The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-07-09
Labor ! Demands
4 Square Deal.
wage Farmers Of the State Must Some Protection
Under the Law--Lawless Guard System a Slot
OF Civilizations Organized Labor Asks PenubIican
state Convention to Insert Labor Plank i'm Platform

Organized labor Of West
Ia will ask the Republican State
convention, now III session in this
city, to incorporate planks in their
platform beneficial to labor and
the masses Of the people in general
Only three subjects are touched
upon IN the demands: The 'guard
SYSTEM" the employers liability
act and the anti-inj unction plank
A committee, headed by Ben Da.
Wis, President of the West Virginia
Miners, will ask a hearing before
the resolution committee, but ow.
ing to the split i'll the two factions
OF the convention as we go to press
we are unable to report the action
on the matter in this issue,
Following is the full text Of the
demandS:-
eve pledge ourselves to the en-
actment of Il law placing guards
and private detectives under bond.
the same as conservators of the
pence, and such law shall carry
with it the stipulation that ali
such guards or detectives shall be
bonlhde citizens of the state, and
of good moral character, also that
all applicants for said positions
shall be approved by the Sheriff of
the county in which said guards or
detectives are to be employed.
''We pledge the enactment. of an
employers liability law for the
protection Of the workers of the
state and their families, along the
line as advocated by the working
masses of our country.
"We place ourselves on record
as tavoring the enactment of a law
by our national congress to prohib-
1T the issuance of injunctions in
cases arising out of labor disputes,
when such injunctions would not
apply when no labor disputes ex-
lsted, and that in no case shall an
I'M JUNCTION be issued when there
exists remedy by the ordinary
process of law; and which act shall
provide that in the procedure for
the punishment for contempt of
court, the party cited for contempt
shall, when such contempt was not
committed in the actual presence
by jury.'
The above planks are in no way
unreasonable, and are demanded
for the protection of the bone and
slneW OF our commonwealth. The
time has arrived when the wage
earners of West Virginia DE
A1AND the same recognition and
protection under the law as accor-
ded the corporate and other inter
ests-that which is guaranteed
them under the Constitution of the
United States-Liberty, Freedom
and Justice, and they propose to
get it from the public servants of
the State. Henceforth they pro-
pose to quit begging the politicians
for remedial legislation, but will
demand 1T from them in no un-
certain manner. They are citizens.
taxpayers and voters, and are en-
Titled to what they ask, and they
will DO longer bow to tie mandates
OF the criminal corporations who
nave for years reigned supreme in
'Ihe Little Mountain State" and
the political bosses and their mas
te1s must now sit up and take no
tlce that the people will have a say
IN the government of the States
affairs and will relieve the Dixon
b. u O.-Norfolk & Western and
talrmont coal corporations of the
relns Of government, and the
damnable guard and peonage sys-
tens and the lawlessness that goes
hand in hand with them will be
wiped from within the borders of
our State.
The toilers OF West Virginia de
mand the enforcement of the laws.
and that the rich and mighty cor.
poratlons be made to suffer the
same penalties for their violations
as the humblest wage Garner, and
they enter solemn protest against
the ruthless slaughter of the min
ers during the past two years by
coal cOrnDJ.3