The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-11-18
MITCHELL STILL IN
THE WITNESS BOX
Continued from Page 1.)

rom rage ~
cupy today? A. Mr.. MacNeagh, your
company regulates that now by maxi
ing, a day ten hours. We differ with
them there. We say make 1t eight
hours. There is no disagreement about
having a maximum number of hours.
We have disagreed as TO what the max
imum shall be. We say eight they say
ten.
@. No. MIR. Mitchell. we never have
accepted. aud we never WILL except un-
der the conpulsion of this commission,
such n principle as that. We will ac-
cept it, but we will continue to protest
against It until we are relieved OF 1t.
say that Mr.. Lincoln had right 10
work in the coal mines Of Illinois, IL
he had had the chance, fourteen hours
a day, If he wished to do so, to buy
another spelling book and another read
er in order to enfranchise the laboring
men of the world. You say he had not
that right? A. I have not said any
thing about what Abraham Lincoln
had a right to do. q. Well, but If he
was coal miner you say he would not,
and there are Abraham Lincolns in
your coal mines today? A. If Abraham
Lincoln was digging coal now, he would
be stronger advocate of the eight
hour day than l am.
Did Not Limit Himself.
Q. That he might be: but he was
splitting rails, which was a tolerably
arduOus occupation. He did not limit
himself to eight hours; and you de-
lnand it, not only for the men In the
mines, but for all the men above the
ground as well. Abraham Lincoln was
doing infinitely harder work than nine
tenths of the men employed about our
mines above ground. So was Mr.. Gar
field, when he was as a boy trudging
along the path of the canal, and so
was Mr.. Mckinley in his early life. /
only mention them because they are
the three victims Of the sort of anarchy
which is the curse of this country to-
day, and the only serious curse affect
ing it.
Mr.. MacVeagh here brought out that
the executive board OF the miners
union has eighteen soft coal and three
hard coal members. He also inquired,
in detail. as to administrative workings
Of the union, how organizers are en-
ployed and paid and the assessments
levied on members. In answer to a
question by Commissioner Watkins as
to levies, Mr.. Mitchell told that during
the strike he contributed s54.75 IL month
in assessments to the strikers cause.
Mr. MacVeagh inquired into the set
tlement OF the 1900 strike to show that
its settlement was brought about
through the instrumentalty of the pol
iticians. and having, in a. way, shown
this made the statement that if it was
not for this the strike would not have
been settled as it was.
Enumera ting the petty strikes that
followed the 1900 settlement and en-
phasiziEg the fact that in the Erie COM
pany's collieries in six months follow
ing that settlement there We're eight
strikes as against one in the twenty
three years proceeding the coming of
the United Mine Workers into this re-
gion. Mr.. Macveagh asked the wit
ness: "Would you not think. naturally.
that the owners of these colieries would
hesitate before they would wish to con-
tinue that condition."
Mr.. Mitchell replied that the union
sought to enter into a. working agree
ment with the companies so that it
tculties.
Conclusive Condemnat ton.
Mr.. MacNeagh pointed to the fact
that Illinois has such an agreement and
then alluded to the letter of the Illinois
operators read on Saturday, which he
characterized as the most surprising
and conclusive condemnation of the
agreement that mortal men could pen.
IF in a collery, when an employee
was complained of for inefficiency and
laXity, he said to the representative of
the employer, You go to hell" John
Mitchell is my boss Would not that
interfere with efficiency, in your judg-
ment, il that spirit existed to any en-
tent?' asked MI. MacNeagh.
Il should say said Mr.. Mitchell,
that if any man said that, that partic-
ular man was in the wrong, and if l
had known that he said So l would be
the first to tell him.
Mr.. Mitchell? explained the letter of
the Illinois association referred to above
saying it was written by the operators
commissioner, Mr.. Justi. at his susges-
ton, that he might transmit the oper-
ators' complaints in a forcible way to
the miners. THE letter is very much
overdrawn in consequence of this pul-
pose" said Mr.. Mitchell.
Then Mr.. Mitchell proceeded to make
a plea for the recognition OF the union
by the anthracite opera tors.
In no speech, or other public utter
ance has he displayed such earnestness
or eloquence as he displayed when he
broke forth in this appeal. DESERVING
his usually unimpassioned, placid, COM
posed manner. he leaned out far in his
chair and with the index finger of his
right hand resting in the palm of his
left hand, which was extended before
him, argued with all the persuasive
force he could command for the recog-
milton which he had declared, previous
ly, was not paramount issue. His
words and manner would have fitted a
man pleading for his life.
Trade agreements said he. "have
prevented these local disputes, these
local strikes, against which our union