The age-herald., 1900-10-03

Wilkesbarre, Pa, October 2.-The parade and mass mee ting of the striking miners in this city today was the greatest labor demonstration ever held in northeastern Pennsylvania. The weather was favorable for large turnout. The sun shone bright ly all day and 1t was more like day in June than in October
 The parade, headed by President Mitchell and the officers of the national executive board, started little after clock and it required an hour and twenty minutes to pass given point. It is estimated that there were fully 15,OOO men ard boys in line.
 [ The music was furnished by about forty brass bands and drum corps. Many ban ners and transparencies were carried by the men. Among the most noticeable were these:
 "We want our dinner pails filled with subs tanial food, not coal barons' taffy." we are fighting for cause that is just and right.
 stand by President Mitchell and the union."
 Our union must be recognized"
 We will no longer be slaves"
 '2240 pounds for ton.
 "We want two weeks pay" The breaker boys carried banners which read: We need schooling, but must work" Save us from the whims of the sheriff and deputies" Down with oppression" We stand by President Mitchell.
 The parade passed over the principal streets of the city, and thousands of peo- pie lined the sidewalks. Here and there enthusiastic admirers of President Mitchell would break through the lines and insist upon shaking hands with him. The men from Pittston had a float with four men representing "coal barons." They were drinking what purported to be champaign. There was another float with miners dining on bread and water. A stretcher was car ried containing a dummy representing a miner who had just lost his life in mine. President Mitchell reviewed the great army of men. He was generously applaud ed by the marchers Business was at a standstill in the city all afternoon. It was after o'clock when the last of the march, CTS swept past President Mitchell. Both he and his colleagues were driven to West Side Park, where a big mass meeting was
 
 people were massed in front of the stand when the president began to speak. He said:
 Mitche Is speech
 "A man would indeed be devoid of feel ing if he were not proud to have the op- portunity to stand before a multitude like this which Is making fight for something 1t believes to be just. am proud to know that you are composed of coal miners and their families. am proud to know that you command in this fight the respect of the clergymen; that you have the sympathy of the public, and that the great American press has said with one voice that your cause is a righteous one. No man would go further to avoid a strike than l, but when all honorable methods fall, then I favor strikes. I went to New York to call on the operators at the sacrifice of dignity to get hearing. But the men who employed you turned me away, and even refused to re- ceive a committee of their own men for the purpose of talking over the differences. '-The greatest strike In the history of the world Is drawing to a close. Already the great coal carrying railroads have agreed to increase your wages 10 per cent, which Is a great victory in itself. True, 1t is not enough, 1t does not satisfy us, but the time is not far distant when the Anthra- cite coal miners will receive as much for