The labor argus. [volume], August 08, 1907, Image 1

About The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915

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. / - l-~'.,
Vol.2. No. II. CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, AUG. 8, 1907. $1,00 a Year in Advance
ftanawha s (greatest J^abor j&ay demonstration Monday Sept. Znd!
AT KANAWHA STOCK FARM UNDER AUSPICES CAPITOL CITY TRADES ASSEMBLY
I
THE 5TREE
MET
Twenty-Seven Members
Will Make No D<
Wages or S
BULLETIN.
A committee from the Street Car
Union appointed this morning will confer
with Superitendenent Alexander
of the Company today looking to
the reinstatement of the men discharged
for their activity in forming the
union. The Outcome will be Watched
with Interest by union men of the
Kanawha Valley.
There has been a movement on
foot for some time past to organize
the street railway employes of
ibis eity and several of the men
have been quietly working among
their fellow employes securing
their signatures to an application
for a charter for a local division of
the Amalgamated Association of
Street and Electric Railway Employers,
which resulted in securing
the signatures of twenty-seven
of the men, and n meeting was
* called for Tuesday morning at 1
o'clock at Assembly Hnll for the
purpose of organizing.
At. the appointed time all the
men who had signified their williiigiics*:
to become members of tlie
union wnm aii Hon<1 .????! ?
umvi aiw ciio
following gentlemen who were
theuvto assist and counsel them in
then- umlcrtaking: Thomas Cairns,
I'nsnilciit of the Miners of SubI/istrict
No. 1; National Organizer
"""Charley Krallman of the U. M.
W.of A.; lien F. Morris, District
Secretary of the Mine Work el's;
John It. Foster,. President of
Charleston Typographical Union;
J. I'. <'liapman, of the Uartcnders
I ionj Ji. E. Caldwell, of the
Typographical Union; Mr. W. (5.
l.arnhart and the Argus man.
The meeting was called to order
hy John E. Clinton and Thomas
Cairns was called on to explain the
aims and objects of the organization,
and responded in his usual
forceful anil convincing manner.
He cove roil the ground thoroughly
ami made an earnest plea to the
men to he conservative at all times
ami to act ileliberfcy on all questions
which might ooine before them,
ami to consider well every step
taken by them, lie pointed out
the danger of hasty action and
radicalism, explaining io tlie men
that organizing did not mean strike
hut was for the purpose of averting
strikes He strongly advised them
to I mild up their local and get all
their meu into it so that vvhem the
l"e|nT time comes they could present
their claims to their employers
in a businesslike and intelligent
manner and receive the recognition
and consideration that they
deserved, lie was accorded the
closest attention throughout his
entire talk.
< h gani/.er Ivrallman followed
Mr. Cairns with a talk that was
lull of sound logic throughout advising
conservation at all times
and under all circumstances, lie
gave the men much advice along
these lines and explained the
necessity of the members standing
together to advance their cause
and better their conditions and at
the same time to give their best
etlorts to their ...... .1* ? -1"
... J/JV^ C12> w VMS I" *
onsti ate to them the fact that the
organization stands for a square
deal to both employer and eral?loyee.
At the conclusion of his
remarks every man in the room
connected with the street car service
signed the charter loll and
paid the initiation fee. They then
proceeded to organize and elected
^ ?Iohn E. Clinton. President. J. .
-Martin Secretary, andV. H. Thuin,
Treasurer.
Thomas Cairns then administered
the obligation to them and declarer!
them officially members of
the Amalgamated Association of
r CAR
< ORGANIZE ?
. n
' V
Sign the Charter Roll?
miands for Higher
horter Hours t
i T
! va
Street and Electric Railway Em- tl
ployees of America, and gave them n
further instructions as to the i si
working of the union. Mr. W. a
G. Barnliart, who had been assist- j
ing the men for some time in their n
undertaking wn? miliwi .....i < i?
o |
made quite a lengthy talk. Messrs. \\
John li. Foster and Ben. F. a
Morris also made short talks
which were well received. 1st
jd
A report has been current that the
men at their meeting Tuesday 1 _
morning were divided on the ques- : 1
tion of inaugurating a strike at
once. This is a malicious lie of
the whole cloth as the question of
strike was never mentioued by any 1
member of the organization and
there is no likelihood of a strike.
Four men were laid oil' Monday
and it is alleged that this action
was taken by the Superintendent
because of their activity in orgaaizing
the union, but the matter has :
not been taken up with him as1 C(
yet. There is no probability of (j
any trouble with the comnanv as _
* ~ i a
the men :it the head of the concern y
have always shown a disposition ' n
to be fair on all questions and 8j
have always advocated a square ' y
deal l'or all. and have publicly expressed
themselves as having no i
objection whatever to their men y
organizing, but we are sorry to say j,
that we cannot say as much ofj c,
their subordinate bosses, who have ;ll
done all in their power to keep the
men from organising, but we are 0
glad to say that they do not con- y
trol the company. ] i
The organization will be a sue-' p
cess is assured from the fact that!)
the members are a determined, ;u
earnest, honest and conservative w
body of men, who have the con- w
fidence, not only of their employers ;l
but the general public, as well -is,
Those of the employees, who have p
not joined will do so as soon as
they understand the object of the : q
organization.
PRESIDENT Is
MITCHELL 5
: p
Defines the Fundamental Principles b
Of Unionism. ^
'1
Correction of Abuses and Main- 1
tenance of justice is the tl
Main Object.
ri
n'
Lucidly depicting the present n:
economic conditions and outlining el
the policy of his organization in a
its relation to capital, John st
Mitchell, president of the United >
Mine Workers of America,' spoke ai
forcefully at a luncheon given last <j
Thursday by the Why club in the a
! Savov hotel at Denver. ai
i "My whole life has been a series
of battles," began the speaker, si
| "and yet I am considered a con- c:
1 1 1 T .1 H ! ...
. nci c muui . 1 uuii u ?
j know why I have Ixjen so (lesig- y
| nated, for I have always been in v
j the thickest of the fray, but I feel! ri
| safe in saying lam so considered | al
j by the press, the public and the j
| capitalistic world. ! li
"I have by force of circum- b
| stances been forced to the con- s<
servative, for lalx>r has never been fc
j truly advanced by the demagogic si
; utterances denouncing unreason- I
i ably the capitalistic classes. Yet, w
| down in my heart I am not con- V
servative, for my whole existence 01
! imbued with a feverish, restless j ci
j desire for the advancement of j 11
| labor. j tl
"It is a mistake to suppose the : ii
i conflict between labor and capital n
j ?and there is such a conflict?is J d
jur conclusions in binding contract
nul then live up to that contract.
"We insist this contract shall lie
inviolable both on the minors and
.lie employers. 1 consider the
violation of a contract on the part
jt" a miner to be a violation of my
(acred word, and such a man is
immediately expelled from our
anion. I am personaly responsible
"or the fulfillment of tlicir conraets
of 000,000 miners.
"We are only coal men, but we
ire doing our level liest to promote
abor, life and the pursuit of
ot reconcilable, lor it is possible' i
i reconcile the differences now ex- j.
iting. 1 iiiul in my experiences I
liat differences can lie and are ad- j .
listed.
"There is one thing, however, j'
e shall never forego, and that is \1
:ie inalienable right to strike. |(
flien justice lias not been secured '
y mediation, reconciliation or ar- '1
it ration, then, but not till then, j1
re fall back upon our right to 1
dike! j I
"There are some questions that!
re not lit subjects for arbitration, j:
hose are our fundamental rights, j'
hose are our rights to organi-j'
ition, to the eight-hour law, and
lie privilege of spending our ?
loney as we may deem lit: These i
nbjects, I repeat, can never be! <
rbitrated. * |;
"Wages, and rules governing <
ictliods of work are fit subjects \ i
>r arbitration, and we are always j 1
'illing to submit to arbitration ! I
long these lines. j t
"We have ask capital to look lis 11
bmiglit in the face; to discern our 11
luerences, man lo man, embody I
)ARR0WS PASSU
*
o the Jury In Closing His Arg
Eloquent and Fervid
American
The pluteoeratic press of the! i
auiitry are heaping abuse on i}
larence Harrow for his "Socialistic t
ml Anarchistic" utterances, as |
ley term them.- during his argu- |'
lent in the Haywood case. It is]'
imply a case of sour grapes, as j
lie following closing remaks of liis s
rgnment will sulistantiate: ,
'When my voice is silent, and |
foyer and Haywood caivnot lie j
earn, uie Jast appeal lor their f
onviclion will Ik* made l>y the ;
[ euser. I know the eminent ,
iwyer who will, in closing, speak ;
I' law and order?the ilpg, which ]
le mine owners have desecrated. ,
know how skillfully he i/ill plead |
> yon to liiul this man guilty, anil ,
must sit and listen. I can only i
jk you to weigh with care every ,
ord he utters; I only ask you to >
. member and explain every fact ,
nd circumstance to your con <
;icnce that does not point to Kill
[avwood's guilt. I
"Haywood is accused l?y Harry t
irchard?Harry Orchard, the '
lost unspeakable scoundrel; Harry i
ircliard, the prejured villian;
Carry Orchard, the biggest coward 3
lat ever lived; Harry Orchard, *
ho is shifting liissins upon others, i
f you can kill my client upon the 3
ord of this vile creature, then
eace be with yon. i
"Hawley tells you he believes i
e is guilty. I believe he is inno- i
. lit as I believe in life. Hawley's i
oliof ami ?*? ** 'I""'4" 1 '
V..V. ? <> ..ij '/vnvi UUII \J cuuill. I
am not an tin prejudiced witness, a
s?m si partisan, a strong partisan
L tlisit. For 30 years I have given '
lie best of my ability to the csiuse <
>r which Moyer and Hsiywood t
isked their Jives. I Jisive given s
ly time, my reputation, my t
isitcrial success?and taken a
lianccs-for the cause of the poor
nd the unfortunate. It is the 1
.longest devotion of my life, t
'ever in my life liave I wished s
nything as 1 wish a verdict ac
uitting liilJ Haywood. If 1 live
hundred years I shall never see
nother case like this.
UVnii inmx l?.~- I.i-i
. ~juvit iii mmiu arc i
tting in judgment 011 an historical ise.
Your verdict will affect tlie i
ea! or woe of this nation. Truly \
ou are making history. Your s
L-rdict will afl'ect the liberty and 'J
ghts of the poor and the lowly of ?j
II this world. j
"I know Bill llaywood; I laeve
in him. God knows it will t
ea sore day- to see him ascend the a
51 fluid. The birds will not sing c
ir me that day; the flowers will i
led no fragrance on that day. a
"Think, you men, think of his \
ife his mother and his babes. 1
Till you give him to the gibbet c
n the uncorroborated word of a s
raven, the croak of a vulture, r
lut the wife and the mother and j
le children are not of the first o
nportanee in this crisis. If he c
mst die. 40,000 men toiling, deep t
own in the mines will share their, ?
)
OVER ZEAL
PEAC
Take Law Into Their O
to Provoke Strife
?
Mesabe
Much has been printed in the
I trust press ol' the country during
the past week in regard to the
; striking miners on the Mesaba
! Kauge in Minnesota, representing
| t hem to be a lawless band of euti:
throats and other choice epithets.
That these charges are malicioue
falsehoods will l>e readily seen by
the following editorial comment of
the Minneapolis .lournrl, under the
caption gf "Over-Zealous others:"
"The most serious danger throat
ening the mining region in Minnesota
toilny is tlie imliscretions of
officers of the law. While the arrest
of 1'etriella on the charge of
carrying concealed weapons would
have l>een justified at any other
time, it was an act of doubtful
wisdom under the circumstances.
The leader of the miners have 110
business, of course, to carry concealed
weapons, but his arrest before
he had committed or threatened
any act of violence, was, under
1 the circumstances, a stupid piece
I of business ond well calculated to
make trouble.
"The breaking up of the miners'
meeting assembled to discuss their
course of action, and conducted,
according all reports, in an orderly,
j quiet manner, was not justified by
| conditions, and just that kind of
I nllicial indiscretion, to call it by
i no stronger name, on the range to|
day, and is calculated to give
Governor Johnson more anxiety
than anything" else.
' "Of course the miners have a
right to meet if they want to and
discuss their allairs, and so long as
they do it in an orderly manner 110
sheriff or police officer has any'
1 business interfering.- If this inI
stance of over zeal 011 the part of
j the civil authorities passes without
provoking serious trouble, it
; will be aii evidence of greater pru
Will Join Federation.
At the recent convention of the
Jnited Mine Worker's of liistrirt
so. 1 a resolution was j>;isse<l
ecommending all loeils of mine
vorkers to aililiate with the Penhylvania
State Federation of Labor.
I'lie resolution, which was a part
>f the legislative committee's re>ort,
was as follows:
"Our committee recommends
hat all local unions in the State
ifliliate with the State Federation
if Labor, in order that that body
nay l>e strengthened numerically
mil financially. The one thing'
vhich we Ixdieve the Federation is
lest ipialifled for, is to act as a
vutre of labor power in the state in
ecu ring the passage of legislation
iece8sary for the advancement and
rotection of the working people
if the state, and the election of a
ovemor, senators and rrpresentaives
who will favor labor nieasires."
?r|r(IIVS?,
"We do not consider we arc
listurbing economic conditions unreasonably
when we demand the
jorriction of abuses that have for
years made coal mind's an object
jf pity among the civilized classes
jf the world. We stand only for
.lie protection of our homes and
".he right to educate our children
.hat are now by force of economic
.-oiidilions being driven into the
jlack pits of the earth to add to
.he meager wages of the lather."
3NATE APPEAL.
ument Was One of the Most
Even Heard in An
Court
ran lings to take care of that widow
Hid those children. A million
nen and women will send words
>f kindness and sympathy in timbre
renvouieiit.
"Other men have died in the
rre-c causa of emancipation. Men
who loved lilierty, men who loved
.lie poor, have fought their good
rght, they have perished on the
icaffohl, by the sword, in the llame,
bill May wood is no better than the
rest who have laid down their lives
is a sacrifice for the down-t rodden.
He can die. Hut, oh! you mine
iwners, don't be so blind as to
.hink that if von hum- !>!> >
...?? .> uu
ivill crucify llic labor movement of
lie world. If he dies, lliousauds,
ivo, tens- of thousands of brave
niuls will march forward to carry
in the banner where lie' could not
any it.
"it is not for liim alpne I speak.
I speak for the lowly, the weak,
lie poor?Unit long line wlui have
>orne the burden of labor that the
die and sellish may grow fat.
"The eyes of the world are upon
,ou twelve farmers tonight. The
vorld is wondering what your verlict
will be. If you kill llaywood
lull will lie applauded by many,
the great railroad officers, these
nen will sing your praise; the
,-ultures of Wall street will offer
aaise to you; every bank where
nen hate agitators who light the
iglit for the poor will sing thanks
md piaise.
"J}nt 011 the broad prairies,
where men work with their hands,
>ut 011 the broad oceans, deep in
lie mines, in the factories where
.voincii and children toil by the
lay and by night, the thousands
ire tonight kneeling, asking your
iod to guide your judgment,
these women and children stretch
nit their hands and implore you to
ave Haywood's life."
ous
E OFFICIALS
tfn Hands and Attemot
A
;ers to Disorder on
Range,
I demonstrated to the world that v
while strenuous for their rights,
Uicy are law-abiding in their
niethiHls.
The Labor World has carefully
analysed every newspaper report
coining from the range during the
past week, and we have failed to
note wherein the miners have taken
any part in the violation of law.
On the other hand the evidence is
overwhelming in proof of the fact
that the over-zealous officers of the
law have been the instigators of
every crime thus far committed.
The arrest of Petriella was entirely
unwarranted. He was riding
011 the public highway on his
way to a meeting of the strikers,
fie was attending strictly to his
own business. lie was violating
<1... 1 - - -
v..w inn in iiu manner, anil the
paid hirelings of the mine owners
when they helil him up were acting
no less than highwaymen.
Unfortunately for the strike
leaders ho carried a pistol in his
pocket. This was discovered after
lie luul been arrested, and when lie
was taken to jail. Charges were
then made against him for carrying
concealed weapons, lie was
exomiuod hi'fore a justice of the
peace, and bound over to the grand
jury. J le was afterwards released
011 s?l,W)0 bail.
This arrest and the excessive bail
exacted is conclusive proof of the
prejudicc of the police officers 011
the range, and of the petty court
which is supposed to deal out justice.
Wo venture the assertion
that if every male person 011 the
range who carried a pistol was apprehended
there would not be
room enough in the jails of the entire
State to hold the prisoners.
It is a notorious fact that there arc
more "gun men" in the range
towns receiving the protection of
the police and the courts than in
nil other of Minnesota combined.
GREAT MORAL
VICTORY WON
For Organized Labor by Settlement
Of Ore Dock Strike at
Duluth.
The ore dock strike is settled,
and the men returned to work last
Thursday morning after having'7
ljeen idle for 15 days.
The terms of settlement, while
bringing no increase in wages, was
perhaps the very l>e.st that could
be made at the time. "
The ore dock workeis left their
work as individuals, untrained in
the matter of dealing with their
employers. They returned as
members Of a bona fide labor orfrufti'/ufwni
- 1 s
oviuvniiUb fiCIlOUlUU III
the art of diplomacy and tact, thus
winning a great moral victory^for
organized labor.
In few strikes of this character
have the participants seen the wisdom
of making the best bargain
possible under adverst conditions,
to enable each of them to assume
his former staticn at his work.
According to advices received
from Detroit, the headquarters of
the Longshoremen's union, charters
will be issued to each of the
three unions established during
the strike. Vice President J.
Or. O'Neill has returned from tlieeast,
and immediately sot out to
put the new organization on a
solid footing. Next year they will
lie in position in a position to
negotiate a good agreement with
their employers.
Subscribe for The Labor Augus.
Only paper published in Kanawha
Valley dovoted to the interests of
organized labor.
1 donee ami wisdom on tlie part of
! Uie leaders of tlie miners than on
| the part of the ofHcei-s of the law."
The following is taken ftom the
Dulutli bailor World which hears
out the correctness of the above
and utterly discredits the luricd
; reports sent out to the plute press:
"Conditions are bristling hot on
! the range where the greatest industrial
struggle of recent date is
: being conducted.
" Pence officers are injudiciously
taking the law into their own'
hands, and their actions tend to
provoke men to disorder.
"Sheriff Hates accepts paid hirelings
of the Steel Trust as deputies
and takes them by .special train to
the scene of the strike.
"Armed thugs parade range
towns, are not citizens of Minnesota,
and their presence will tend
i to incite violence, because the perj
manencc of their employment de1
pends upon tlie amount of dis|
order they create.
:'Itiglits of property seem to have
| precedence over the rights of man,
ami with this as a doctrine the
peace editors are unjustly mistreating,
coercing and oppressing
; law-abiding men.
The absence of ]>cace ofiicers
seems to be more conducive to good
| order than thoir presence.
The behaviour of the miners,
notwithstanding reports to the con
trary, deserves the commendation
of all good citizeus. Even the
most bitter opponents of the Wes,-!
ern Federation of Miners must ac
knowledge that the public utter- I
| ances of its officers tended towards ;
| peace and the maintenance of law
and order.
The newspapers of St Louis I
county which are opposing the
miners, and the officers of the
! Steel Trust, who feared at the be;
ginning that there would be bloodI
shed and destruction of property
on the range, are happily disappointed,?their
fears were ground
I less, anil the striking miners have