The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1902-07-11

4 hip and enthusiastic labor mass
n,eatinp was held in the opera house
Monday night under the auspices OF
! the Trades Assemblies Of the city.
y The Grafton band led a parade 70
3 this East End and return. arriving at
the opera house little before 9
6,clock. The street demonstration
was highly creditable.
The opera house was well hiled WIN
xaople. representing all classes OF
labor. and included some Of the prom.
inant persons Of the city. The crowd
numbered about eight hundred.
Thomas Hagerty was called upon
"a preside over the meeting and IN .
snort address he introduced w. B.
Wilson, Of Pennsylvania, secretary ana
treasurer Of the United Nine Workers
If America. enthusiasm greeted MT.
wilson as he stepped to the front OF
s+ha stage and began his address. He
snoke for an hour and a half and held
t.he attention Of his audience well not.
withstandlng the extreme warmth OF
the weather.
Mr.. Wilson announced that he came
here as citizen of sister state ana
as 4 citizen Of the United States. He
came from the mountains, where the
motto Of this state, "Mountaineers
are always free men," applied. he
said he had the same right in West
virpinia as any other citizen of the
United States. He denied that the
strike movement here is purely sym.
nathetic with and in the interest OF
Pennsylyania operators. He stated
! that If the operators of this state paid
! a much wages as other states and
kvorked their men under similar con-
jiHions there would be no trouble. II
t,tIey were getting satisfactory wages
"a power on earth, no power OF the
United Mine Workers, said he, could
lnducg them to lay down their tools.
aThe miners of West Virginia are
Getting less wages than anywhere else
ON earth. There are always some
ready to sell body and soul to assist In
depressing humanity"
l He talkedof traitors among them
and compared them to Judas, saying
the latter had the manhood to remove
himself from earth and wishing these
traitors had. He expressed himself as
having supreme contempt for those
who feed at their masters tables, and
related a story showing that their ac'
fions we're accounted for because they
we're receiving share of the profits
That was why they took up the cud'
I gel against their fellow workmen.
He asserted that the mine workers
were not organized for striking pur'
noses, s'butfor placing the wage work,
ers In a more equitable position so as
10 get a more equitable contract"
He told Of the futile attempts Of
the organization to secure conferences
with the operators and reviewed the
! work Of the various conventions held
INV the mine organizations in this
state. He said the opportunity came
for demanding better wages when the
mice of bituminous coal went up on
account OF the anthracite strike.
Next he ridiculed the state and fed
oral courts aud especially Judge Jack
son for designing this a peculiar
doctrine" He believed they, the agi'
| tators and organizers, had a right tc
on among the miners and to persuade
ben1 to better their condition, jast as
s6uch rightas the operators have tt
90 20 the men to persuade them tt
zr n be denounced and ridiculet
4, H. 4 Sndge and marshals for arrestinl
4 the gray haired woman, Mother
Z Tones, . who worked not to fill he
own Golfers but for the uplifting O
humanity. He did not think SIT
4 could intimidate able bodied miners
He denounced the company store
\ and referred to the miners houses a!
..nalatial shacks.' He Thought the,
had the rightto assemble on their owl
leased property.
He handled government by N