The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-09-01
LABOR LEADERS
GROW DESPERATE
Wild Scenes Of Excifement Witnessed III Their COn-
vention Hall Severe Arrangement of the
Branches of the Government III the
Platform Unanimously Adopted
EUGENE Y DEBS WAS STRONGLY VEHEMENT
In His General EenunciatiOn of the Courts Govern
ment by Injunction and Other So-Ca11ed Ini-
quities-Peop1e Are Called Upon to
PREPARE FOR DAY BLOoDsHED

means of production and distribution for
their private benefit, a fact again obvi-
GUS in the case of miners.
Whereas, appeals ito congress and to
i.he courts for relief are fruitless, since
the Legislative as we'll as the executive
and judicial powers are under the control
of the calt}.alis: class, so that 1t has come
to pass in this. free country that while
cattle and swine have a right to the pub
lie highway, Amer.cans, so-called free
men, have not
Whereas, our capitalists, class as
shown in the present stake, has armed,
and has rot orly policemen, sheriffs and
marshals bus has ordered cut the mill
tary for the purpose of enforcing govern
ment by Injunction suppressng lawful
aesemblages, 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 words and spirit of the cons 4 u
ii IN of the Un ted sta e. Therefore, be it
Resolved, That we hereby set apart
Friday, the Sd day of September, 1897 as
Good Friday for the cause of suffering
labor in AMERICA and contribute -he earn
ings of shat day to the support of our
struggling brothers, the miners, and op-
peal to every union man and every friend
of labor throughout ,he country to do
likewise.
Resolved, If the strike of the m ncrs
Is no. settled by Sept. 20, 1897, and an
neuncement made to that effect, gan
eral convention be held at Chicago, on
Monday, Sept. 20, 1897, by the representa-
lives of all unions, sections, brnnchcs,
lodges and kindred organizations of la
boring men and friends of their cause
for the purpose of considering ether
means in the int sregts of ,he Striking min
ers and laboring men.
Resolved, That the proper use of
the ballot is the best means for relief;
the public ownership of railroads and
telegraph is a most necessary reform;
that we protest against government by
injunction.
Resolved That no nation in which
the people are totally disarmed can long
remain free nation and, therefore, we
urge upon all liberty loving citizens to
remember and obey article two of the
constitution of the United States, which
reads as follows:
The right of th+ people to keep and
bear arms shall not be infringed.'"
Eugene v. Debs was called upon. His
appearance was the signal for loud ap-
plause.
Mr.. Debs said: II believe the gravity
of the Industrial situation in this coun-
try is WILL understood. 1t is quite evil
dent that delegates to his convention
are quite cognizant that civil liberty is
dead in America. have said again
and say again for the last time that
I have applied to the courts for justice
and shall apply to them no more. The
Amerlcn Railway Union expended s45,-
900 to have the question of civil rights
tested in the supreme court of the United
States only to be told that we hava no
rights that capial was bound to respect.
Shall we appeal to the supreme court
again? No, we appeal to this conven-
tion and to the country for an uprising
of all the common people in every walk
Of life to beat back the courts and re-
enthrone the rights of the American peo-
pie. Labor is enslaved. What shall we
do? I predict, my friends, that we
shall see the extraordinary spectacle of
enslaved labor rafting it's chains and
dancing to the music.
= From the justice of the peace to the
Justices of the supreme court Of the
United States. all the judicial power
Is directed against labor. All the organ
ized sources of society are against labor,
and If labor expects to emancipate IT.
self, labor itself must do it,
1.-THE time has not quite come to in
cite the p -pulace," said Mr.. Debs, shaking
his fist. 81 serve notice to the plutocrats
of this country that we are on the eve
of a meeting in Chicago which will be
attended by all branches Of labor. That
convention will take up these same ques-
tions and will institute agitation and
keep 1t going until the public conscience
and public heart are aroused. Then
will come such an uprising as the world
has never seen.
There is something greater in this
movement than any one element can
manage-the emancipation of labor
There is no division here. Each man is
entitled to his own opinion and his right
to express 1t: each man to his duty as
becomes that man. am side by side
with you. am a trades undonist and a
socialist. tremendous cheering)
o'Whenever the trades unions of this