The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-17


INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 16.-The men at
the head of the United Mine Workers
Association point to the history of that
organization as evidence that it was
formed for the mutual good of the mine
owner and the mine worker. and invoke
the testimony of the organizations rec
ords to show that it has been conserva
tive body, and has always occupied the
place of peacemaker and has never been
a fomenter of strife. Being the first or
ganization that has succeeded in gather
ing in all the miners in the United States,
and possessing great power for good or
harm. the officers point to the records as
proof Of the conservatism that has mark
ed its counsels, and say that it is this
policy that shall continue to dominate its
action.
The history of the rise and progress OF
the United Mine Workers of America has
many elements of interest not only to the
miners and the operators, but to the gen.
eral public as well. There have been ma
tionaI organizations among the min
CARNATIONS, but it was not till
1885 that the foundations of what now
seems to be permanent organization
were laid. On September II of that year
delegations from local miners unions in
| Ohio Pennsylvania, Illinois, West Viz
ginia Iowa, and Kansas met in this city
and formed a national union. under the
| name of the National Federation of Min
ers and Mine Laborers. The aYowed pur-
If
miners and the mine owners into more
friendly relations, and. if possible, put
an end to the many causes that had oper-
ated in past years to produce discord and
awaken feelings of discomfort among the
miners and of distrHst among the opera
tors The directing head of this body
consisted Of five members, and the first
board was composed Of Christopher
Evans of Ohio: Daniel Mclaughlin. of
Illinois: Hugh Reed, of Iowa; William
Fleming, Of West Virginia, and John
Johnson, OF Pennsylvania. Evans was ex-
ecutive secretary and the principal official
of the board
The First Meeting.
The first meeting of this board was
characterized by a step watch proved
that there was a sincere desire TO bring
about better conditions for all concerned
in the mining districts. After much dis
! cussion the executive secretary addressed
| a letter 10 the mine owners in the yariot 5
| States asking them to meet the members
| of the board at Chicago in November.
| The circular letter stated that confer
| ence was desired in order that causes OF
| friction might be removed and better
understanding reached between the min
| ers and their employers. The board
members went to Chicago. but W. p.
| Rend was the only operator who ap-
| peared at the meeting. At his sugg s.
| ton invitations were sent to the opera
| tors. whose headquarters were in Chica-
| go. to meet for a joint conference the
| next day. Mr.. Rend entered into the
| spirit of the proposition for joint action,
| and signed the invitation to his fellow
| operators. Nine OF the latter put in an
| appearance at the conference. and the
| question of trying to agree upon a joint
| scale was discussed, but no action was
| taken.
So friendly was the attitude of the
| miners representatives. however that a
| joint circular was issued TO operators
! and miners to meet for conference In
| Piitsburg in the following December
| This meeting was largely attended, ard
| though no scale WAS agreed upon. on1
was drafted and discussed, and meet
| lug was arranged 10 take place at Colum-
! bus Ohio. in February with the object
in view of giving the matter fuither con-
! sheraton.
Scale of Wages Agreed On.
Having laid the foundation for an agree
ment at Pittsburg. the Columbus meeting
finally agreed upon scale of wages fol
the mining year beginning in April. ant
the scale included all the operatives in tt.
bituninous fields in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois
| West Virginia, and the Pittsburg district
/ of Pennsylvania. Christopher Evans. O.
! Ohio. was the president of the convention
and w. ]. Bent was secretary. and thi.
| was the beginning OF what is known as tn,
! interstate movement. In ether words, 4
| was the first time that any labor organ
ization had attempted to reach an under
standing with the employers of labor, and
| By providing a scale of wages for year
formally bind both parties to abide by it.
Six months after the formation of tn,
/ National Federation of Miners and Min,
/ Laborers another organization was formed
by the knights of Labor. and was known
us National Trades Assembly No. 1876
The presence Of two organizations divided
| the strength of the mine workers, and lee
to many vexati0us conditions, but boil
I continued in the field for four years. Ii
| 1883 the executive officers of the two
bodies met and agreed to a union of tn,
two organizations, under the name of tn,
/ National Progressive Union. This ar
I rangcment proved far from satisfactor!
to the more intelligent class of miners
| and after a years existence another join
convention was called, and met in Column
hus and at this meeting the union wa
dissolved and the United Mine Worker
OF America was organized, with John y
RAY, of Pennsylvania, president, and Rob
ert Watchorn, Of Pennsylvania secretary
This organization was made to include al
the mine workers OF the United States.
has followed the general policy OF thu
Federation of Miners and Mine Laborers
and. by holding a joint conference eacl
year with the operators and fixing a seal
Of wages. has done much in the direction
Of avoiding friction and removing thu
causes that before led TO trouble.
There has been no general strike o
mine workers since the latter oFganiza
ton was formed. but there have beer
t9o suspensions of mining, which ,lud
ell practically all Of the bituminou
fields The first occurred in 1884 whsI
100 COO men throughout the country " r.
| idle. and after long controversy a com
promise was effected and the men re
turned 20 work. The second sCsp sEsioi
occurred in 1881, and at that time 1890
men were idle. The compromise 70 low
ing this period of idleness gave tn.
miners an advance in wages CT about /,
per cent Both OF these Suspensions fol
lowed the failure of the miners an
mine owners to adopt a scale, and bot
were confined TO the tit1eIuinglIe CCa