Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-09-09
SCORE THE COURTS.
The Labor Conference Mt st. Louis
Another Convention Called.

1
| st. Louis, Sept. 1.-The conference of
been in session here two days, finished
its work Tuesday evening.
A resolution introduced by Mr.. Ma
hon, of Detroit, calling upon all min
ers now at work to desert their posts,
and terming them enemies of human
liberty SO long as they remained on
duty, was adopted. The convention also
ordered its chairman, Mr.. Pomeroy, of
the international Typographical union,
to request President Mckinley, in the
name of the convention, to call a special
session of congress for the purpose of
defining the authority Of judges in the
matter of injunctions."
The platform adopted is, in part, as
| follows:
1.-THE fear of the more watchful fathers
of the republic has been justified. The
| judiciary has become supreme. We wit
| ness political phenomenon absolutely
new in the history of the world; a republic
| PROSTATE at the feet of judges appointed
| to administer its laws.
I'VE have met to counsel together, and
| have come to the following conclusions
| that:
whereas, the present strike of the coal
miners has again demonstrated the fact
| that our so-called liberty is not freedom,
but is a stupendous sham, under which
millions are degenerating, while hundreds
of thousands Of men, women and chill
dren are starving in novels on the public
highways;
Whereas, this condition has become
permanent for q large and ever increasing
number of our population, as long as we
permit a comparatively small class Of le-
lAsAn x~1ltr I.
of production and distribution for their
private benefit-a fact again obvious in
the case of the miners;
Whereas, appeals to congress and the
courts for relief are fruitless since the
legislative as well as the executive and
judicial powers are under the control OF
the capitalistic class. so that it has come to
pass in this free country that while
cattle and swine have right to the public
highways, Americas so-called freemen
have not;
Whereas, our capitalistic class, as it
again shows in the present strike, is armed,
not only by policemen, marshals, sheriffs
and deputies, but also by regular army
and militia, in order to enforce govern
ment by injunction, suppressing lawful as
semblage, free speech and the right to
the public highway, while on the other
hand, the laboring men of the country are
unarmed and defenseless, contrary to the
word and spirit of the constitution of the
United States. Therefore be it
Resolved, No. THAT we hereby set
apart Friday, the third day Of Septem-
Der, 1897, as Good Friday for the cause
of suffering labor in America, and con-
tribute the earnings of that day to the
support of our struggling brothers, the
miners, and appeal to every union man and
every friend Of labor throughout the coun-
try to do likewise.
"Resolved, No. 2-That If the strike of the
m ia Sattla1 Inv the 00t n da of Sem
TENDER, 1897 and announcement made to
that effect by the president of the United
Mine Workers, general convention be held
at Chicago, on Monday, September u,
by the representatives of the unions, Sec
tions branches, lodges, and kindred or
CARNATIONS of labori2s men and friends of
their cause, for the purpose of considering
further measures in the interests of the
striking miners and labor in general.
Resolved, No. 3.-That we consider the
use of the ballot as the best and safest
means for the amelioration of the hard
ships under which the laboring class suf-
fers.
Resolved, No. 4.-That the public own
ershp of railroads and telegraphs is one
of the most necessary reforms for our
body polite
Resolved, No. 5.-That we most emphat-
ically protest against government by in
junction, which plays havoc with even
such political liberties as workingmen
have saved from the steady Entertainments
of capitalism, and be 1t finally
Resolved, No. 6.-That no nation In
which the people are totally disarmed can
long remain free nation, and therefore.
we urge upon all libcrty-loving citizens to
remember and obey article two of the
constitution of the United States, which
reads as follows:
THE right of the people to keep and
bear arms shall not be infringed'
Of ha faronna II ri
sembled for the afternoon session, there
was spontaneous call for Eugene
Debs, and the famous Indianian rose
from his seat and came slowly to the
platform. When the cheering ceased
Mr.. Debs began speech, which was in
terrupted at the end of nearly every
sentence by cheering and handicap
ping. He said:
IT believe the gravity Of the Industrial
situation in this country is we'll under
stood. 1t is quite evident the delegates
to the convention are cognizant of the fact
that civil liberty is dead in America. I
have said, and say again, for the last
time, have appealed to the courts for JUS
tice, and shall appeal to them no more.
The A. r. U. expended $4,000 to have the
question Of civil rights tested In the su-
to be told that we have no rights that cap
itai was bound to respect. Shall we appeal
to the supreme court again? No. We
appeal to this convention and to the coup-
try for the uprising of all the common
people In every walk of life to beat back
the courts and reenthrone the rights of
the American people. Labor day is near.
What shall we do? predict. my friends.
that we will see the extraordinary spec
tacle of enslaved labor rafting it's chains
and dancing to the music. Labor is the
cheapest commodity on Gods earth, and
yet there are those who would have it at
a lower price. From justice of the peace
to Justice of the supreme court Of the
United States all the judicial powers Of
the United States are directed against la
Dor. All the organized sources of society
are against labor, and if labor expects to
emancipate itself labor itself must do 1t
II hope in the march of common intelli-
gence we will reach point where we will
be able to settle these questions without
appealing to the sword or bullet. I can
not tell. Certain it is there are thousands
Of our fellow citizens suffering, and GER
tain it is this cannot last. The time will
come to incite the populace. When this
time comes you can depend on me. will
not stand in the rear and ask you to go
ahead. I will be in front and say to you:
Come on ! shrink from that bloodshed,"
and Mr.. Debs paused impressively, "but
IL this is necessary to preserve liberty and