The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1897-09-09
LABOR LEADERS MEET.
Conference in Aid of Miners Is Held
in St. Louis.

In speech at the conference Of labor
leaders in st. Louis NJ. D. Ratchford
president of the United Mine Workers OF
America, advocated great sympathetic
| strike Of all branches OF organized labor
unless Congress met at once and gave the
laborers relief and wiped out the laws
which empowered the judiciary ito con-
duct government by injunction"
The forces of labor met at Masonic
Temple at 10 clock Monday morning H.
w. Steinbiss, secretary of the Trades and
Labor Union, occupied the chair. No
business was done at this session, n re-
cess being taken until II o'clock. About
2OO men composed the convention. At IL
O'Clock Sheridan Webster nominated w.
b. Prescott, president of the International
typographical Union, for temporary
chairman. His election was unanimously
adopted and was greeted with applause.
Chairman Prescott then appointed COM
mittee composed of NJ. D. Ratchford,
James OConnell, Grant Luce, J. r. Sow
ereign and w. ID. Mahon.
The Committee on Credentials made its
report Immediately upon the assembling
of the conference for its afternoon ses-
sion. IL was shown that eighty eight
delegates. representing the following or
carnations, were represented: United
Mine Workers of America, the Social De-
mocracy, the American Federation of La
Dor, the Stonemakers International
Union, Brotherhood of Painters
and Decorators, Brotherhood of Bot
s!e-Blowers, Building Trades Council Of
st. Louis, the Patriots of America, Inter-
national Brotherhood of Track Foremen,
the Single-Tax League of America, Cen
tral Labor Council of Cincinnati, the In
ternational Typographical Union, the Peo-
pies party Of Kansas and the Industrial
Order of Freedmen.
MIR. RatchfOrd took the floor and went
over the miners strike from it's inception
to the present day, dwelling particularly
upon government by injunction" He
pleaded for prompt action, and, coming to
the point Of his argument, advocated a
special session of Congress as the best and
in fact the only relief. "In case of re-
fusal to convene Congress-" said
Mr.. Ratchford, ut will then be time to
consider more extreme measures. l am
in favor, if the President refuses to call
Congress together, of a complete paralysis
of business. 1 believe then in a sympa-
thetic strike"
Patrick O'Neill of Rich Hill, No., who
said he represented 1,50O unorganized
picks" favored n labor revolution. He
was Socialist, he said, and believed in
the rliners taking things in their own
hands if necessary. Mr.. Sovereign put
himself on record as opposed to Mr..
plan. He believed that the
crucial test now confronted organized Ia
Dor. Mr.. MahOn of Detroit said resolu-
tons committee was useless. The con-
vention should vote on Ratchford's porpo-
sitiOn, and then go home. The power of
the nation, he said, was in the courts, and
if anybody was to be convened let it be
the courts. He was opposed to Mr.. Ratch-
lords proposition. James NJ. Carson, pres
dent of the Illinois miners, then recited
1t great length the conditions confronting
he miners of his State, and said he be-
ieved his men would be beaten in two
weeks.
NJ. RatchfOrd took exception to Mr..
Jars0n's statement that the Illinois min
,rs bad lost their strike. He said the
miners were winning their strike, and.
his men were not asking this |
for aid.
AT 8 o'clock the convention adjourned |
Until Tuesday morning at 8 o'clock.