Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-09-02
Made at The Labor Convention
by Sovereign and Debs. I
Former Willing to Go to Any Extn me
for the Peoples Rights.
Latter forstells tho Greatest Labor Upsisiaa
World Has Ever Seen.

or labor leaders OF the country which
has been in session here two days, fin
ished its work, this evening. The
evening. The meeting was productive
of several sensational speeches and
many resolutions, yet no decisive. ac-
ton was taken In the principal matter
for which the gathering was summoned
--the adjustment of government by In
| junction. The convention which had
| been announced as the last one Of it's
kind to be held, while adjourning sine
die, has merely postponed action on the
matters before it, for three weeks, as
a call for a similar conference to be
held in Chicago, Monday, Sept. q. was
| issued
| True, the convention ordered it's
chairman, Mr.. Pomeroy of the Interna-
tional Typographical Union. to request
President Mckinley in the name Of the
convention to cali a specitl session of
Congress for the purpose of defining
the authority of judges in the matter
of injunctions. but as the President will
| hardly receive the communication in
time to convene Congress in three
weeks. even should he consider the
matter favorably, the Chicago gather
ing may take action which would rem
der today's movement void, and decide
to act in another manner.
| Mr.. Debs and Social Democracy
dominated the convention and the
| famous labor leader carried the gather
ing of its feet, this afternoon, in one of
his characteristic speeches.
A resolution introduced by Mr. Ma
4 hpy, nf Dafrnit llinu ,vv.nu oil ;oars,
now at work. to desert their posts and
terming them enemies of human liberty
so long as they remained on duty, was
adopted.
| The afternoon session of the conven-
ton was set in motion promptly at 2
O'Clock. After considerab BILE talk in which
Williams. n St. Louis delegate, en-
deavored to have the coming convention
held in st. Louis and three or four at
tempts to change the date of
the conference, it was decided
that the matter should remain
as introduced in the platform,
and the labor congress, will be held in
| Chicago on Monday. Sept. q. The third
plank in the platform, was amended by
the use of the word Proper" before
use of the ballot" and the resolution
reads as follows: Resolved, that We
consider the proper use of the ballot as
the best and safest means for the
amelioration of the hardships under
which the laboring class suffers.
| Clemens of Kansas. moved that the
last two resolutions in the platform be
considered simultaneously. He fovored
their adoption. Webster of st. Louis,
| n
| resolution disposed of the important
| matter of government by injunction.
| If this 10 so. Webster continued, "any
judge could say through an injunction
get off the earth, you have no rights
here l then reply to the courts You
lie"
Webster wanted Congress to investi-
gate this matter.
Why" said Mr.. Sovereign, "this con-
vertion has rejected proposition |
looking to this very end. Even if Con-
gross did give us the rights we wanted |
the courts would still have power of
injunction and they could then throttle
us. The convention should inform the
world if this matter is to be tested the
miners should break all injunctions"
Sovereign said he was willing to go
to Jail in support of his idea. 1T is
time" said Sovereign, ito bring the
miners and courts face to face in this
matter and force an issue. Fill up the
Jail with violaters of injunctions and |
when the men who started this move
ment are incarcerated, thousands Of |
others will be found to take their |
places. (Cheers). The laboring peo-
pie can vote for years but nothing can |
be accomplished. Let us reorganizo
this government" shouted Sovereign |
Let us stand up and assert ourselves |
Behind these injunctions stand Gattling |
guns and Winchesters, but we fear
them not. Let us hold up the flag and |
tear down the courts.
I'VE stand on our dignity and viii! /
have our liberty from this time on"
shouted Sovereign
|. The convention broke into wild cheer.
ing which developed in a minute into
spontaneous call for Mr.. Debs, thu
famous labor leader and vowed head |
of the social democracy of this country,
who had not uttered a word since the
convention opened, but who has not
missed minute of it's proceedings. He
arose from his seat and came slowly
to the platform. When the cheering
ceased Debs began speech which was
interrupted at the end of nearly every
sentence by cheering and hand
clapping. He said:
II believe the gravity Of the indus
trial situation in this country is well
understood. 1t is quite evident the del
egates to this convention are cognizant
to the fact that civil liberty is dead in
America. I have said and say again,
for the last time, I have appealed to
the courts for justice and shall appeal
to them no more. The A. r. u. ex-
pended $4,000 to have the question of
civil rights tested in the supreme
courts of the United States, only to be
told that we have no rights that cap
ital was bound to respect. Shall we
appeal to the supreme courts again? /
No.
We appeal to this convention and to
the country for an uprising of all the
common people in every walk of life to I
be attack the courts and re-enthronel
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