Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-18
THANKS PRESIDENT

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Continued from First Psge.)
President, we make the unqualified declara-
tton that the imported guardians Of law and
order. the companies coal and iron police,
have committed more unprovoked murders
during this strike than can be charged to
the great army of men who nave been In
idleness Tor the past i've months.
LawIessnesS IL Condemned.
We have repeatedly and in language not
susceptible of misconstruction, condemned
transgressions of Jaw on the part of those
on strike, we challenge the coal companies
to point to one public utterance on their
guards. -
unmanly for the coal road presidents to
insult us while we were your gtiests and
charge, our organization with responsibility
for acts OF lawlessness during the strike.
1t would be just as logical to charge the
American army In the Philippines with
being an army Of murderers. torturers and
robbers because a few crimes were com
mltted by soldiers there.
Until the millennium there will be crimes
the same, no better and no worse. among
the half million people dependent upon
the coal fields as II is everywhere in our
The pretense Of the operators that they
were unable to produce coal because in
thnidation kept from work men who were
HAAAiAh ~ No ~ AbE bAtNt AoAoN ~
the fact that the protection which they
demanded has decreased rather than in
creased the number of men mining coal.
A hundred thousand troops could not have
enabled the operators to start their mines
for the simple reason that the men who
work them are members NJ the United
Mine Workers of America, men who were
determined to stand to the last for their
right TO organize, and through their orga-
n~ization to demand better wages and Inn
proved conditions of employment.
Deprivation, MISREPRESENTATION and troops
together we're not sufficient to drive them
into surrender. They stood shoulder to
shoulder to the last.
The operators declared that they would
have nothing to do with the United Mine
Workers of America, but they have found
II necessary to recognize the power of the
United Mine Workers of America through
you, Mr.. President, and to seek terms Of
peace which will enable them to resume
their business Of mining and selling. coal.
forced upon. the operators by stern neces-
sity we exult over, not in any narrow
spirit. but because we believe It marks a
forward step toward a new era. Upon the
foundations laid through war we are ready
TO Join with them I'm building for better
conditions and a long and lasting peace.
object Of Mine workers.
The United Mine Workers of America
since its organization In the anthracite
l. Fair wages and just conditions Of
labor; conditions just TO both operators and
miners. We have never made demands be-
You'd the ability of the industry to pay on
a basis of equitable division OF prohts be-
tween labor and capital.
2. Amicable relations between employers
and employees, the latter speaking through
their organization and their organization
| cipline, adjusting all difficulties by ooncili-
atory methods, averting local strikes and
lockouts and securing stable and satisfac-
tory conditions to the industry,
Our organization, by the SAM methods
which we have proposed here. has secured
just such relations and just such results in
4 tho 0nal 6aldQ Fnf Tho fsOIfnfPV nROn 90
ton. like an individual, must stand upon
what It has done and the life It has lived.
record and character. III the SOFT coal
fields we have joint conferences with the
operators and with them we, adjust differ
ences, we sign joint agreements. together
we preserve discipline. settle disputes and
maintain harmony and stability in the
we have asked the anthracite operators to
inquire of the soft coal operators how well
they are pleased with their business rela-
lions with us, whether or not we keep
agreements and render satisfactory services
for wages paid to our members. One bust
ness man might thus learn OF another what
is the character Of our organization. Many
soft coal operators have publicly declared
that they would not dispense with our CO.
operation and would deem 1t a disaster II
compelled to go back to the chaotic condl-
tons which existed when their labor was
u~norganized. -,
Miners stand Upon ecOrd
Upon our past record we are willing to
stand or fall. We have, time and time
adopt these business methods and to deal
with us on this basis. Despite repeated
rebuffs we persisted, but they resented any
attempt upon our part to organize their
employees; they refused our overtures for
amicable discussion and possible satisfac-
tory adjustment OF wage differences in joint
conference. They refused to have any
dealings with their employees except as
refused arbitration; they put their backs
against the wall Of prejudice and their
faces arbitrarily against progress; they
union principles which is making such
strides throughout the world; that while
combining their corporations and pooling
they could deny the men who worked for
them the right to organize and speak
through their organization.
When the inevitable conflict came on they
attempted to Justify themselves upon the
false plea that ours is AN Irresponsible
responsibility and reliability they then as
serted that we were a lawless organization,
which was dominated by violence. When
society attempted to, interfere to settle the
strike they declared their diyinely APP
pointed right to be let alone. When repre-
sentatives OF national and state govern
ments tried to mediate they resented such
meddling by politicians"
But. thanks to You MI PTesident' AND
been brought to a realization of the fact
that the interests or welfare Of the Amert-
can people cannot be ignored with I'M
Justice IL Expected.
BY the eminent tribunal which you have
NAMED we have confidence that Justice Will
be done our peoples: We are glad to have
a chance to appear before such a court
empowered to consider and dispose OF all
questions at issue. First among these Is
creased wages and a reduction in the hours
OF labor. Second is the relations which
ought to exist between the employers and
the organization which the men have
formed and which they authorize to speak
From this arbitration we hope and be-
lieve will come a complete, satisfactory
and permanent solution OF the troubles
which have Yexed the anthracite field from
time immemorial. Respectfully yours,
JOHN MITCHELL. -
President United Mine Workers Of America.