The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-09-22
TWO THOUSAND MILL WoRKERS
ATTENDED MASS MEETING AT
MARKET AUDITORIUM
LEADERS GIVE REASONS FOR
STRIKE ORDER AND URGE THE
MEN TO STAND LOYAL.
Men Advised to Sleep Late In the Morn
ing and Asked to Refrain Prom
Acts Of Violence.

Men Advised to Sleep Late In the Morn
ing and Asked to Refrain Prom
Acts Of violence.
At n meeting called for o'clock
largc crowd of iron and steel workers
who throrCcd tho aMkrct Auditorium
were given eleventh hour instructions
by officials of tho local and affiliated
unions with reference to the impending
strike. winch began this corning at s
! O'clock The men were advised TO stay
| at home and sleep tomorrow morning..
! and TO leave the conduct Of the strike
to the general Strik" committee repro
ScntinC all OF III" different trade unions
1t was stated that piCkcting or the
rlants WAS thought not TO he ncccS-
sary hut II developments warranted
the placing Of extra rickcts men would
be called upon for that purpose The
! men wcrH asked not to gather around
: the plants in groups and 10 avoid CON
nirt IN every way possible. 1t was
stated that the strikers would conduct
thcmscl,c as peaceful American citl-
zcns. but if officials Of tn" steel mills
insisted upon operating under existing
conditions, they. and not the labor
unons, will be forced To assume rcSpon-
sbility for anything that occurs
Speakers Tlay Judge Gary.
Speeches were made by heads Of va
rious labor organizations. who spoke or
the cause and effect Of the strike and
assured the workers present that other
affiliated unions had gone on record in
promising to back tn" iron and steel
men to the limit. Several Of tho speak
crs paid tribute TO President Wilson.
whom, they say. up 10 this time, has
made every effort to see that the labor
in
they say that conditions have gradually
grown so bad that even the President
is unable 10 avert tho inevitable strike.
The speakers mad" som" very bitter al
lusionS to President Gary. OF tho steel
corporation, referring to him at times
as King" and "kaisrr' Gary. CUnSid-
cradle commotion was caused when the
chairman OF the meeting announced
that thcre were several spies Of the
corporation present. making notes on
tho meeting, and asked thcm Courtc-
ously. but firmly, TO got out. Cries Of
TRAITORS" ''sri"S." here they arc"
throw 'cm OUT wcrc heard from all
parts Of the hall. hut tho huhub finally
died down. and they were allowed to re-
main.
The statement was made that the
mon arc more completely organized in
iron and steel industrial districts all
over tho country than the nlaEnatCS
have any idea. and that the corporation
IL going TO get the surprise of its life
when they arc confronted with actual
figures Of the number Of men out on
strike
Instructions To Strikers.
jack Peters. district secretary or the
National Association for Organizing
Iron and steel workers. in opening the
4 49, fl,.F -
conduct and what tho union expects Of
thcm during tho impending strike. said:
You all understand why this meeting
has been called. and v" are here today
to advis" with you and instruct You AS
To what is expected Of you. There are
none Of us silvcr-tOnEurd orators as
We are all working men lik" yourself.
and III presenting TO You the cas-" Of tho
workers and tho necessity Of the strike
in the iron and steel industry all over
tho country. W. want t. present ~ y"u
tho absolute facts and not {" present
any distorted statements or max" You
my false promises. am going ~ %sk
vuu mon To pay absolutely ~ att"nt on
10 what YOU may hear. hut | want You
70 my attention only Ia such inf0r-
ma'irn us Won S"'ur" ihr"uEh your local
union. hcnr.nE ~ mI1d that any imf"r-
nation which r":noS Ia YOU. except
through your local trad" union IS not
rrilabic.'
Advised To Sleep Late.
Vt another p"'nt during lin" c"nr%" "t
tic rrc..,sr.. Mr.. Peters continued:
The ,.n'y u~tru,ti",S | have t. give
you "a, IS 'ha' each and every one Of
Won !. -. ""..I!m ~ h'l and Sleep until
81, ut .,''l,,n r,;t:rrruw morning. New
Or mjni about whether tho mill ts going
to opcrlt" or not. That VIII II" we'll
taken ar" Of Icy ! general StIIh" COM
- IT," "rinlutrd last niEht-a general
.tiI.r rnWin,ti,r representing all of tn"
i .I,r,ni trade unions. who Will hay" tn"
strike situation well ~ hand. and II nee
.~~ry put on additional pickCts. II
IL y cnd Il is necessary :" d" this. they
VIII ...,u upon Ia" m"mhrrShin Of their
rc-pcri.lc local unions. h"lirI" thor"
| are quite a f"w uf tho gentlemen who
arc members "f the general $trik" COM
mIttc" present here in IA" room and L"
th.m | say You ar" :" h" on th"'I" at
:, ga IN the morning and max" mutations
ana nud "lit # it IS necessary 10 put ON
picl,-,S or not. don't think il * going
t. l." necessary ~ pat on 0lrK"iS. |
don't think the plants ar" going I" haN"
, 4 Curpural'S guard to operate th"m.
III" mills thar VIII II" ON sir.k" are:
Wheeling steel and Iron r"mr1ny--
Ecuw""d rlrut. belmont plant. North
Wheeling blast furnace. Martins Ferry
blast furnace.
National Tube w"rhs--Ecnw""d plant
! earnest" S.""l company B"!iaIrc
plant. MlngN p!aEt.
+ American Sheet AMI Tn ri2'" conf
pary- Ia Icilr IN MI. !.au%id - tin
mill. Wcirt"n plant at S'ruh'mrIl!",
Wcirron plant a, W"rtnn.
Ials"ur IRON W"rI.- Whc'l.nE plant,
Stcuhcnl III" plant.
Scmor -Solyay company. E"nw"od
Aetna STANDARD plant "r The Amcri-
can Shcr, 4 TIN Fiat" company.
Tn" n,u % tho plants mentioned Will
not 20 ,u work tomorrow morning.
AS | stated IN In" beginning. rely
and Conduc: yourselves only Ill accord
anrc wiki tn" information that you r.
criyc through Your local union and pa
| absolutely no attention 10 any Other
information that Is given 10 You
| ,hruugh any outside or any other SourSc.
! Don't gather around til" mills in
lunches; VIC don't want Il. II they thin.
| they can Upcrat" tn" mills, let them
try il. but bear this IN mind. # they do
attempt To- op"rar" IN" malls. they at
the same time ASSUME rni r" rrSp"n~i-
biliiy for what may occur after i"m"r-
, row morning.
Secretary Louis Lenoard.
National Assistant S"cr"tary-TrcaSur'
or Louis I."I.nrd. who Wa introduced
AS tho staunch"St Wh""i u"i;" ia ~
l,,hO- movement spoke On tho attitude