cause at heart will raise that
| question. The call to duty is to all or
| ganized labor and the chief executive
of each organization is expected to give
the conference the benefit of his person.
al presence.
Calls 1t a Supreme Opportunity.
If this battle is won organized labor
in every department will be immeasur-
will be set back at least ten years
Never have the American people SO
| unanimously supported a labor strike.
Fully so per cent. are with US and will
| support our cause to the end. This is
| the supreme opportunity to strike the
blow orindustrial liberty, and If ignored
the doom OF labor IL sealed, and we
| trusted leaders must bear the odium of
| cur eowardly inaction. The very pres
ence Of the combined leadership of labor
/ in this state will waken the hosts to
duty"
Arthur's Replyto Ratchford.
Cleveland. O., July 23.-Fxesident
Ratchford sent a message yesterday to
Chief Arthur. of the Brotherhood Of Lo-
connective Engineers, requesting his
presence at conference Of labor lead
ers to be held at Wheeling, W. Va,
on Monday. Chief Arthur replied as
follows: Il cannot legally comply with
your request" Chief Arthur in explana-
| tion said that the rules Of the brother
hood prevented his attendance and that
his attendance might lead to a misun.
derstanding. 1.-The engineers have moth.
| ing to do with the, STRIKE" said he.
and while as individuals we sympathize
| with the strikers, We cannot as an or.
| ganization aid them"
| Arbitration Work at Pittsburg.
| Pittsburg. July 24.-The situation in
this district did not materially change
yesterday. The effsrts Of the arbitra-
| tion commission have. been so far sue.
cessful that call for a meeting of oper-
ators on Tuesday next has been issued.
It Is signed by w. p. De Armitt for. the
New York and Cleveland Gas Coal COM
Pany; ]. B. Zerbe, tor the Ohio and
Pennsylvania Coal company; E. Young,
for NJ. A. Hanna & Co.; George w.
Schlendeberg. for the E. L. Robbins Co.,
and other leading operators Of the dis
trict. These names to the notice Of a
meeting is sufficient guarantee of the
success OF the gathering in point of at
| tendance w. p. Rend will also be asked
to sanction the signing of his name to
the call. He Is now in Chicago.
No Sensation at CaponsburR.
The Canonsburg region produced no
sensational features. The striking min
ers are still encamped near the Allison
and Boone mines to persuade workers
from going to work, but as the hearing
in the injunction case was postponed
from yesterday until Monday there il
little danger Of any conflict at present,
because the mine-owners have an
neunced that their mines would remain
closed until after the hearing As far
as the injunction Is concerned the strik-
ers claim that 1t will have no effect, al
1t restrains them from what they have
no intention Of doing.
ILLINOIS STRIKERS DESTITUTE.