The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-12


There were strong and fiery speeches
at a joint meeting of the Western Fed
Grafton of Miners of America and the
Western Labor Union yesterday after
noon Trusts and organized capital
were denounced in unmeasured terms,
and rights of the workingmeE, which,
it was declared, have been taken from
them, were extolled.
The speeches favored socialism and
many other theories Of government
They were as diverse in sentiment and
strong in character as would be eX-
pected from such d body of men. These
miners and laborers did not preach
anarchy, for they are not anarchists,
but they predicted it unless there
should come a change in economic con-
ditions. Some of them foretold blood
and revolution that would be the out
come of low wages, lack of work ana
The present competitive system The
statements of President Boyce, Of j. r.
Sovereign, of Dan Mcdonald and David
c. Coates were cheered to the echo.
When, at the close of the meeting,
about o'clock last evening, w. j.
Walker, editor of the Freeman's Labor
Journal at Spokane, asked for three
cheers for the boys in the American
Siberia" meaning thereby the mlners
under arrest in the Occur d Alene dis
trict. the building fairly shook with
thunderous applause. Whether or not
this action was an endorsement of the
blowing up OF the Bunker Hill mill did
not appear from the action of the
meeting. Were it not for the fact that
in private these miners haYe contlnu-
ally disapproved of that action, their
enthusiasm might be taken as an APP
al of 6xrro mi 70 Methods
At the joint meeting J. II. HUSKY of
Helena was chosen chairman, and
David c. Coates. editor of the Pueblo
Courier, secretary.
The first speaker was Walter A.
Jones of Wallace. attorney for the Fed
GRAFTON in the trial of the miners who
are charged with blowing up the
Bunker Hill mill. He made z full, calm
and dispassionate statement of what
he considered the facts in the case. He
was followed by Warren Foster of LiV-
ing Issues, who made an eloquent and
entertaining speech full of wit anu
sarcasm. which tickled the miners.
The labor question is the same old
story" said he, since the edict was
issued from the Garden of Eden: Thou
shalt eat thy bread in the sweat of thy
brow There have been but two classes,
those who eat their bread in the sweat
OF their brow and those who eat their
bread in the sweat of other mems
brows-"
He advocated direct legislation, and
said that strikes were not the remedy
for present ills.
Sovereign and Boyce.
Notwithstanding the turn-down of j.
r. Sovereign by the Labor Union con-
Vention, he was one of those asked to
address the joint meeting.
The story of labor is the story we
can all tell" said he. Thank God that
through organization we have edu-
Gated the masses so that they can tell
what labor is. 1t should be peace and
plenty, but it is a story of organized
greed and capital driving labor to pow
erty and starvation. What to do IN
this condition is the question now con-
fronting us. Places are not put under
martial law to protect communities, but
to protect corporations and thieves in
robbery"
Said President Boyce: "Au liberty
and right of livelihood have been taken
from US by trusts and corporations.
Unlike President Lincoln, who once
said that the interests of labor were
superior to the interests of capital the
president today forces workingmen to
get certificates of admission before
they can go to work. Miners OF the
Occur d Alenes cannot work until they
have shown their credentials.
The copper trust viii be able soon
to regulate wages as it sees fit. 1t may
close down mines in Idaho and Mon |
tana, and operate them in Michigan,
whenever trouble arises
President Dan Macdonald of the La
Dor Union and David c. Coates made |
stirring speeches which aroused the !
audience to great heats of enthusiasm. |
Organization of labor is the only /
thing suggested as a remedy" said |
Narnaruld md VA 2
great applause.
Mr.. Coates declared that the smelter 1
trust had, within the past few days, |
closed two plants in Colorado, two in /
Montana. one in Utah and others else /
where. thus throwing out of employ |
ment hundreds of men.
Several others spoke. and then reso- |
buttons were passed. One of them was |
as follows:
Resolved, That this joint convention /
sends words of encoura cement to our |
brothers suffering military rule in the |
Occur d'Alene district, and pledge our |
selves to do all in our power to aid /
them IN securing relief from the condi- !
tions now prevalent in that district"
Another resolution asked that all Ia
Dor unions in and about San Pedro, /
Cal. be asked to cooperate with the /
miners unions of R<ndsburg and Cold /
Cross to secure union wages and hours !
IN the government construction oil san
Pedro harbor.
Is Against Expansion.
The Federation of Miners has gone on
r. cord against expansion, and il has
uttered Itself in strong terms. After
the adoption of the report Of the COM
mittee on presidents address. recon-
mendins its adoption, and the adoption
of the report, this resolution was
passed:
ton of the Philippines is under discus
sion by the United States senate and
by the people in general; and
Whereas The assumption of carry
ing higher civilization to the heathen'
bq conquest, is the universal lie of ty-
rants; and
Whereas, Conquest is black in pur-
pose as the wing OF the raven is in
color: is the robbing of a nation and
the stealing of property; is the Satan
lied passion in man that has baptized
the world in blood, and washed the
hearthstones of the humble in tears; is
the standing army Of self-gain, tho
salve TO heal the hurts of the con-
science; is the monster that, under the
pretense Of doing good, has scourgeu
man from the day of Numrod; is the
of a nations territory and then
robbing it of self-government; and
Whereas, These islands do not want
United States sovereignty thrust upon
them. and do not want colonial life
but desire independence; their answer
to the whole jingo- acquisition gang be-
ing, Give me liberty or give me death;