Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-06-02
SECOND MEETING Held.
Large Attendance at Open Air Meeting
Of the Strikers.
THEIR INTEREST HELD TO BE
IDENTICAL WITH THAT OF THE
COMMUNITY AT LARGE+EX-
TRACTS FROM THE ADDRESSES
OF MESSRS. MAIION AND REID
NEW LABOR UNION INITIAT-
ED.

Although the skies last evening were
threatening downpour at any NOM
ent there was crowd of one thousand
people assembled at the corner of Sew
enteenth and Chapline streets to listen
to Mr.. w. d. Mahon and Mr.. Stewart
Reid, who spoke in the interest of the
striking employees of the Wheeling
Street Railway Company. President
M. F. Tighe of the Trades Assembly,
acted as chairman of the meeting and
introduced the speakers.
The meeting was in session two
hours and those in attendance listened
attentively to the addresses and fire.
quently applauded the sentiments that
were voiced. Mr.. Tighe in presenting
the speakers spoke briefly of the strike
and urged the citizens OF Wheeling TO
remain steadfast in their support of
the employees. The greater part of the
addresses of Messrs. Reid and Mahon
were devoted to a general discussion
of labor affairs and both agreed in
urging organization as a panacea for
the ills that beset the wage worker
Occasionally, however, reference was
made to the local situation. In one
of these sallies Mr.. Reid said:
There is a small portion of Wheel
ing's population that thinks labor
must bow to it's edict and worship at
it's shrine. By this they are simply
fastening the day when the peop.e
who own the streets will control them.
The people will not pay exorbitant
fare and at the same time see labor
deprived of its just dues. The day of
municipal ownership of street railways
is coming and the corporation which
is the author of the present injustice
is doing much to hasten its presence.
| want to say to this Street Railway
Company tonight, that it is educating
the people to this much desired end. !"
These street car employees must
stand together and the srades unions
and the people who sympathize with
such institutions must sustain them
You must all present solid front. If
the army we sent to Cuba had gone in
twOs or as individuals it would have
fallen an easy prey to the Spanish
sharpshooters. So it is with iaDor.
The voice of one man for the redress
of grievance is as the wind, but the
demand of a thousand is irresistible
and mighty"
Mr.. Mahon, in beginning said: 1--WE
stand tonight for fair wage and the
right to organize For the past rs
years we have been passing through
a commercial age. Individuality has
been lost and the common welfare of
all is the need of the hour. Trades
unions are the out-growth of condi-
tions, and unless you remove those
conditions, it is useless to cry out
against them
Il don't see how any business man
can oppose trades unions for they are
directly dependent upon the wage of
the mechanic the tradesman and the
labOrer. If the trusts pinch the mer
chant upon the one side and cut down
the wages of labor upon the other,
where will be the profits of the bust
ness men? They must rise and fall as
the source of their income prospers or
is depressed History proves that
business declines with labor. | want
to say to the street car employees, con-
tinue your organization. Look to your
own welfare and that of your family
dlu Ill ColuC. lOuI pOSlllOu 10 uudS-
sailable. No fair and thoughtful man
can deny it. and the citizens will sus-
tain you if they wish to solve this
problem in the interest of justice and
humanity. While they are fighting for
the street car men, they should recol-
lect they are fighting fon themselves
and the highest attainments Of the
community"
Messrs. Mahon and Reid will leave
Wheeling this morning.
After the principal addresses at the
strikers meeting were concluded last
night Stewart Reid upon the part of
the labor organizations of the city
mapped out a plan for a new organiza-
ton to be known as a Federal Labor
Union. The object of the organization
is to take in all classes of laborers
who are not tradesmen, and who do
not affiliate with any of the, organi-
cations comprising in their member
ship mechanics and workers in mills
and factories. The union will take in
every one from a chimney sweep to a
farm hand. 1t is intended to affiliate
the organization with the Federation
of Labor, as the name indicates. The
meeting is called for Saturday night
at Trades Assembly Hall.