The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-07-29
The Labor Conference and tho strike.

The Labor Conference and tho strike.
The result OF the conference OF the la
Dor leaders OF the country, held in this
city Tuesday for the purpose of taking
united action relative to the great coal
strike, is that a renewed and active cam
paign to make the strike general will be
conducted in West Virginia and Penn
sylyania, unless operators come to terms
at once. The appeal issued to the coun-
try for sympathy and financial assist
ance will doubtless be literally respond
ed to, especially by the labor organiza-
tons throughout the union, and there
will be no want of men for the purpose
outlined in the document.
This means that, unless the operators
get together on some plan of settlement,
the struggle which is now going on Will
be conducted on scale the breadth OF
which was never before equalled in a
contest for living wages In this country.
What the outcome will be no man can
see now; that 1t is the desire OF the labor
leaders who have pledged their support
TO the miners to conduct the campaign
peacefully. and with an avoidance OF
anything that will lnclte violence or law
lessness the Intelligencer has not the
slightest doubt, as the management
seems to be composed of cool heads
The only reason to fear trouble lies in
the possibility thar there may be among
the small army of men who are to be
placed in the field in this state some who
will not be as cool-headed as the leaders
are. No one can deny them the right to
come into West Virginia and peacefully
argue the cause Of the strikers, and so
long as peaceful and legitimate means
are used there is no authority in this
state that will interfere with them, 1t 10
hoped that the appreciation of this priv
ilege, which is guaranteed to all citizens
OF our common country. will be demon
strated In a practical way.
we very much doubt, however,
whether the efforts that will be made
will be any more successful than those
OF the past. The West Virginia miners
have so far doubted the wisdom of a
sympathy strike. since 1t has not been
made clear TO them that, while helping
their brethren in other states, with
whom they deeply sympathize, they will
not deprive themselves Of employment
at the living wages they are receiving,
not only now. but in the future.
This may seem cold-blooded way to
look at the matter, but 1t must be re-
membered that the West Virginia coal
miners have been Disseminated against
In DIE past by the differences in freight
rates, and that they have a right to In
auireln;o what their fate would be should
the strike be settled on the basis that Is
proposed in other regions. Could they
be assured that the past determinations
and dlfrerentials which have worked
ogalas, them will, by any settlement to
be made. be done away with they would
doubtless lend a ready ear to the pleas OF
their suffering brethren who are now
crying for justice.
Aside from the questions involved In
the west virginia situation. there are
dgns multiplying that the end of the
strike Is not far of. The crisis is now
reached and in the very nature OF things
II cannot last long. Though the powers
OF endurance on both sides are very
great. there are other forces at work,
Public sympathy and the demands OF
business must sooner or later bring
about settlement.