The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-08-09


Remain Firm, and They Said They
Would stick for Six Months II Nee.
essary--ResoIution Adopted--Ad-
dresses viii be Sent to Unions.
Chicago, Aug. 7.-ISocialistic speech
es, denunciatory resolutions and the
pledge of 220,00O organized laborers to
support the stock yards strikers were
the results of a delegate meeting of the
Federation of Labor Sunday afternoon
Sixteen hundred representatives Of $40
unions attended the meeting and ap-
plauded the sentiments Of the speak
ers
The appeal of Michael Donnelly,
president of the butchers union. to
"stand Arm for three weeks longer"
evoked storm of shouts Of I'VE will
stick for six months II we have to-"
The secretary Of the Federation was
instructed to send communication to
every union In the city to obtain money
and cooperation to aid the strikers.
The only acts Of violence during the
day were minor disturbances among
negro strike breakers in the yards.
Worn out by strenuous pursuit of
pleasure for half day and nearly all
night at picnic the strikers spent to-
day recuperating in their homes.
The meeting In the afternoon was at
tended only by officers of the numerous
unions. President Donnelly said: Cor
ganized labor is with the strikers: the
public is against the packers who rob
the people on the meat prices and the
laborers on wages 1t Is five million
aires and few of their lieutenants
against the world. They have the po-
lice and all the purchasable forces Of
government to use against us but with
o Just cause and determination to win
on our side we will win or starve. This
Is fight for principle. The skilled
man who was paid wages on which he
could live is out on strike to defend his
weaker brother, the unskilled laborer
who was forced to starvation by the un-
scrupulous greed of the packers. The
skilled man asks no increase; he wants
the weakest of his kind to receive at
least enough pay for his labor to
keep his family from starvation. We
are all brothers in the labor movement.
There is no aristocracy In the unions.
The injury of the poorest incompetent
Is the concern of the most skilled
workmen. This Is struggle between
organized labor and organized capital.
Labor has been long suffering but the
time Is at hand when 1t is determined
to have enough out of the great wealth
It creates to keep body and soul togeth-
Ar and It's children In school. This is a
tight that means longer life, greater
strength and better conditions for those
who prepare the food of the world II
they win; or 1t means homes destitute
of fuel, children forced to work before
they are in their teens, hunger and
misery in 10000 homes next winter If
we lose. LOSS would also mean that
unionism would be dealt crushing
blow and that would retard the prog
rsss of the world and give the packers
q power as absolute as the czar's."
Acting on the speakers suggestion,
the Federation decided to appoint a
committee to "effectually boycott all
unfair firms, corporations and persons. u
The resolutions adopted are as fol-
lows: Whereas, conditions existing
In the stockyards district are such that
attract the attention Of the American
people because they mean that II the
wage Garner will not submit to the In
tolerable conditions which the beef
trust wants to create among It's work
men, the beef trust will destroy the la
Dor unions and compel laborers to walk
the streets in idleness until they be-
come hungry enough to return to work
and.
Whereas, the beef trust is an un-
lawful combination of capital which
has been restrained by federal injunc-
tion from plundering the American
people, but In defiance of all law 1t still
continues its unlawful work and be-
cause It has been successful in defying
the municipal, state and national au-
thorities, now It attempts to invade our
rights; yes, even the homes of our peo-
pie and destroy our liberty and free
dom, guaranteed us in the American
constitution, and.
Whereas, the average wage for the
adult laborer in the stock yards is less
than 81 week, the present strike Is
not an effort on the part of the work
ers for an increase but strike to pre-
vent the beef trust from reducing the
amount. The object of the beef trust Is
to reduce the workers to the lowest
standard and give them barely enough
to exist upon and In that way control
American citizens through starvation
which would make the beef trust lord
and master of the packing industry
and.
Whereas, the time has arrived wheI
the workers must stand solidly togeth'
er and resist In every way any en-.
eroachment upon their rights. The
employers cannot defeat our organiza
ton II we stand together advocating