Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-07-26
TO-DAY OR NEVER.
The Mine Strike ls to Begin in
the Mountain State.
THAT Is WHAT OBSERVERS THINK.

Debs and Others Hold Meetings and .
House-to-House Canvass Il Made-Gom-
pers Calls for . Meeting Of Heads Of
Thirty-Eight Unions at Wheeling To-
morrow-Change of Tactics Against Do
Armitt-Western Strike News.
Fairmont, W. Va, July 26.-Debs held
three good meetings at the various
mines yesterday and is confident that
the men will be gotten out, although
he will not say he expects the move
today. The general impression is that
if the break is not made today it will
not be made at all. 1t is hard to tell
what the men will do. Yesterday the
operators succeeded in keeping many
of them from the meetings and it looks
as easy to keep them in the mines.
Mahon left yesterday afternoon for
Clarksburg. where he and Rea ad-
dressed meetings. A house to house
missionary work is being done by the
miners and will be continued. If the
project to get the men here out fails
all the organizers will leave this district
and an effort will be made to stop the
running Of coal trains.
1t Is the Unexpected That Happens.
All the mines are guarded by deputies
and no men are allowed on the COM
pany's grounds. A body of organized
men stayed at each of the different
mines last night and a herculean effort
is to be made to induce the men not to
go to work today. Rumors Of all kinds
are afloat. but no trouble is expected.
Today will certainly settle the strike
one way or the other, SO far as this
region is concerned.
May Call for General Strike.
Clarksburg, W. Va, July 26.-The
miners meeting advertised for yester-
day has proven great success from the
miners standpoint. On every train
scores of miners arrived. At . o'clock
last night about 500 miners and double
that number of citizens were at the place
Of meeting. w. d. Mahon. president Of
the National Street Car union, spoke for
two hours. He stated that if this strike
was lost it would be on account of the
West Virginia miners, ard that gener-
al boycott would be declared against all
West Virginia coal in the future by all
organizations Of labor in the United
States. Over 100 men said they would join
the union. There is no doubt but that
all will go out tomorrow. Mahon says
that at Wheeling tomorrow action will
be taken that will cause a settlement
at once or general strike will be called
for.
Atkinson Accuses the Leaders of Lying.
Charleston, W. Va, July Ex-Governor
Atkinson's attention was last night call
ed to the charge made by the strike or
ganizers that free speech was not allow
ed in West Virginia. The governor said:
1T is not true that any municipality in
West Virginia has interfered with labor
organizations in any shape. All organ
izers who have come into this tate have
been allowed the greatest liberty Of
speech. I believe in the right of labor
to organize for mutual advancement. 1
have received a copy of the resolutions
passed by labor organization in WASH
hgton, D. c., in which am denounced
as coward and my action as blood
thirsty. The action of the Washington
organization is contemplate because il
has not one scintilla of truth upon which
to base it,
Made the Injunction Permanent.
Altoona. Pa, July 26.-Last Tuesday
Judge Bell, Of Cambria county, granted
preliminary injunction enjoining some
fortyfive striking miners, who are resi-
dents Of Galtitsin, and their wives and
others from congregating in the vicinity
of ]. l.. Mitchell & Co.'S coal mines and
using threats and abusive language call
eulated to frighten the imported miners
now employed in the mines The injunc-
ton also forbade gatherings at the rail-
road station and other places in the
town for the purpose Of intimidating the
men now employed or to be hereafter
employed by the Mitchell company. Sat
urday the hearing was held and the in
junction made permanent against forty
of the defendants.
Gompers Calls on the Union Chiefs.
Washington, July 26.-President Com
pers of the American Federation of La
Dor, Saturday sent kilograms to officers
Of thirty-eight national trade unions
calling for a conference to be held at
Wheeling, w. Va, at noon tomorrow.
This was done in response to the tele-
gram from President W. D. Ratchford,
of the United Mine Workers of Amer
| lea, sent out Friday night.
LEGAL TEST OF A NEW LAW.