The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-10-26

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC
Upon the word OF a quiet. s-elf-centered.
squarely built man who sits IN a little Of
Zee at Hotel Hart, WIlkesbarre. Pa, have
waited the employment and comfort OF TO-
900 men and boys and 10000 women and
children dependent upon them The great
est, wealthiest and most powerful men IN
the country watch his movements. grcedily
reading every word that comes from his
lips: trade Is Influenced by him: prices 60
up or down: business waits IN the lowest
bowels in. the large city. IN the remote
backWoods. on sea and shore his name IS
known Across the seas 1t extends Thou
sands Of English. Welsh. Germans and
French know IL and know his power. and
far, far on. IN the depths OF Southeastern
Europe. where live the most ignorant Of the
class which sweep in ever-increasing waves
20 the shores Of this country, his name
sounds familiar TO untutored cara
Upon his decision have waited the entire
American nafion-PreSidenL politician pau
per. millionaire. manufacture. miner-aii
classes and conditions have looked toward
him with anxious eyes. more eager for him
70 act tia FOR anything else they could
realize. Ech drop OF the thermometer
marked q new interest IN him. each breath
OF the north wind echoed his name, and as
the days grew longer 80 grew the attention
upon this man
Formerly ii was wonderful TO many to
think of the railroads, the steamships. the
steel mills. which Morgan. the Goulds. Car
negfe. the VaBdeFbilts controlled. but their
force and their power and their Importance
grew small beside that OF the sQgarely built
man In the little once who signs his name
John Mitchell"
To no reader OF newspapers. to no man
with ears, Is II necessary 10 explain who
John Mitchell Is No man who has held
tightly the reins 7pon 1900 men for five
months can be denied the publicity which
Is his due No man whose word svays 400
900 men can be ignored by the public. no
man CT the ability, the energy. the power
Of John Mitchell can be denied.
HAS RESPECT AND
CONFIDENCE OF WoRKNGMEN.
He has won his way TO the command OF
practically all the coal miners OF the Uni
ted States; he has won the respect and the
confidence Of the great army Of working
men OF AL conditions and classes. WHO have
poured into the treasury OF the strikers
thousands and thousands OF dollars because
John Mitchell asked ther TO do 30. because
John Mitchell led the 1900 into a strike
and kept them o strike and true TO the
union despite the most powerful influences
In the country % get them back at work.
II I have made happy the hones of the
laboring men who are now 81 treated and
In want. then I shall feel that I have lived
for something" he once said.
This was long ago. before His name was
known outside a small circle. II was as II
the words dedicated him 70 the cause OF
labor. for he has since become its greatest
and fts most powerful leader.
To the striking miners be had said. tina
and time again. before the strike was de-
oared: This union OF ours Is some day
going 70 get the little lads out OF the mines
and give them education. which Will raise
them above the state where they are now,
and 7 am going 10 fight for this for them.
and you their fathers, mus. fight with me-"
There was no bombast about the speech
there never Is about MitchelFs-but Il was
the firm decided assertion OF 4 fact. quietly
poker. ana yet aimed 50 true at the very
heart OF the action that the shaft struck
home. 2
1t Is q way with Mitchell that when he
says things they 70 home. BE u never
U he - never the orator OF arms and
tongue: but what be says has weight. II
AitE. and his facts are blunt facts: his de-