The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-04-27
WATT OUTLINES
UNITY PROGRAM
DESPITE TERROR
Solidarity is Keynote of
Herminie Meet
(By a Worker Correspondent

(By a Worbe, Correspondent
PITTSBURGH, Pa, by MaiD.-
Evading state troopers, coal and iron
police and deputy sheriffs, who were
patroling every highway leading to
the town of Herminie in Westmore-
land county, 500 miners found their
way to mass meeting of the Save
the Union Committee last Friday.
COssack Terror.
Threatened with violence if they
attempted to proceed to the meeting
along the highway, the strikers were
compelled to cut through woods,
scramble over muddy hills and ford
swift-running shallow streams to
reach Herminie, where the mass meet
ing was scheduled for p. M The
speakers, including John J. Watt of
the Illinois Save-the- Union Commit
tee, who had also been forced to turn
back from the main road by state
troopers and seek little known by
ways, found the hall deserted when
they arrived ten minutes before the
time set for the gathering.
Herminie rests in little depres-
sion in the hills which close it in al
most completely. Over the tops of
these hills and into the valley to the
meeting hall some 500 men swarmed
at five minutes before the meeting
started No police were present. They
had all been assigned to duty along
the roads leading to the meeting hall.
Only the. superintendent of the mine
at Herminie was present to spy upon
the meeting.
Outlines Program.
Only after the meeting had pro-
eeeded for an hour and John Watt
had had ample opportunity to set
forth the line of action laid down by
the Save-the- Union Committee for
the preservation of the union did any
state police appear at the meeting.
Swinging clubs and pummeling
fists were the first signals of the
cossack's presence. Though no ar
rests were made unorganized strik-
ing miners in and around Herminie
tabulated score of cracked heads
and bruised bodies as the price of
free Assem- blage in Westmoreland
county
During the course of his speech
Watt had warned the miners against
the provocative tactics Of the state
troopers and the coal and iron police
THE uniformed sluggers of the coal
companies know that YOU miners
have a tradition of militancy and
fighting shirt" Watt cautioned the
miners. "They hope that by using
uniustified violence against you thew
viii succeed in arousing you to the
point where YOU will strike back blow
for blow. Then they will seize upon
your self-defense as an excuse for
worse bloodshed than has ever been
witnessed in any strike in Pennsy J.
yania. Don't give them the chance
Let us show the bosses that our ira
.dition of u1ilitancv teaches US how
to suffer. We will strike hack. but
we will do so with bigger and more
regular mass picket lines and with
more enthusiastic mass meetings. and
by going ahead with the organization
Of real powerful union free from
the influences of corrupt leaders who
are afraid to fight real battles for
The rank and file"
Unity.
Solidarity was the chief plea made
bv Watt in his speech. "I am from
Illinois, he declared "If any section
of the mining industry lays back and
let's the other section be crushed now
it will be their turn next" he warned
Stand by US now" he pleaded with
the non-union strikers. "or run tho
risk Of fighting your own fight later
without any union and without any
militant rank and file to back you. =
Prior to the meeting at Herminie.
Watt had addressed a similar gath
ering at Yukon where 81 pickets had
been jailed earlier in the week. At
the conclusion of the meeting. when
a messenger arrived carving the ST.
200 bail required for the release of
the 81. the mass meeting marched to
the Yukon iail in body to receive
the 81 as they left the Jail. It was
the demonstration at Yukon, which had
carried no suggestion of disorder that
had prompted the state police and
the deputies TO throw an armed cor
don around Herminie. Stopped by
state troopers on the road to Her
sr'inie. Watt and his companions were
told. Get right back where you came
from, or we won't even bother to ar
rest you. Wen just club you out right
hqra and now ("