Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-10-31
is TOO LATE
FOR STEP TO
BE HELD OFF
Impossible to Prevent
Strike Now Says Ill
nois Union Chief.

Springfield, Ill. Oct. 31-As-
summing a defiant attitude to-
ward the governments move to
stop, by Injunction, the threat
ened strike Of soft coal miners,
Frank harrington, chairman Of
the miners scale committee,
and president of the Illinois
district, declared today the
Sstrike had developed into
something more than a miners
STRIKE" and that it was ''an at
tempt to enSIaVe the working
men and women Of the cOun-
try"
"I don't believe there is any pow
er on earth that can stop the min
ers from going on strike tonight, -
said harrington. %The action of
the government will only inf1ame
them. The question involved now
is whether working men and wom-
en- have the right to strike when
they think they have cause to do
So"
Illinois miners officials were
without official notification of the
issuance OF the injunction at In
dianapolis.
Injunction Denounced.
Branding the act of the govern
ment in obtaining the Injunction
as the most far-reaching and high
handed restraining order ever is
sued by a court in this country"
harrington declared its influence
was to breed radicalism.
Nothing that 1 could know Of
could have a tendency to incite boil
shevism in this country as this re-
straining order will do" said Far
rington "All the agents of Lenine
and Trotzky and the influences at
their command could not do as
much to create bolshevism in this
country as the injunction granted
by Judge Anderson will do"
Will Go Through With 1t.
I'VE are going through with the
strike" Harrington declared. La
Dor is bound to fight this injunc-
ton. If it stands it is within the
power of any court to enslave the
working man and woman any time
the court decides to do so.
IF this injunction stands there
will be a lot of US deceived as to
the liberties We thought American
citizens enjoy. The restraining or
der is a blow at the very heart of
free institutions of our country"
Harrington, who is president of
the Illinois district, was at his desk
toGay to direct the fight in this
state which will affect 10000 men
and cut off coal production at the
rate o. approximately S5,000,000
tons annually.
@1TOO Late Now"
at is too late to try to stop this
strike" President Harrington de-
clared. "The men have made up
heir minds to go out and nothing
can defect them from their pur-
pose"
tonight as the effective
lour, the stoppage of production
will begin so far as Illinois is con-
,erned between 4 p. m. and p. N.
.oday, when the day shifts are
loisted from the workings. This
,orce Harrington said, comprises
about $4,000, of the approximately
10000 miners.
Reports at state headquarters In
Heated that very few men remain
ID away from their work this morn
ng in anticipation of the shutdown
,nIy a few hours distant.
VIII Issue Orders to Men.
Mr. Harrington was preparing
statement directed to Illinois min
rs in which, it was indicated, the
membership of the union will be
instructed as to the way in which
hey will be expected to conduct
themselves during the tie-up.
strike leaders, it was said, are urg-
ng the rank and file to give no
.ause for criticism and TO do moth
ng that will provoke the use of
orce by the authorities.