The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1914-01-29
A. +. OF |. IS HIT
L BY MINERS HEAD
Samuel Gompers Is Also Put on
4 Rack.
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IS SLOW
United Mine Workers Want to Know
Why Copper Strikers Were Not
Aided by National Federation
--MacNaughton Assailed.


--MaeNaughton Assailed.
indianapolis, Jan, 27.---After Charles
II. Meyer, president OF the Western
Federation of Miners, had charged
that IF the strike of the copper
miners in Michigan is lost it will be
due directly to the inactivity of the
executive council of the American
Federation Of Labor" the convention
Of the United Mine Workers of Amer
ica voted unanimously to request Sam
uel Gompers, president OF the fedora
ton, to appear before the convention
and explain the attitude of the coun-
ell. 70
President Meyer was given a great
ovation when introduced by John p.
White, president of the coal miners,
His speech was followed by John H.
Walker a coal miner and president of
the Illinois State Federation of La
Dor. Walker told of the conditions in
the copper country as he found them
during the ten weeks he was there as
a representative of the coal miners.
Cult Dealing With eunmen.
I'VE should quit dealing with the
hired gunner of the corporation"
Walker declared, "and get the man
that is really responsible for the state
OF affairs I don't wish any one to
construe my words into requesting an
attack on any one, but I could not find
II In my heart to condemn any man or
woman, If, driven to 1t by their suf-
fering, they should wreak vengeance
of Big Jim McNaughton, the general
manager of the copper company, and
his hireling - ..
81 firmly elieve Big Jim was re-
sponsible 70. the Christmas eve dis.
aster at Calumet, Mich" Walker
added. F a'
President Meyer declared that two
appeals had been made to the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor executive
council at Washington for aid for the
copper strikers and that so far no &C
ton had been taken. In speaking OF
the assault on himself and his alleged
deportation from the strike zone, he
said the treatment accorded him was
not worse, and In many cases much
less, than that dealt out to hundreds
of men and women in the rank and
ole of the strikers of Michigan and
Colorado.
The only difference between the
treatment accorded me and the rank
and fiIe.r Meyer continued, 'is that
the attack on me, as a representative
OF the western federation, was given
more publicity and caused a howl OF
indignation to arise throughout the
land"
Miners to Raise Fund.
President White, in the name of the
convention, assured Mr. Meyer of the
continued moral and financial support
OF the coal miners. II was decided to
hold meetings of the delegation by
districts for the purpose of raising a
fund for the striking copper miners
Mr.. Meyer said there were 10000 men
women and children in the copper dis
trict of Michigan receiving aid and
that Il required $50 900 a week to sup
ply these with the bare necessaries Of
life.
Meyer confirmed the report from
Houghton, Mich, that he would return
there for trial when wanted. but that
he had not Information he was to be
on hand when the January term OF
the Houghton county circuit court is
to open.
A committee congratulated the mi
ners upon the elevation Of w. d. vii
son, former miner, to President VII
sons cabinet and expressed the hope
that he would be successful at the
head Of the labor department
Attack Copper Indictments.
Houghton, Mich, Jan. ga mo
tion to quash the indictments re
turned by the special grand jury
against copper mine strikers and off
cials of the Western Federation OF
Miners was filed by attorneys for the
accused men when they were ar
raigned in the Houghton circuit court
Counsel for the defendants, in their
motion, attacked TIE legality Of the
grand jury's deliberations.
1t was contended that the grand
jury was illegally summoned and
called and therefore illegally served
that its deliberations were not con
Quoted IN secret, as required by law
and that the appointment of George
Z. Nichols as special prosecuting off
Ger was void because no showing had
been made authorizing such appoint
ment or alleging want of capacity OF
the part of the duly elected prosecu