The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-29

an increase in wages for men employed on
piece work: second, a reduction In the
hours OF labor for men employed py tne
day; third, payment for legal ton OF coaI'
fourth, that the coal we mine snail De hon-
estiy weighed and correctly recorded; ano,
fifth, we favor Incorporating IN the FORM
OF an agreement the wages that snall pe
paid and the conditions of employment thaI
shall obtain for a specific period.
las to the reasona bleness OF these de-
mands we have proposed TO submit 20 and
abide the award OF an impartial board OF
arbitration.
There could be no grosser perversion or
truth tslan the assertion of the operators
that the mine workers union IS lawiess
organization. During the past twenty weeks
the whole power of the union has been ex-
erted TO preserve the peace among Volun-
tarily idle population of three-quarters OF
million: and IL Is tribute TO the activity
OF our officers and the loyalty and self-re-
straint Of our members that We have been
more successful in allaying violence than
the coal and iron police In inelung II:
Despite all our precautions We regret that
occasional violence has resulted, but IL
would be as logical to charge any one or
the religious. social or political organiza-
tions or even the United States govern
ment with being unlawful organization
because some Of its adherents transgress
the law as II Is 10 charge the United Mine
Workers OF America with being an unlaw-
full organization because some of its MEM
bers violate the law. The officers OF the
union are as severe as the operators IN
every act OF violence upon the part or a
striker. and no attempt has been made or
will be made to condone any offense OF this
sort The public should be made aware.
however, that the operators and certain
section of the press are by no means dis
eliminating in the fixing of responsibility.
and that crimes OF violence are laid at the
doors Of strikers when the imported guar
dams of law and order. the armed coal and
iron police, are clearly and unmistakaDly
at fault; and 1 challenge the operators or
~frt- rrfo H. war.fr. Gfr 1rIa r
ance on their part in disapproval of the
lawiess actions OF their hired guards. Some
time ago the Bellevue washery at Scran,
ton was destroyed by lightning. reward
was offered by the coal companies Tor the
arrest and conviction of the person who set
fire 10 the washery. This Is an example OF
the manner in which the strikers are ma
ligned.
THEIR OWN GRIEVANCES.
mr.. Baer assumes that the pumpmen,
engineers. and fremen were called out so
that the mines would be destroyed, and
with their destruction 10000 men with
their wives and children dependent upon
their labors. would be deprived Of work for
a long time. The truth is that the strike
OF the pumpmen, engineers and fremen
was called in their own interests, abso-
lutely. and by their own request. 1t was
for the purpose of removing grievances
against which they alone complained and
against which some of them had tnaugu-
rated an independent, although unsuccess-
full strike. more than one year ago. The
fact that several weeks elapsed between
the strike OF the miners and the independ-
ent strike of the pumpmen, engineers and
fremen and the further fact that the
operators were given twelve days official
notice that the pumpmen, engineers and
firemen would strike unless granted an
eight-hour wOrkday, should convince Mr.
Baer that the strike OF these men did not
originate In any desire on the part of the
mine workers to deprive themselves OF the
source of their own livelihood. III the mine
workers had sought the destruction of the
mining properties they would have ordered
the strike or the steam men without Civ
ing the companies any notice at ALL
Similar accusations against the mine
workers are made in a public utterance by
Mr.. Hewitt, In which that gentleman re
veals his real feeling toward organized la
Dor. do not refer to his expressed feal
that i shall become a dictator in contro
OF votes enough to decide the next presi
this contest the allied coal presidents ar,
fighting the battle of independent labor
against the aggressions of the United Min,
Workers in order that the individual work
man may be employed upon terms salts
factory TO himself. AS an influential di
rector of one OF the coal roads, Mr.. Hewitt
Is undoubtedly aware that the companie:
lighting TO compel the workmen Il
accept employment under conditions salts
factory 10 the coal trust, and that tn,
preservation of mems individual rights /.
simply cloak under which they seek Il
destroy organization among their employees
He Is undoubtedly in a position to know
that membership in an organization wa
f1kwned upon by the mine managers an'
that specific instructions were issued from
the general offices OF the coal companies
notifying some classes of workmen tina
they must either sever their connection