The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-07-28
GREAT LEADER WITH The MINERS.
DEBS ON THE FIELD.
The Number Of Striking Miners Increases,
and the End is Not Yet In Sight

Eugene v. Debs addressed 400 miners
among them being the 300 who march,
ed from Monongah The 100 men from
the New England mines who attended
say they expect to lose their jobs, as
they were warned by superintendent
that the company would employ no
men who attended the meeting.
Debs speech was full of socialism.
lie described his Utopia scheme. lie
said OF the refusal OF the mayor OF
Pocahontas to let j. II. Sovereign, gen
eral master workman of the Knights
OF Labor. to hold n meeting there:
II II IL true, we are no better In the
United states than In Russia Free
speech is denied In West Virginia; so
II ~ In Russia. IL shows the despera-
tion on the part OF the operators. IT'S
like other schemes OF the money power.
The end Is near. IL is cupidity, and
cupidlty commits suicide. They can
force us down now, but II IL like dam
ming a stream. You can build the dam
higher and higher. but finally the dam
must break. Pent-up power will some
day d dastroy."
Eugene V. Debs. whose work was ex-
pocted to bring the miners of the Fair
mont District. w. Va, out on strike,
Is the first place I ever went where the
miners would not turn out To hear me
talk. and my work will not have much
erect II they do not hear my argu-
cnts." He also said III we lose this
strike ! VIII never enter another"
These facts have encouraged the oper-
ators greatly. and they now claim that
the tide Will flow steadily from them
Instead OF against them.
10 l,n
knights OF Labor returned from Po-
cahontas, Va, where he spoke 10 min
utes to miners when the mayor by pro-
clamatiOn. stopped "all public meet
ings or assemblages of more than three
persons In any public place within the
corporation limits" alleging that such
meetings were inimiCal to the public
peace. President Ratchford copied the
proclamation for future use.
Since the national strike OF coal
miners was inaugurated on July 3 last
the ranks of the strikers have in
creased from 10000 to 10000, according
to the estimate of National President
M. ID. Ratchford sent to the mining Of
ficials.
The Pittsburg district has neither In
creased nor gained any since the strike
began Is days ago. About 20. 900 min
ers are idle. Nearly 5000 including
the New York and Cleveland men and
all the miners IN WeStmOreland COun-
ty. exclusive of those employed at the
coke works. are still working, and have
been all summer. In the other bitumin-
Gus fields In Pennsylvania there are in
the neighbOrhood of 5000 miners pro-
duclng coal.
In Ohio the tie-up Is practically com
plete. That state is the stronghold of
the United Mine Workers. The morn
ing the strike order became effective
$4,000 of the $4,000 miners in Ohio quit
work. II was but n few days until the
other 5000 came out and none OF them
have returned to the pits since.
Illinois furnished $4,000 strikers out
of $4,000 on the first day OF the sus-
pension, and President Ratchford
claims that 10000 men have followed
the leaders example in the fight. This
leaves 5000 miners in the southern part
of the State who refuse to join the
strike.
No accurate figures can be obtained
for West Virginia. One day the min
ers are out there and the next day they
are back at work. Not more than c.
900 of the $4,000 diggers are actually
striking, however. President Ratch-
ford claims between 10000 and Is, 200
strikers in the Mountain State, but
conservative estimates place his fig
ures high. The small districts in the
South and Western States go to make
up the other forty odd thousand strik-
ers.
Indiana has only about 1000 bitum-
inous miners and all of them are strik-
ing.