The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-07-22
PRESIDENT MITCHELL ADVISES
y AGAINST GENERAL STRIKE
URGES MINERS TO WORK
He Outlines n System of Assessments
Upon In members of the Order for
the support of the Striking An
ers Urge n WaIk-Out, whiIe Other,
lead to Continue work-auestion
A. to What to Do Still Unsettled.

Indianapolis. Ind, July 17.-If the
voice and influence of President Mitch
ii, of the United Mine Workers. shall
prevail with the members of his organi-
zation, there will be no general strike
of he organization. In his speech in
the convention this afternoon Mr..
Mitchell advised strongly against u
strike and urged that the bitumenous
Ctners continue at work, n thai a.
xkstem OF assessment upon the mem
- Pf the order, which he outlined, be
Carried into effect as the best means of
aIording aid and support to HI strik-
ing anthracite men in the east.
His recommendations, if it had been
adopted by the convention this after
noon would have settled the entire
question for which the convention was
CALLED, and an immediate adjournment
would have followed. A motion to
adopt them provoked a long debate in
which the general sentiment was
against the ordering of the strike. The
men from the anthracite regions finally
asked that they be allowed to hold a
caucus to determine upon an expression
VI OpIAIOl DIS 10 WHAT InSy lnOuSnC the
convent n should do, and asked an ad-
journment pending the caucus. This
was granted.
In the convention, three speeches were
made by members of the anthracite
districts, asking that the soft coal men
walk put, and twice as many were made
by the anthracite men urging the soft
coal men to continue at work.
President Mitchell in his address said:
In determining the adviSability of in
a~ugurating a national suspension of
coal mining in defense of our struggling
fellow workers in the anthracite field
of Pennsylvania, it is imperative that
neither passion nor prejudice should
influence your action, and / sincerely
trust that your decision, whatever it
may be, shall carry hope and inspira-
ton to that great army of men, women
and children, in the anthracite fields
who are watching n praying in eX-
pectation that this assembly will devise
some measure which shall prove suffi-
cient TO enable them to obtain living
wages and humane, American cOndi-
tiOISof employment. The responsible
ty iS and the defeat will be your
defeat, moreover the destruction of the
United Mine Workers organization in
the anthracite coal fields of Pennsylva-
mia would prove the greatest possible
shock TO the American trade union
movement.
The past history of the labor move
ment teaches lessons hat should not be
forgotten today. I do not know of one
solitary sympathetic strike of n mag
nitude, which has been successful; on
the contrary the most conspicuous
among the sympathetic labor struggles
have resulted in ignOminous and crush
i6Gg defeat, not only for the branch of
Industry originally involved, but also
for the divisions participating through
sympathy.
I'm this supreme crisis a failure TO
live up TO the high standard that has
made our union pre-eminent among Or
CARNATIONS of labor, would prove a sub
sanitation of all the charges and allie
cations made against us by our enc
mics, and would confirm beyond the
possibility of ~refutation, the speclous
argument of the anthracite coal opera
tors that the United Mine ork OF
America is an irresponsible and unsa1e
BODY with which to deal.
ct am firm in my conviction that the
strike in the anthracite fields can and
will be won without repudiatlns our
solemn contracts with the bltumenous
Operators provided the bitumenous
miners will rise to the occasion and dc
their full duty by their struggling TEL
low workers. 1 submit the folloWlns
specific recommendations:
81. That the national Secretary-IreaS-
urer be authorized and directed 10 I'M
mediately appropriate $4,000 from the
funds in the national treasury and place
it at the disposal of the offlcers OF uis-
trictS /. z n y.
$50. That all districts, sub-distrlcts
and local unions be appealed to, to de-
vote from the surplus in their treasur-
les as large amounts as the a AFFORD
q That an assessment of not less
IL 81 per week be levied upon al
members of local unions, the amount sc
levied To be collected at the carries
possible moment and forwarded TO inc
national secretary-treasurer.
"a. That an assessment OF % per CEN
he levied upon all national, district ano
sub-district officers, whose salaries
amount to $50 per month or more.
So. That an appeal be made to Amer
lean trade unions and to the genera
public for financial assistance TO carr
Nine strike through to a successful -
" &c. That a committee be seleclee
7 from this convention to draft an ad
dress to the American people, settins
forth in proper form, the policy or tn
miners organization and appealing q
tha people to bring all possible pressure
70 hear upon the officers and
ers of the anthracite coal carrying
railroads to compel them to treat con
siderately the appeals OF their employ
ees for arbitration"
The speech was greeted with grea
annIause from both anthracite and oil
tumenous miners.
President RYAN, of the Illinois miners
moved and it was promptly seconoe,
that the recommendations be dople
The question was being put, When
delegate rose to ask for Information
and then began the debate which con
tinued until adjournment.