Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-02
THEY SOON STARTED TROUBLE.
Adopted Resolution Not to Take
Part In Congress Unless Working
men Under Arrest Are Released.
HALL WAS BABEL OF CONFUSION.
Not Likely Commission VIII be Con-
yoked, Meeting Having Been Con.
trolled by Political Agitators

ST. Petersburg, March 1.-The Peo-
pies palace here was the scene Of
remarkable convention today, when
worklngmen representing 100 factories
of this city, met for the first time In
their lives with freedom Of speech and
assembly guaranteed them. The work.
lnslnen are $50 primary electors who.
ON March 80, will select 80 OF their num-
Der as members OF the mixed economic
commission Of which NJ, SchidlovsM
Is president. The convention unani-
mously adopted a resolution 10 refuse
to participate In the congress on March
3 unless the government pledges the
release OF the workmen who have been
arrested since Jan %, that the work.
men be given absolute freedom o.
speech and immunity from arrest on
account Of the expression Of opinions.
Prior to meeting I'm the palace. dele
gates representing seven groups met
In seven different halls and for four
hours discussed the situation. The
/ meetings were marked by order and
the absence OF incendiary speeches.
Others who were present were struck
by the intelligent grasp Of the situation
meanor Of the NorlSmen.
The massed convention began al
p. m. Chairman and yice.Chalrman
were elected, but throughout the meet
| Ing the proceedings were marked BY
/ ignorance of methods OF conducting u
meeting. one OF the earliest speakers,
q wheelwright, moved the assembly To
great enthusiasm when ne Insisted that
before proceeding TO elect represents
10 Nlaa 4t.t.
/ sist upon the liberation Of over 5000
! vorkIugmen who have been arrested
/ since sunday, Jan. 22. The speaker
said these men were treated by the
/ government as criminals The meet
Ing must demand fun liberty OF person.
| fun liberty OF speech, liberty OF domi-
I ellie and immunity from punishment for
onythtng that may be said by represen-
/ tatiyes.
These demands were accorded by the
| secretary OF the commission and draft
| ed as resolution and unanimously
carried The resolution concludes with
the statement that unless the demands
| arc granted by p. m. Of March 3, they
would refuse TO elect 80 representa-
| tives and that II granted, acceptance
| Of the conditions are TO be placarded
| on the factory walls. The chairman
| reviewed the position Of the side OF
st. Petersburg workmcn. In the
| course Of his speech he referred to the
necessity for freedom Of religion. This
reference caused considerable comment
and for half an hour the hall was
| babel OF confusion, but as the business
! Of the meeting was really over adj
| iournment was finally secured and the
| delegates left the hall, stil disputing
over the religious phase Of their de-
mands.
RESULT or MEETING,
st. Petersburg, March 2, 2.45 a. M
| As the result OF yesterdays meeting OF
workmen In the Peoples palace pre-
limlnary to the election OF so repre-
sentatives TO the proposed imperial
| mixed commission charged with the
| consideration Of arrangements for the
adjustment OF grievances OF the work.
men OF ST. Petersburg, there seems 20
be reason to doubt n the commission
will be convoked This doubt is based
upon the fact that In certain quarters
| the attitude OF the delegates is re-
marked as indicating that the labor
movement has fallen completely under
| the control OF political agtators, pro-
| ducing a condition which would afford
| small prospect Of the commission being
| productive Of results acceptable 10 em-
! ployers or the government The adj
| yocates Of the commission believe that
| the government will not meet the con-
| dltlons set forth by the resolutions OF
! the Peoples palace meeting, II is said
| that the men formulated these demands
| without any expectation that they will
| be granted ana II Is affirmed tonight
! that unless the men recede, there win
! be no commission, but that the govern
ment viii 80 ahead with scheme OF
reforms without taking counsel form
| ally Of the representatives OF capital
| and labor