The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-22
The A. R. L. Man Denies the story and
Says 1t Was started by the West
Virginia Operators.
SECOND FAIRMONT MEETING
RATCHFORD LEAVES COLUMBUS FOR
THE MOUNTAIN MINES.
Indiana Strikers Reported on the
Verge of Destitution-SituatiO
at Alum Cave.

PITTSBURG, July 21.-A paper here
has the following: Debs Mahon, Cos
lett and the others who have been asked to
take the responsibility of bringing out the
men in the Fairmont region, which is tho
keynote to the strike, are disgusted and
ready to quit These men do not attempt
to stihe their feelings. They declare they
are being treated in a contemplate manner,
and unless the American Federation quick
ly changes front they will take the first
train for home and leave the State to its
fate. Debs leaves tonight for Columbus,
where he will lay down the law to Presi-
dent Ratchford, of the United Mine Work.
ers Debs is indignant. He win wear no
gloves when he has an interview with
Ratchford. Debs will tell Ratchford that
he for one does not propose to be a victim
of the bad management which is being
shown in the handling of the big strike.
Debs will also say that he declines to suffer
in behalf of the miners cause. when the
men. who have everything to lose by the
failure of the strike, are looking at hirn
in an apathetic fashion and lstlessly let
ting things drift from bad to worse
Debs has seen a new light since his speech
of last night. He has glanced over a map
showing mines in the Fairmont region, has
recognized the utter futility of a handful
of men making a successful assault on this
Gibraltar of nonunionism, and he is furious
against the Federation of Labor, which
asks organizers to bear their own expenses
and also take all the responsibility.
Eyes, sir. L shall leave for Columbus to-
night" said Debs II shall have a talk
xKrit1, Dat ri l.
things in d different way l will give up the
fight This battle cannot be won in West
Virginia if the Federation of Labor does
not change its tactics. Here l am, brought
away from home and not given a dollar, and
l even had to borrow the money for the
necessary expenses to West Virginia /
have no means, and, in fact, have had
no fixed income for three years, and have
had to get along the best / could. Look
at Mahon; he has not enough money to get
out of town. When this good fellow was
sent into the State from Detroit Gompers
magnanimousIy gave him $25. Why, we
have not enough to pay our livery bills
How are we expected to go across country
from mine to mine? Do they expect us to
walk?
Now, this fight is not mine, especially.
I belong to no association, and / do not
feel like being made the cats paw in
this affair There is only one way to win
this fight in West Virginia. Every good
organizer in the country viii have to be
sent in here and kept here. 1t will take
one hundred active men to get out the
State and keep it out. The miners have no
leaders of their own, and they need the
presence of outsiders whose mere arrival
on the ground viii give courage.
why has not the Federation of Labor
sent its men here? Where is Gompers?
Does he consider his duty done when he
comes to Pittsburg, helps pass a skimmed-
milk resolution and then goes home? 1t Is
PIeposterous TO nope to win this strike
without West Virginia. There are only
two ways to reach this end. Either bring
out the miners or the railroad men. Ie
l had been managing the strike / would
have first organized the Baltimore e Ohio
Railroad men, which railroad enters the
taifmOnt district, but no steps of this kind
have been taken.
West Virginia produces enough coal to
provide for the whole of America. Each
day the Baltimore q Ohio is taking six
hundred cars out of Fairmont and could
take as many more if necessary, 1t ought
to be plain to everyone that this output
should be stopped This can never be
done as things are going on at present.
There should be an organizer at every
mine, and he should stay with the men
night and day. So you see l recognize
the despair of the situation. 1 do not
want to discourage this great movement
for the uprising of the understanding class
of toilers, but the conditions must be taken
as they exist.
"Coslett, of Indiana, is going home be-
cause of his shabby treatment While /
am willing to stop at one-dollar-a-day ho-
tel, will not accept the stigma of being q
party to the failure of this strike unless my
work is sympathized with. We organizers
are sent into this field without the power
to organize do not like to be part of
farce.
THE constitution of the American Fed
Grafton says that that organization shall
assist to the uttermost any one of its
organizations which shall become involved
in a strike, but is the association doing
it? Where is Ratehford? Are all these
men afraid 10 come into the State be-
cause Of the fear they will be arrested
and sent to jail?
1T was my duty to come here. and
am glad I did but others must help bear
the burden. Mahon and myself We're both
so footsore to-day that we had to stay
in bed. AS / say, L will lay the thing
before Ratchford. / will tell him that
money and men are needed, and plenty
of both, to get the men out here, and
then, If he does not see fit to grant the
proper munitions of war 1 win go my
own way. L do not propose 10 get half
the miners of the district out and then
be compelled to leave them in the lurch
and take the onus of it all on my shoul.
ders L have my own work to do and
it is of more Importance to me than this
kind of work"