New-York tribune., 1902-07-20
NO GENERAL COAL STRIKE.
UNITED NINE WORKERS CONVENTION
ADOPTS MITCHELL'S SUGGES-
TIoN OF ASSESSMENTS
FOR STRIKERS.

tbR SIX lhEhS'
Indianapolis July Is.-At l O'Clock this afternoon
the convention of United Mine Workers adjourned
after declaring against a general strike proNlolhs
for the raising of a fund with which to aid the
striking anthracite miners and issuing dh aPPea'
20 the American people for support
The recommendations brought in by the speca!
committee, appointed in the executive session Oh
yesterday, and which practically identlcaI Win
those suggested by President Mitchell IN MS ao-
dress on the first day of the convention, and unani-
rnously adopted by the convention, are as folio"s'
F-irst-That the national treasurer be authorized
and directed to Immediately appropriate $Dvoo g
IL at the disposal of the officers of Districts Nos
!. z and dhe anthracite districts).
unions be appealed 10, donate from the surplus
in their treasures as large amounts as they can
Third-That an assessment of 10 per cent be
local unions in Districts Nos. u. 1s. % and 25
and an assessment OF s per week upon al ~ mem ~ "a
is. ls. 20 and 2 The members of districts now on
strike which may resume work before TINS as,
sessment has been removed shall be assessed
either 10 per cent OF their gross earnings & or per
the time work is resumed.
Fourth-The assessment shall be paid direct
from the local uniors the national secretary,
and the local unions will be held responsible for
FifthHAn assessment of % per cent will be levied
upon the wages salary or pereenfage reSelsed ed
sub-district officers and organizers - -, :.
Sixth-The assessment shall begin with July To-
seventh-An contributions made from the ma ma
tonal Office the anthracite region will be dvi-
ded pro rata to each anthracite district in accord
with the number Of miners and mine laborers
in each of them. as shown by the most recent coal
Eghth-That the following circular be issued to
the srb,E hmeTisan cIrcuaP Pe9PIliH; 3PIiows,.
The following amendment submitted by Presi-
dent Nichols of anthracite district No. l. was in
cluded:
work select a committee which shall secure work
for as many of the men on strike as posslpe IN in
that the local unions inform secretaries Of the
strike districts Of the number OF men neeaeq, rne
portation. That the same proposition be submitted
70 all local unions in the American Federation OF
Ninth-That the circular to our local unions shall
pointed TO canvass the business and other citi
zens of their localities for subscriptions.
ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIC.
The address of the convention to the public is in
chief follows:
We the representatives Of the United Mine Work
ers of America, in convention aSsemoeo iuS 1 r ap
constituents and the vast community OF which we
are a part hereby state for the information of all
who desire TO know. the line of action We have de-
termned to pursue In me preseht I5 crSIs Al IL. o6 ~
AS miners of coal, we view with the exalted pride
of parent the wonderful lnopstral i & IN
OF the last fifteen decades. with all the attehClhg
Influences Isl upon the civilization OF the present
But when we look upon the enormous fortunes
naerable comforts and luXures that it brings; to to
the people at large ana 1nen for the labor we
have TO perform, the dangers We undergo the
Breathe and the peculiar rheumatic and lung
troubles superinduced by these Gondons m e TnGa SniGa
unjustly dealt with in the small amount Of TINS
worlds goods which we receive in return Tor SO
The great COMPLICATIONS of capital which control
no miner hope, through his individual efforts
labor has produced. The history of industrial
combinations the workers must associate, Use
sfrTSeele for existence For ma ny years the coal
miners of America have been imbued with the
The extremely low wages paid to anthracite min
coal properly weighed or permit the miners to EN-,
p'oy man at their own expense; to see the cosi %
great number of hours the miner must w9rk n each
and unjust manner in which they have been treated
hy petty bosses clothed with little brief author
neither the miners nor the public has any rights @
6Tra that are re @ 20 @ e purse of taking
from the operators that which belongs to them,
but 6St for the Of se6 m navy 1g eeed in the
past and fair recompense for our labor
WHEN STRIKES WERE NECESSARY.
We have sought tc accomplish this end by con-
cilatory methods, by submitting disputed points 10
arbitration, and by refusal TO work upon the
terms offered U.S. commonly spoken OF as strikes,
Complained Of have failed. As proof Of our sin:
certy point to the joint convention tic system OF
from wear 10 year. which have by our persistent
efforts introduced and firmly established in a great
majority OF the bituminous fields OF the United
For i've years we have annually made contracts
3n this manner with many of the bituminous coal
onerators and. Notwithstanding the allegations
that are persistentiy made tna1 we are an bg l[LG
srcnsible body feel proud of the fact that, while
may have been to financial interests on many
occasions TO cast them aside, and we were under
no legal obligations any one we have faithfully
lived up 70 the letter and spirit OF every contract
we have made nor shall we violate them now.
(lne hundred and fifty thousand OF our craftsmen
an he region pennsylvania
sought TO secure better wages and relief from
many calling conditions under which they have
tried by every honorable means known TO civilized
men TO adjust the grievances with their employ
without resorting to strike. In this they have
failed the employers have assumed TO be
the only parties interested in all the questions in
zoiving the operation Of the mines-a position that
has not been sustained by the conditions existing
since a stoppage OF work has taken place.
Some of the coal operators have been quoted as
saving that the question is not one of wages or
other conditions of employm ment. but that they
believe IL 10 be opportune time TO destroy the
union Whether they have made this statement
or not their actions indicate that their purpose is
destroy our organization.
II il is the purpose of the coal operators to de-
stroy union, then the principle that self
preservation is the first law Of nature, we would
1revent the accomplishment of their designs. We
believe have within reach the means by
which that purpose can be thwarted. NO legal
power compel us TO work If we desire to re-
main idle
NO GENERAL STRIKE NOW.
We believe that our interests in the community
OF which part, and our obligations to the
that shall not inaugurate general suspension
OF work in the coal trade. They may destroy our
union. but they cannot make US violate our con-
The struggle in the anthracite region will be