Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-07-28

board and President T. L. Lewis is
adopted were sent out to every local In
the state by the state officers of the
United Mine Workers.
The circular, letter goes into details
and puts up to the miners the PROPOSE
ton of accepting conditions which they
voted against at the Peoria convention.
or turning them down. 1t is signed by
President John H. Walker, Secretary
Treasurer Duncan Mcdonald, Vice Pres
ident Groce Lawrence, and the mem
bers of the state executive board who
were in session here Monday night.
The letter says that the officers have
no desire to influence the judgment OF
the union men, the only desire being to
present the situation to them plainly.
1t says:
Prospect Held Bright.
MANY of our members have now
been on strike for almost four months,
and Notwithstanding the fact that many
of them are in destitute circumstances,
they have stood nobly in defense of
their rights. We have now, approx
mately, $4,000 members at work, where
the companies have signed our scale,
and prior to the meeting in Ind1anapo-
lis we were in conference with COM
panies representing several thousand
more men, and the prospects were
bright for having them sign our scale,
when negotiations were broken off, as
result of this called meeting.
Your district officials were without
authority to modify in any particular
the express terms of the scale as adop-
ted at Peoria, and, in company with the
illinois representatives of the interna-
tional executive board, did everything
in their power to prevent any modifica-
ton of the same. On invitation, we ap-
peared before the international execu-
tive board and asked for endorsement
of our strike, with such financial as
sistance as the international organiza-
ton could give In addition we have
sent appeals to all organized labor
throughout the country, asking for fl
nancial assistance. We have also ask
ed district No. 13 Qowa) for a loan of
100000, which request has been sub
mitted to referendum vote and the
reports received SO far indicate that it
will carry by a large majority. UP to
this time we have not received one
penny from the international organiza'
ton to help those on strike"
Robbed of Victory.
The proposed compromise is then
given with remarks.
This agreement is entirely unsatis-
factory to your executive board" con-
tinues the letter, "as it contem-
plates a reduction to many of
our men now at work. We
were confident that this strike was won
and now to be robbed of the victory
due us cannot be viewed with anything
but contempt, after the noble fight
made by the members of our organiza-
ton in defense of their rights.
1.-THE Illinois state officials were not
consulted in regard to holding the con-
ference at Indianapolis, but were only
invited to appear before the interna-
tional executive board at the same time
the Illinois operators were present.
international Vice President Hayes
name appears on the circular, but he
that his name was placed thereon with
out his knowledge or consent.
IF this agreement is ratified it prac
tically sets aside the agreement adop-
ted in Peoria.
Everyone should be notified to turn
out and vote on this proposition and
every member should vote his honest |
The vote on this proposition is to be |
taken between now and Saturday.