New-York tribune., 1901-08-05
WHEELING AMALGAMATED MEN READY
CONTRIBUTING GENEROUSLY TO STRIKE
FUND-To FORM UNION MILITIA"
lBY rE-EGRAIH TO TIE rRIi

FUND-TO FORM UNION MILITIA"
IBY TE-EGRAIH TO TIE TRIBUNEl
Wheeling w. Va. Aug 4.-"Organized labor
a body and a part of the country's popula-
tion larger than any political party welcomes q
final and Unequivocal settlement OF the question
whether the tru: Is or the people shall rule and
arbitrarily fix wages prices and living cond-
lions for the people Of the United States. We
had hoped il might be settled by reasonable and
amicabe methods. but the fight to the death
may well come now as later"
These words were addressed to a party Of
newspaper by Secretary Smith. Of the
Mountain City Lodge. Amalgamated Assoca-
ton. to-day He declared that OF the thirteen
thousand men affected by the general strike
order in the Wheeling district all are ready to
obey, and that the only points OF weakness in
the steel corporation plants the Riverside
Tube Works and the Rellalre Steel Works.
These under pressure and partially
. organized. Should they continue at work. their
loss is not Of vital Importance.
There are over Ave thousand Arnalgamated
Association men working in the Wheeling dis
trict independent plants. and they are giving up
nobly Of their earnings. Crescent Lodge sent
$1,000 10 headquarters last night. and pledged
20 per cent Of all future earnings TO the cause.
a resolution was unanimously adopted 10 give
board needed the money The Independent mills
crowded With business and are working
every man who be used
4 tremendous sensation was created this
morning by the announcement that Crescent
Lodge. Amalgamated Association. had. at last
nights meeting taken the final steps toward
forming a military organization Of two fun com
panies among it's three hundred members. The
announcement says:
The organization is designed To band the MEM
bers close together to promote a better fraternal
a I'd social feeling to protect the property OF
mill owners, in case OF strikes. and for self
defence II s expressly understood that the
companies Will not be under State control. and
VIII be for local protection only They Will not
OBEY orders 20 go 10 other sections and Will
only use their arms for the protection OF prop
crty in the preservation Of which they feel the
stme interest as their employers feel. They will
not attempt 10 quell disorder coming under the
province OF ordinary police powers. and their
boards Of officers will decide arbitrarily as to
the prepriety Of any proposed military move
ment.
A significant paragraph says:
We will not place ourselves in position TO he
J ordered out by the State authorities in case Of
strikes or labor troubles, holding that danger OF
riot from labor disputes and destruction bv
mobs may be ohviated by employers accepting
/ our services for the preservation Of propertv i'm
the spirit in which they will be rendered
Two other Amalgamated Association lodges
will consider the military plan Tuesday and
since start has been made by Crescent Lodge
labor unionists generally are favoraby discuss
ing 1t. Hundreds of union men with the military
spirit, who have eschewed the National Guard
because Of its use TO quel strikes. since they
now see a way to indulge their liking for mill
tary training and not endanger their supposed
liberty of action. enthusiastic for the .'union
militia il has already been dubbed Mill
tary companies promise soon to be regular
features OF all labor unions
An important feature of to-day's news is the
statement, for the first time definitely made by
President Powell. of the tin plate workers. that
the executive board will not order the men To
finish block plates rolled In non-union mills.
This cuts eff the possibility Of working any OF
the tin plate mills with non-union rollers.