Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-08-02
Mitchell Addressed il Advising
Strict Obedience to Law
SAYS STRIKE WILL BE WON
Impresses on Them Great Import
ance of winning VctoTy-Al
Favor Fight 20 Finish.

Scranton, Pa, Aug 1.-The first o
the strikers mass meetings planned e
take place at the various strike ccnter'
was held here today In the woods
Seven thousand strikers were present
from all parts Of the city and the adj
Joining towns some locals having
marched four miles to the meeting
headed by a band or drum corps and
carrying tlags ana banners
President John Mitchell and several
Of the district officials delivered ad.
dresses The crowd enthusiastically
cheered all the speakers and went fairly
Wild over Mitchell When be was in
troduced TO speak some one shouted
Hats off, and although the suns rays
beamoJ down so intensely that many
We're carried from the crowd exhausted
every man IN the vast assembly barred
his head and remained uncovered until
his speech was concluded.
Then the crowd surged about the
platform ana shook his hands until Mr.
Mitchell was almst exhausted Mr.
Mitchcl's speech was brief, and dealt
only with the live issues OF the fight.
He said in part:
"It has been said by some who are not
your friends that the miners ot the
Scranton region are getting tired OF the
strike and are about TO return TO work.
! come to find out If this is so. / want
10 know If YOU are going TO return TO
work dishonorlng your organization
and dishonoring yourselves,
N the strike Is lost, may God AL
mighty help the men, women and chill.
dren who depend for their subsistence
on the mining Of anthracite coal, If
the strike Is lost you viii pay the cost
Of the strike.
81 want to say that the anthracite
miners went on a strike themselves.
They voted for the strike. II was not
the officers Of the United Mine Workers
union who called the strike, 1t will
never end until you vote II ended,
From the offices Of the local presi-
dents I'm New York comes the declata-
ton that the strike win be settled only
in their own way Of settling IT, ] would
direct your attention TO similar deClara-
tions made In the 1900 strike The coal
trust may be powerful and strong but
the American people, whose hearts
throb I'm sympathy with the miners
cause are stronger than the coal trust.
The American people, like jury, have
passed upon this conflict They heard
Of the miners request for betterment
of conditions ana the operators refusal
They heard Of the miners proposition To
arbitrdte and the operators further re-
usaL Ninety per cent Of the people
have agreed that the miners are right
and the operators wrong
Il understand there rs some diSsatls-
faction and misunderstanding about the
distribution of the nlief fund. The
operators have sent men among you
to urge you to be- dissatisfied. Through
the newspapers they have told you mat
you were dissatisfied. We have sent
a circular to all the locals which VIII
explain I'm detail the plans for the dis
uibutiOn OF relief, and | trust that
when YOU hear Il read there viii be an
end to dissatisfaction and misunder-
While we have not got mill
lions, we have enough to see to IL that
no miner will starye during the con-
tnuance Of the strike.
Il want TO appeal to men with means
to refrain from applying for relief Let
the fund be used by those who are In
absolute need Of help. BE patient with
your committees. Put your shoulder
to the wheel and do your share of the
work. Don't depend altogether on
your officers 10 win your fight II we
are 10 win We must all help.
"The one among you who violates the !
aw is the worst enemy you have. No |
me rs more pleased than the operators |
n New York to hear of disorder in the |
,oal regions. | want our men 10 exercise |
he rights that inure 10 them under
he laws, but / want no man TO trans
,res the laws.
"The strike win be won. / have no |
more doubt about it than | have that |
am standing here addressing you.
"The Operators are trying TO make IL |
lppear that the strike Is beginning to |
Freak up There Is a saying that those |
Who come from afar can lie with I'M |
,unity At Shamokin the operators |
ell the strikers that the men at VIII |
,esbawe are returning 10 work At
they tell them the men at |
;hamokIn are returning and at other |
,laces they tell them the men at Scran'
on are weakening. ] fail to see any
igns OF weakening here.
"This Is possibly the last time ! ever
viii talk 10 you. ] want you TO listen
o me. | want 60 impress on you the
Of winning this strike. II
ou win. as You surely WILL there viii
,e no more strikes. There will be
asis Of adjustment arrived at which
ylll prevent strikes, II you lose the
trlke the operators will make you pay
or their strike losses by reducing your
wages. And If you lose the strike you
Dse your organization. ! trust and
ope and constantly pray you viii
tand as you did IN 1907
Before the handshaking episode had
egun, Chairman Phillips asked all who
avored n fight 60 a finish 10 raise their
ands Every hand went up.