The Topeka state journal., 1902-11-18
SPARRINC
CONTINUES.
President Mitchell of the United
Mine Workers
Puts in His Fourth Day on the
Witness Stand.
COMMISSION TIR E s.
Will Seek Some Way to Limit
the Inquiries.
At Present Rate 1t Is Liable to
Last for Weeks.
COMMISSION TIRES.

Scranton, Pa, Nov. 1S.-Another large
crowd was in attendance today when
the arbitration commission began it's
fourth days sitting. Mr.. Mitchell, who
has been on the stand since last Friday,
took his place in the witness box and his
cross examination by Wayne MacFeagh
for the Erie company was resumed 1t
was the general opinion of the attorneys
today that some arrangements will nave
to be made to shorten the inquiry At
the rate progress is now being made II
will take many weeks to hear both sides
to the controversy. If counsel taxes no
action it is likely the commission will
suggest that something be done. Ihe
commissioners recognize that President
Mitchell is the most important witness
the miners have and they are loath 70
have matters hurried while he is on the
stand He being the president of the
union, his opinions are looked upon as
official and also as rejecting the policy
of the organization.
Before proceeding to the examination
John T Lenahan of Wilkesbarre, one of
the attorneys for the nom union men
who want the commission to take up
their case, handed to the commission q
list of 1000 names of nOn-uniOn men as
his authority for appearing before the
arbitrators He did not wish the COM
mission to make the names public at
this time but as Chairman Gray said,
everything filed with the commission
is public matter, the names were unof-
ficially handed in and were not given
out for publication. He also filed =
statement of the non-uniOn demands
which were published this morning.
Mr.. MacVeagh in resuming his cross
examinat ton. said he would be glad to
get an expression as to the influence of
acts of violence, Of the temper and dis
position of the union men said to have
committed them. The witness said that
he would not assume that the acts of
violence are true.
IF" said he. Forest City. which had
been referred to, would be an example of
all towns and cities in the. anthracite
field it would indicate that we were a
very law-abiding, religious people
The question:, Mr.. MacVeagh said,
lis whether or not you have taken the
proper methods to prevent a repetition
of violent acts when they have oc-
Cured" He did not care. he said. by
whom these We're committed. What 1
am trying to show" he continued. lis
that there is a growing spirit of violence
and disregard of law in the organization
and that your influence over them Is
insufficient to keep them law-abiding
and peaceable as you desire them to be-
Under this arraignment of the unior.
Mr.. Mitchell retained his complete COM
posture. The question met with ready
response.
THE fear that my influence" said he.
''is not sufficient to deter men from the
commission of crime is a contradiction
OF the claims often made about me-
He was free to say that some men
may have been deferred from going to
work because Of violence. but the strike
itself lost more in public opinion by
reason of that than it could possibly
gain.
The cross-examiner and the witness
then plunged into a spirited colloquy
over the question of whether one man
has a right to prevent another man
from selling his labor.
The best answer Mr.. MacVeagh could
draw from the miners chief was that he
did not approve of any one committing
an unlawful act.
Mr.. MacVeagh read a statement re-
garding the right to strike as belonging
to the personal freedom of workingmen.
He also took the view that in the exer-
cising of that freedom. those who cease
work must not interfere with the liberty
az others who wish to work
1--WE do not want anarchy" said Mr..
Mitchell. and that is anarchy pure and
simple-the righ of every man to do
absolutely as he nleases regardless of
its effects on sociN ""
This is the language of very careful
" disguised anarchy" Mr. MacVeagh
remarked, because it is the language
of Archbishop Ireland"
Archbishop Ireland never expected it
TO be used in that sense. 1 might say
Archbishop Ireland is a member of a
committee of which 1 am also a mem
Der which has declared for a trade
union idea"
Answering IuTIner question Mr..
Mitchell declared that if Archbishop Ire
lands statements meant that men have
no right to picket he disagreed with
them. Mr.. Mitchell added that he did
not know that the archbishop was re-
garded as a supreme. court on trade
union matters.
The attorney and the witness wander
ed from the rules of cross examination
and INDUCED in an argument over the
propriety of any one criticising acts and
decisions of courts.
Mr.. MacVeagh thought it was wrong
to follow such course and that it
tends to breed anarchy. Mr. Mitchell
said he was pleased to say the courts as
a rule are fair. but he regretted that in
the course of his experience he had
found some judges against labor He
referred to Judge Jackson of West Vir-
ginia who he said, had made a great
many serious reflections on men who
gave UP their lives to the cause Of la
Dor. He added that there were no an
archists in the trade unions.
Replying to Mr.. MacVeagh's question
regarding union men belonging to the
national guard, Mr.. Mitchell said nc
local in his union had ever expelled a
man from the union for belonging to
the guard and that no national labor
union of any kind had ever done such
a thing. A little union in New York
state. he said. had taken such action
and II had been heralded over the coun-
try He was not responsible for what
some other Organiza tions did.
Mr.. MacVeagh concluded his cIsoss ex-
animation at this point.
AS soon as Mr.. MacVeagh had finish
ed. Judge Gray announced that ths
commission did not wish to limit tht
liberty of any one appearing in this case
as representing others. bis they believed
they had obtained as much informa tioT
as they are likely to get on the subjects
touched upon.
Judge Gray announced. however, thai