The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-15
WOMEN UNIONISTS CONVENE
WHAT THEY cav DO
THOUGH MEN ARE INDIFFERENT

And Guard Their Meeting Places by En-.
frances Through saloons Enthusiasm
stirred Up for Haywood and Ills Fellow
Irisopers--Free n R Fakes q Million.
Conventions OF working women under
the auspices of the Women's National
Trade Union League were held yesterday
In New York. Chicago and Boston. About
thirty local unions in New York State,
Pennsylvania. Connecticut and New Jersey
we're represented by seventy-ive dele
gates at the New York meeting, which
was held In Beethoven Hall, $40 Fifth
street.
Miss Mary Dreier. president Of the New
York Women's Trade Union League,
opened the morning session with a speech
Of welcome. She said in part:
We know that the heaviest burden Of the
industrial world falls upon women. and we
recognize the fact that only recently have they
come into the larger industrial life. II Is
therefore not surprising that all OF US have
not yet seen the value Of organization since
we have been In control. and controlled by
our homes. so long.
But this entrance into the industrial world
Is developing q social conscience In women.
a. u has done In men. and more and more OF
us are seeing the vision without which the
people perish. as the prophet has said. Every
world movement has had followers who
have had to suffer great privations for what
they belle we'd to be right, and this trade union
movement Ia no exception to the rule. Yet
when we consider how 1t has grown and now
il one OF the great world forces for Justice,
We know that all the suffering the brave
men and women have endured has not been
In vain. And II all OF us here to-day are filed
with the enthusiasm due to this great world
- -- =
where We can whether IN large or small
measure we will indeed be working toward
q great end.
! say that we. assembled here. can change
entirely the industrial conditions under
which We labor-we can II We WILT depends
upon our courage. patience and endurance.
upon our faith aud enthusiasm.
That seems a pretty big thing TO say. bat
II is true. Our American nation came into
being because of the protest or u few and The
banding together OF the many. and men got
political liberty. And this industrial liberty.
In which we believe. can be won II The men
and women who pat their lifrbloOd into HE
worlds work band together
Miss Rose Schneiderman, president Of the
Cap Makers Union. after telling how i'm
portant an event the meeting was, deplored
the cool indifference with which IL was re-
garded by men unionists.
Twenty men who sat in a row ON a red
plush seat which fisnked the west side Of
the room blushed. fumbled n~ervously az
their hats and gazed sheepishly NJ their
boots.
There had been conventions of suffragists
aud club women. the speaker went on. but
until the present occasion no similar gath
ering of working women. Men were fire.
quently OF the opinion that woman = place
was the home and did not realize that the
NfNnA had a1 ~ All mi 10 ugaa aNV RAr
her To protects her rights IA a human being
Remorselessly she proceeded:
Why do We st idle as long as there il one
woman unorganized? Men do not encourag e
VA TO Join their organizations They do not
say We cant come. but they have a habit of
holding their meeting in n place the entrance
TO which " through IA saloon. This keeps
many women away from the meetings.. |
personally would walk through six saloons
10 get to a union meeting. but 80 me OF my
sistNys are more timid.
We must get together and educate our
selves so that We may show our brothers that
We are their equals In every respect.
She paused a second, drew d deep breath
and then concluded impressively:
As lbsen says, he IL strongest who stands
alone"
After the tumultuous applause had sui
sided, Miss Luella Twining, representative
OF Int western EtutTdIlOn O1 MlDeTS, IOIU
the story of what she characterized a. the
attempt Of Eastern capitalists to deal a
deathblow to organized labor in the United
States. After dilatinR at some length on
the d~esirability Of Meyer. Haywood and
Pettibone as citizens, she took a step for
ward, waved her arms eloquently and said
solemnly,
The outra ges that the mine owners have
perpefrated upon these men in attempting
TO railroad them to the gallows is but the
elimination of a series Of outrages they have
perpetrated upon the Western Federation
of Miners In attempting to break up aud
destroy their organization.
Her recital of the troubles at Colorado
City and Cripple Creek and Of the brutal
treatment OF the three. martyrs at the
hands of the military" which followed
was frequently interrupted by applause
and murmurs of sympathy. The emotion
of the audienc was obviously at high
pitch during the recital OF a poem, one stanza
Of which ran as follows:
10. my people. see the signal haunting In The west.
See that hateful scSrold building. all al grced's
behcst.
See those boys OF Colorado. hear their martyrs
Hear Hay woods little baby ask: VIII papa die"
Encouraged by the traces OF tears on the
faces of some of her listeners, Miss Twining
went on to say that il was possible TO make
the case very expensive for the mine own
ers, and that the Western Federation would
secure the acquittal Of the three men il il
cost a million dollars. She added;
II has already spent more than 500 600
on the case and now there is only about 81 900
left in the treasury. but the workers OF The
United States will furnish whatever more is
needed. | myself have collected more than
$500 in the last week and | never appealed
in vain to any union. large or small.
The working people must band together.
The life of organized labor il at stake. Raise
such n war OF protest that IL will echo and re-
echo throughout those Rocky Mountains and
thunder in the ears Of the hirelings of standard
Oil and frighten them so that they will unlock
those prison gates and free our brothers.
Meyer. Haywood and Pettibone.
The band played THE Marseillaise" and
the delegates adjourned 10 the rooms of
the Women's Trade Union League at 22O
Fifth street. where luncheon was served.
The greater part Of the afternoon session,
over which Miss Rose Schneiderman pre-
sided. was devoted 10 the reports Of dele
gates. IL seemed to be the general opinion
of those who zpoka that froJo ,,piopian,