Evening star., 1907-08-24
| MEETING OF STRIKERS
Enthusiasm Manifested at Co.
lumbia Theater Last Night.
LABOR MEN SYMPATHETIC
Declare That Keymen Are Marching
on to Victory.
HOT SPEECH BY DE NEDREY
Rev. Alexander Kent Denounces Com
pany Telegraph Schools-aather-
ing Disperses Uttering Invective.
LABOR men SYMPATHETIC
HOT SPEECH BY DE NEDREY


Striking telegraphers were commended for
their action and assured OF ultimate vic
tory by various labor leaders at a meet
ing in the Columbia Theater last night.
On the stage were President Groves Of
the Telegraphers' Union of Washington. P.
]. Ryan. former editor of the Plate Print
er; George w. McEntee, a telegrapher: Sam
De Nedrey, editor Of the Trades Unionist;
w. w. Beattie, international first vice presi-
dent Of the Telegraphers' Union: F. c.
Roberts, printer: Frank d. Blackstone.
John H. Brinkman. a carriage maker. and
the Rev. Alexander Kent, a preacher who
sympathizes with union labor.
President Groves announced that the
meeting was called to instruct the public
in the grievances of the telegraphers. with
the hope that ah financial or other, might
be given to the strikers. He then intro
duced P. ]. Ryan as chairman
Mr.. Ryan said that the strike was most
just and that pay of s55 or SEQ a month
was not a living wage. There Is no middle
ground he said, no place for arbitration.
The telegraphers are going to win
Demands Of the Strikers.
George W. McEntee. one of the strikers.
declared that telegraphers occupied one of
the most important positions in the worlds
affairs, and that the calling Is the most
exacting man has ever heard of. exercts-
ing all the faculties Of the brain. He as
serted that all improvements to Morse's
original machine had been made by opera
tors
The strikers demands. as outlined by
the speaker. were: An eight-hour day, pro-
vision of typewriters by the company and
equal wage for women. The last de-
mand was explained as a protection for
the men. since, the speaker said. women
were often far better operators than men,
and the company held over the mems heads
the threat of substituting women. at
speaker said that other unions had OBJ
tanned long ago what the telegraphers were
now striving for.
I'm 1ss3,' said Mr.. McEntee. 1.-The women
strikers were the last to go back. Let us
emulate the example Of the women OF 81
The best you'll get If you go back now will
be the worst of 1t. If you stay out you have
something to gain. Nobody in the country
Is getting any kilograms at all, except by
the aid of the United States mails and the
express companies. And 1 will close as did
as Macbeth did: Lay on. MacDuf, and let
he who cries enough be ID!
De Nedrey Warns Up.
Sam De Nedrey then came forward and
made the most impassioned speech of the
evening. Switching swiftly from the teleg-
raphers' strike to the subject Of union labor
in general he preached the doctrine of Or
ganization, drawing illustrations from ex-
amples which he had observed. He ar
raigned the dear public" bitterly for Its
neutrality in strikes and lauded the work of
the American Federation of Labor as a mis-
sionary movement for the uplifting of the
masses and the promotion Of the brother
hood Of man. Then, talking directly to the
telegraphers in the audience he urged
them to hold out until the bitter end and
prophesied victory for them.
Mr. ink
treasurer of the Carriage and Wagon Work
ers' Union. who said that Indiana had re-
Gently turned out the militia against him
when he went to conduct labor agitation
at Tell City, in the southern part of the
state followed Mr.. De Nedrey in a line
of talk exactly similar. though longer. He
declared that he would disown his son.
much as he loved him, II he should be
non-union worker. He said that trades
unions are rapidly becoming supreme in
Great Britain and America, and quoted
Abraham Lincoln as an authority for
unionism basing his argument on a state
ment by Lincoln that labor existed before
capital. He recalled the days when labor
un1onists had to meet secretly in cellars
and walked in fear Of the police. Mr..
Brnkman also urged the telegraphers to
stick" and dramatically denounced any
one who should go to work before the
strike was settled. James H. Van Cleave
Of a 81 100000 fund to oppose unionism, an
act denounced as 1.-The most depicable thing
ever done in this world" Defiance was
hurled at Mr.. Van Cleave.
Invective at the Close.
The Rev. Mr.. Kent spoke in favor Of
unionisn and the initiative and referen-
dun, and criticised the action Of companies
for organizing schools to teach telegraphy.
He asserted that some day the unions
would control the nation. ''as was intended
by the founders of the government"
Mr.. Beattie, in response to repeated calls.
closed the meeting with fierce invective
against the telegraph companies, and said
that if all the truth were printed Clarence
H. Mackay and other telegraph mag
mates" would be in jail.