Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-07-31
LEADERS CONFER.
A Large Gathering of Heads of La
Dor Organizations at Wheeling.
THE MANIFESTO ISSUED BY THEN.
The Operators Also Hold Meeting at
acknowledgements of the Resolu-
tions-The Strike Making No
Headway In West virginia.

WHEELING, w. Va, July 2S.-W hat
is declared to be the most important
and largest gathering of the heads of
labor organizations of America ever
held is now in session in this city. 1t
is the conference of labor leaders called
last week by President NJ. D. Ratch-
ford, of the United Mine Workers, and
approved by President Gompers, of the
American Federation of Labor, of
which the miners organization is a
part The purpose of the conference
is to aid in speedy and successful ter
mination of the great coal strike
Chairman Gompers called upon
the miners representatives to detail
the situation. They were also asked
to suggest in what manner the other
labor organizations could give their
aid. President Ratchford, of the min
ers, addressed the conference at some
length, stating fully the causes that
had led to the suspension of work in
the bituminous regions and presented
the conditions of the miners who are
taking part in the strike. w. c. Pears,
Patrick Dolan and L. l.. Lewis also adj
dressed the conference. The confer
ence was held behind closed doors
At its close it was given out that
committee of five had been appointed
to devise plan for aiding the miners,
which would be reported at the night
session. kilograms pledging financial
aid for the miners were received from
nearly all the heads of organizations
that had been unable to attend on ac-
count of the short notice. The follow
ing manifesto was issued from the con-
ference room last night:
A wall of anguish. mingled with desperation.
arises from the bowels of the earth, and the
miners cry for relief. for degree of justice,
touches the responsive chord in the hearts and
consciences of the whole people. Drudging at
wages when employed. which are inadequate
and portend misery, starvation and slavery,
the miners are confronted with a condition by
which their scant earnings are denied them, ex-
cept through the company pluck stores,''
which outshylock the worst features of the
fariouS system and are stigma on the es-
ilization.
We the representatives of the trades unions
and of all organized labor of the United States,
in convention assembled to consider the pend
ing struggle of the miners for wa geS sufficient
to enable them to live and to enjoy at least
some degree of the necessities of life, de-
termined forever put stop to a state of
starvation in which they are now engulfed We
feel assured that all men and women who love
their families or who have one spark OF human
sympathy for their fellows cannot fail to give
all the aid in their power to enable the miners
to win their present battle.
We denounce the issuance of injunctions by
the judges of West Virginia, Pennsylvania and
other states wholly unjuStified, unwarranted
and unprecedented, more especially in the abb
Sence of any exhibition manifestation OF
force the part of the outraged miners We
call on the governors of West Virginia and
upon the governors of all other states and of
all public officials for full and ample protection
in the exercise of our rights of free speech and
public asSemblage We recommend that indig-
nation mass meetings be held throughout the
entire country to give expressions to the con-
demuation of the unwarranted Injunction in in
terfering with the free rights of free assem-
blage and free speech, and we also extend SYM
patty and support to the mine workers to the
utmost extent
We hereby call upon each national and inter-
national organization of labor to send repre-
sentatives to act for and by the direction of the
United Workers as organizers In West Vir-
ginia, Pennsylvania and such other states as
may be necessary. Fully imbued with the he
roic struggle which the miners are making for
pure womanhood and innocent children, for de-
cency, for manhood and for civilization, and for
the consciousness of the Justice of their cause
and of the responsibility of their actions, we
call upon the workingmen of our country te
lend all possible assistance to our suffering,
struggling fellow workers of the mines, and to
unite in defense of our homes, our rights, our
citizenship and our country
THE MEETING OF OPERATORS.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, July Is Ninety
nine coal companies mines, located in
the Pittsburgh district, were repre-
scented at the coal operators uniformity
meeting here yesterday. w. p. Muir
ray called the meeting to order at
11:30. After electing Marshal III. Reno
secretary of the meeting, a committee
was appointed to take up the proposed
uniformity agreement, revise it to suit
the changed conditions in its first
formulat ton and report to the confer
ence. The committee reported the old
uniformity agreement, with the new
clauses and preamble prepared by the
visiting arbitrators. The resolutions
favored a speedy adjustment of the
strike; favored the principle of uni
formity, honest weights and measures
and cash payments; denounced the
ISLANDERS made of dishonest weights
and measures, and asserted that the
operators were ready and willing tc
advance wages, but were unable to adj
vance them 25 per cent as the miners
demanded. The meeting then adj
iourned until to-day
STRIKE MAKING NO HEADwAY.
WHEELING, w. Va, July 2S.-The
coal strike in this state did not show
much change yesterday. At Fairmont
the Monongah mines added a number
of men to their working force yester
day making 100 men employed, about