The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-06-01
STRIKE MASS MEETING
Held Inst Night ut the Opera House.
Speeches by Stuart Reed, President
Mnhon and Others,

-
was success. and especially in view
OF the change OF holding 1t at a mo-
mcnts notice from the open air stand,
at the corner. OF Seventeenth and Chap
line streets. to the Opera House. The
change was decided on at 8 o'clock.
after the Grand Opera House band,
which contributed its services. and a
large crowd had gathered at the ap-
pointed place. owing to the unfavora-
Bile conditions for open air speaking.
The meeting was called to order about
$50 o'clock by Vice President 7. J..
Duffy. OF the trades assembly, who in
troduced Chairman John Byrnc OF the
local street car unions executive board.
Mr.. Byrne made nm effective ten-minute
address pertaining to the strike. He
reviewed the negotiations and details
OF the. strike up to the present. He said
the ranks Of the strikers were unbro-
ken after struggle Of nearly eight
weeks; they were full of confidence and
were determined that II they fell by the
wayside 1t would be because they were
finally trampled. on irresIstibly by n
mighty corporation. Mr.. Byrne's ad-
dress was we'll delivered and frequently
punctuated with applause.
Mr.. Stuart Reid. of Toledo. soon
showed himself to be an Inspiring
sonaker and ho roueod tho oudIapca IN
wild demonstrations OF enthusiasm. He
defended labor organizations as safe
guards Of workingmen. In his heart.
sometimes. the speaker felt sympathy
for the "blacksheep" II the latter In
dividuai was forced to take the place
of u striker owing to the hunger of
his family. but In most cases there was
no excuse for him. Mr.. Reid said he
IVES thrilled when he walked through
Wheeling yesterday ana saw wagons
packed with passengers and the street
cars full of emptiness. The way to beat
the, company, he said. was to touch
their pocketbooks. and Mr.. Reid was
sure the people Of Wheeling were doing
this. remark productive of laughter.
Referring to Mr.. Byrnes statement
that the company would deal with the
strikers as. individuals. Mr. Reid in
quired how the company would take 1t
II car builders OF others having bust
ness with the company would insist on
dealing with the company as individu-
ais. The speaker cited medical socie-
ties, organizations of real estate men,
insurance men. lawyers. ETC.. for mu-
tual protection, In support Of the claim
of the working classes TO organize,
Even the ministers Of the gospel we're
organized. said MIR. Reid. for l know
something OF 1t. boys. myself" (Mr.
Reid is an ex-Prcsbyterian ctergyman.)
This Is an age of organization, he
claimed. and the organizations of capt.
tai forced combinations OF labor. He
would not pull a capitalist down: he
aspired to go higher without pulling
others down. The trouble was that
wOrkingmen did not respect themselves
enough. hence shouldn't be surprised
II they weren't respected by the
moneyed men.
Mr.. Reid's native Scotch wit was in
evidence frequently in effective illus
trations Of the benefits to accrue were
there better social conditions. At times
the fervor OF his eloQuence and his
earnestness wildly impressed his hear
ers. and his address was recognized as
one OF the strongest ever delivered To-
cally on a similar theme.
After the applause signalling Mr..
Reds close subsidized. Mr. w. D. Ma
hon, president of the National Street
Car Workers Union, was presented.
He first thanked the Wheeling public
for It's sympathy with the strikers.
after which he explained his inability
to get to Wheeling earlier in the strike,
due 10 street car troubles in other
cities. Mr.. Mahon humorously referred
to his tour through the West Virginia
mining districts In the 1897 strike. and
the injunctlons issued against strike
leaders Coming TO the Wheeling strike
Mr.. Mahon said his hearers were as
familiar rs ne with the circumstances.
1t was the same old battle. not new to
railroad men-the fight against the or
gan!zation Of the employees. The Wheel
ing strike would have been settled long
ago were It not for this stand by the
company. The fight WAS not confined
to Wheeling. There was n national Or
ganlzation of general managers of
street railways in existence, yet the Or
ganization of the conductors and mo-
tory2en was fought tooth and nail. The
railway company had its organization.
yet Insisted that the organization of the
employees would interfere with Its bust
ness.
MIR. Mahon said the men had no de-
sire to run the company's business.
and they Organized to get higher wages
and shorter hours. They did not stand
for the retention of any cmploye. dis
honest. negligent or unfalthful, and Mr..
Mahan said the company kcnw these
things perfectly well. Before 1856 street
car men worked sixteen and eighteen
hours n day, and the employees seized
the union sentiment. later getting down
to twelve-hour day. They learned as
individuals they could accomplish MOTH
Ing, and this was true OF all street rail-
ways over the country. The officials
tried TO fatten the dividends OF the
company ut the expense of the men
who stood ont on the car platforms in
the cold of winter and the heat OF sum-
mer. Organization by street car en-
ployes had materially benefited their
condition. especially In reducing the
hours Of labor. Mr.. Mahon had driven
n street car twelve hours n day. when
humane society agents would inspect
his horses and mules. but no one ever
bothered about the men. What was
done for them was the result OF their
organization. Organization Is In the
air to-day. In every department OF
business there are trusts and combines
galore. And an organization standing
for higher wages. shorter hours md
better conditions Is not n tyrannical
organization" it stood for humanity,
argued Mr.. Mahon. and on the other
hand the railway company stood for the
highest fare and the lowest wages pos