The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-27
DEBS AT WHEELING.
Accuses Companies of Cheating Their
Employees.

Employees.
Wheeling, W. Va, July 26.-Eugene
V. Debs made his appearance in Wheel
ing this Afternoon and was met by
large crowd at the railroad station. To-
right he addressed a mass meeting in
the central part of the city. The eff
forts to secure the public building
square for the meeting failed and the
meeting took place a square away. In
speaking of the situation in Fairmont,
Mr.. Debs said he felt encouraged. A
number of men joined the strikers on
Sunday and others are expected to fol-
low. He said the efforts of the organ
izers would have been more successful
but for the fact that operators, as he
claimed, prevented their men from at
tending the meetings. Practical slav-
cry, he says, exists in the Fairmont
mining region.
Although the press may report the
miners as living under favorable con-
glons, said DebS. I have collected
data from farmers. miners and store
keepers which shows that the mining
companies cheat their employees in the
mines, at the scales and in the COM
pany store. The intimidation practiced
by the operators has prevented many
frcm joining the strike, but we are
hopeful of ultimate success in West
Virginia.
WILL BE MANY THERE.
The indications are that tomorrow's
conference Of labor leaders, made up
Of the executive officers of the various
orga niZations, centered under the
American Federation of Labor. will be
largely attended. Among today ar
rivals were Z. Y. Debs. Vice President E
Rea. of the Painters and Decorators:
President Mahen Of of the street car
Iers. of the Federation. and President
Ratchford of the Mine Workers. the
last two coming in on late trains.
President Sovereign, of the Knights
CT Labor. will arrive from Washington
in the morning.
There are some differences of opinion
as to the result of the conference. Debs
and Mahon tonight claim that the pub
lished reports of the strikes failure at
Fairmont are incorrect. Debs says he
is in poss assion of reliable advices to
the effect that the strikers today re
ceived heavy accessicns.
If the efforts of the agitators in West
Virginia have really been a failure. ii
is believed tonight that the railway
conductors. fremen and brakemen viii
be asked to refuse to handle West Vir-
gina coal. Inere Is SCE1e talk OF
general sympathetic strike. but this
does not meet with anything approach
ing even partial favor. A boycott of
West Virginia eoal in the event that
the miners of this state decline to Join
the strike viii be discussed at the con-
ference tCe,1orroW.
The labor leaders gathering for to-
conference late tonight claim
that 1000 of the 5000 miners in the
Fairmont & Monongahela Valley rail
road district are idle, that 5000 of the
lO.O Geo men in the field along the Nor
folk & Western road in the south end
Of the state have quit, and uncon-
frmed advices state that a large pro-
portion of the 1000 men in the great
Kanawaha region are idle tonight.
Debs, Mahon, Rea and the other !
leaders feel greatly encouraged.
DEBS' SPEECH.
Five thousand people gathered |
around an improvised stand in the cen !
trail park of the city tonight and heard |
speeches by +. Y. Debs and Vice Presi- |