Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-09-07
SHAFFER SPEAKS TO MEN |
Denies That Steel Workers Broke
Their Contract,
DECLARES STRIKE is NOT LOST
His Motto A Speedy Death is Preferable TO
Starvation Would Be Thankful for
Coal Miners Support Brennan
Has a Remedy.

Has Remedy.
Pittsburg Sept 3--The big Labor
Day demonstration monopolized the at
tention Of workmen and strikers here
and in the surrounding towns. Be
tween $4,000 and 10000 men were in
line in the parade. In the afternoon
President Shaffer and William j. Bren.I
nan. counsel for the Amalgamated AS
sociation. were the speakers at an
open-air meeting.
President Shaffer said in part:
What we need today is not the men
who will recall the mistakes of Irons
and Debs Don't let us say with some
of the newspapers that Shaffer will go
where Debs and Irons went" This
remark was the signal for prolonged
applause Il cannot go into the de
tails of the deliberations. BIT sufficient
to gay that the trust decided to extin.
guish our organization. when In last
March II told the workers In the Dew
ees Wood plant az McKeespoTt that
they would be discharged If they or
ganized We asked the trust TO sign
the scale for all its mills It's. answer
was we will not sign for If we let
you organize all the mills the Amalga.
mated Association will b. too strong
We must have enough non-union mills
to hold the balance OF power. What
is a non.union mill? it Is a menace to
wages 1t helps to lower the wages
OF the workers and to enrich the rich
man in Wall street"
''They say that we broke our con-
tracts when we came out on this strike
As the head of the Amalgamated As
sociation in the United States. | am
here to say that such a statement is
as false as the heart of the man who
made it, Our scale book is our con-
tract and we are willing to work for
the wages agreed TO therein. There
is nothing in our contract to compel
us to continue working with the trust
throughout year.
1T has been said that the strike is
already lost and that a wise general is
always ready to retreat if by SO doing
he can save his army from annihila-
ton All have to say to this is, that
Skaters motto is a speedy death Is
preferable to starvation II we yield
20 the trust now. they viii steal more
mills and soon we shall be in their
power | would rather 20 down with
the Amalgamated Association in de-
struction than be it's president with
its members starving. qf-u
its members starving. But the Anal
gamatea is not going to be licked
The trust and newspapers will have
their inning, but there will be few
of us left at the finish
III it comes to a last resort, there
are the local coal miners. If in the
course of time their leader shall think
1t best to quit work to help us. then
we shall be thankful for support"
Mr.. Shaffer's closing words were:
IF the mighty tyrant sitting on his
golden throne in Wall street should
descend to the humber walks of life
and grip the Amalgamated Association
by the throat and then to strangle it
TO death, other labor organizations
will rise up and push the monster back
and say you are mighty, but hold,
for he is our brother"
Mr.. Brennan preceded Mr. Shaffer
in an address that wrought his hearers
up to a high pitch Of enthusiasm. He
advised them to guard the ballot as
the lark of labor's covenant" and
told them that it was their ultimate
salvation. The old ways of fighting
by laboring men will have 20 be aban-
doned he said, and up to date methods
employed He reviewed the present
troubles and closed by proposing a
remedy This remedy ne denomnated
as "labors injunction" which he said
is lawful and equitable. "Enjoin and
restrain the banks from loaning your
money to the trusts" Giving a mass
of statistics, he said "Of the 6,l07 900
depositors in the banks one.third of
them at least must be union men and
friends of labor. When labor com
mences a run on the banks Mr.. Morgan
will know that there is something to
arbitrate Six billions of dollars can.
not be paid with 81 900, 100000 of gold:
$4,000 100000 of deposits cannot be
paid with 81 1000 of gold; 81
800 100000 of loans cannot be paid
with l,0O0,O000O0 of gold. Demand
your money Have every friend of la
Dor demand his. Deprive the trust OF
its N.a Mcnev Pc rrifa1 20 a man
and me trust will cry for quarter
within week