The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-10-27
DEFENDS WARDNER RIOTERS.
SAMUEL GOMPERs SAYS UN1Oy MEN
DID NOT Use DYNAMITE.
Monster Mass Meeting ut
incfanatf-ResOlu for With
drawaI of Troops and Court-Mar-

CINCINNATI. Oct &-An enormous
meeting was held tonight at Music hall.
the ofricsrs 81 which were members OF the
Central Labor Council Of Cincinnati, and
The speakers Samuel GOrnpers. president
CT the American Federal ton Of Labor, and
Edward Boyce, Of Butte, Mont. president
Of the Western Federation OF Miners
Fully 600 men remained during tao long
speeches
The announced purpose OF the meeting
was TO protest against the treatment OK
prisoners held in the bull pen" IN the
Occur d'Alene region. Before the speak
ing began resolutions were read. The FIRST,
a demand on the president OF the United
States 10 enforce the constitution. espe-
cialiy in the sixth section. which they
claim, has been violated; the second,
demand on the president for the With
draWai of the United States troops from
Shoshone county; the third. demand Tor
court-martial OF Gen. Merriam and his
subordinate officers: the fourth and last.
that all the Federal military and civil
officers responsible for the alleged Illegal
acts committed by them should be he'd 10
the strictest accounta bil.ty.
President GOmpers speaks.
President Gompers said the present time
afforded a great opportunity for iaooring
people. The enormous attendance and the
passage Of these resolutions would have
far-reaching effect and would do much
To relieve the oppressed in idaho and 10
bring their oppressors 10 justice fresi-
dent Gompers said that ne was In the
mountain region near the scene OF the up
rising In Shoshone county but few days
before it occurred BY conversation with
men who knew about the situation he
learned the condition Of affairs at " ard
ner. Bunker Hlll and Sullivan mines.
He vehementy denied that labor organ
the uprising The labor unions had been
locked out by the operators, VINO went
outside and brought in inferior and danger
GUS nonunion men and set them to Work in
the mines. These ignorant miners. unused
10 the ways Of the union. demanded union
prices and were denied. He related story
az what followed. including the dyna-
hitting Of the property. some one IN Inc
audience shouted Good y
Condemns Use of Dynamite.
Mr. Gompers responded. NO. not good.
Organized labor cannot stand FOR such acts
Of violence Organized labor Is the great
c0nservator Of peace
He described the hull PEN and said II
utterly ignored the sanitary wants Of those
corraIleti in it and that it stinted them In
food and exposed them 10 the weather. II
ouid go down In history as the black
hole" ana Andersonville Of Idaho.
He said the charge Of the operators that
the violence WAS the work Of labor organ
izations was maliciousiy false. The opera
tors were compelled 10 make that charge
10 screen themselves from being the cause
OF the violence by bringing ignorant nom
union desperadoes 20 take the place OF
union men. The case in Idaho he said Is
bu, a symptom of militiarisn and despot-
ism which met with prevalent favor on
the part OF capitalists and the great money
power.
A voice in the audience said: Elect
Jones" The voice was promptly squelched.
Statement From MIR. BOycc.
After Mr.. Gompers' speech Edward
Boyce president OF the Western Federation
OF Miners. gave q plain. Straightforward
exhaustive history of the troubles, cover
ing seventeen or eighteen years among the
miners In ShCshone county.
After his speech which was finished very
late the resolutions We're adopted with q
roaring aye and with standing vote.