Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-11-18
ITNEsS TURNS TABLES ON oUEsTloNER
'old God is Above Majorities Offers to Leavs
Settlement to Him,
,LAlsS PEOPLE WILL AID RIGHT slOS
If Men Violate Agreement Country Will
Force Aoquiescenoe
RESENTS ANY lMPUTATloN OF ANARCHY
CompclS Lawyer to Admit Trades
UniOnism 20 He Good Even white
Accusing strikers of Giving
FOretaste of He'll

Accusing strikers of Giving
Foretaste of He'll.
SCRANTON. Pa. Nov. 17.-In the pres
enco of as many 81 could be jammed into
the superior court room today Wayne Mac
Veagh for the Erie company and John
Mitchell for the miners, continued their
brilliant battle OF words before the An
thracite coal commission. The two men.
the one in his thirties, and the other In
his seventies we're followed with intense
interest by both the commissioners and the
crowd throughout the day and the contest
will be resumed in the morning
The fourth demand of the union, which
calls for yearly trade, agreement. and
means a recognition Of thesnpion was the
bone OF contention. Mr.. MaeYeagh, at
tempted to show the union unaAte to make
contracts as II could not live upNto them
His principal argument was the alleged
boycott.
Lawyer Admtres Mitchell.
Counsel freely expressed his admiration
OF Mr.. Mitchelrs ability and on one oc-
casion, when he parried a question re-
garding the boycott of a coal and iron
policeman by hotel keeper. the attorney
| threw up his hands. laughed and said
'Mr Mitchell, you are the best witness
for yourself ever confronted
Mr., MacVeagh pushed continually on what
he called a reign of terror during the
strike. He gave a list OF fourteen men
| killed and seventy-fve printed pages de-
scribing acts OF alleged violence, boycott
and intimidation, and maintained II would
| be utterly impracticable for the companies
to enter into agreements with an organi-
I
Mr.. Mitchell stoutly maintained that the
discipline in the organization was as good
! as it possibly could be where 147,O00 men
we're involved. He regretted that members
of the union had in some instances vio-
| lated the law but made the excuse that
| in times of great excitement there was
always more or less disorder.
While the discussion OF the proposed
| yearly agreement was In progress. fire.
quent reference was made to the worlkings
OF similar contracts in soft coal regions.
! This led to the announo ement by the chair
man that the commission had decided
to invite Herman Justi commissioner Of
| the Illinois Coal Operators association to
! testify.
beyond Miners Control.
Mr.. Macveagh inquired: DO you
| still feel at liberty to say that Il is
|
the people will have to pay for their coal
II that additional cost is the Immediate
result of your demands?"
"I have not said at any time that II was
none of our business" replied Mr.. Mitchell
| 'I have stated it was beyond our control
| That we have absolutely nothing to do with
the selling price of coal"
Wont your men have to work hve years
to make up the loss they sustained during
the striker" Mr. MacVeagh asked.
mot by any means" was the positive
answer.
Mr. Mitchell. do you think you have
the right to ask for an increase in wages
which, II granted, would increase the cost
of living to hundreds of thousands OF
| poor?"
There are 500, 900 persons in the anthra-
cit fields who are starving and II is their
fundamental right to ask for living wages
in return for their labor" replied witness
with some asperity.
Replying to questions as to the right OF
private parties to protect their property,
Mr.. Mitchell said the provision In the
| miners constitution against pickets grew
out of the Homestead strike, when mum
Der OF private detectives were employed as
guards, most of whom had been recruited
from the slums of Philadelphia and other
large cities He insisted that the city,
county and state authorities were com
petent to handle the matter.
Don't you know as we'll as you know
your name is John Mitchell" thundered
counsel at this, that in spite OF the au-
thorities OF this city. of this county and Of
this state. this whole region has beer
treated for ive months to a Veritable fore
taste OF hell?"
Mr.. Mitchell calmly repliedi II don't
know anything OF the kind"
Question of shorter Hours.
Then Mr.. M4eveagh took UP the ques.
ton Of hours. Abraham Lincoln wal
splitting rails" he said, "and he didn't limit
himself TO eight hours, and you demand Il
not only for the men in the mines. but fol
all the men above ground as we'll. Garhelt
} when he was as a boy trudging along th'
path Of the canal. and Mr.. Mckinley II
his early life did far harder work. l only
} mention these because they were the vic
tins Of the spirit OF anarchy. which is th'
curse OF the country today and the only
serious curse afiieting it,"
Mr.. Mitchell stiffened at the word IAN
archy," and with considerable spirit
: promptly inquired: Trade unions are no
held responsible for It, are they2"
mo certainly not" said Mr.. MacVsagh
| uulouS dIt u4obb auLnlIdblc
Mr.. MacVeagh next took up the suggestion
for a yearly agreement and attempted q
show that the union could not control IL
2 members.
( II dare say" Mr.. Mitchell re
4 marked. "if our union violates the con
Y tract the people Of this country will taxi
good care we have no union left. Their
will be no question about that. and II tn
e operators violate IL the people Of the Unite'
9 States will see that they regret 1t. Thi
is country OF majorites."
YES" responded counsel, interrupting
'Yes. but God with one Is q majority. ]
Q a man is doing right He is on his side"
Mr.. Mitchell smiled slightly and tn
crowd roared as he answered quietly: ''
4 am quite willing TO leave the dispute 4
- ! God"
Mr.. MacVeagh seeking a direct answer q
n his queries regarding boycotts, asked VIII
| ka ,of ttaa IN N uuf an an