The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-10-04

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Fifth. and finally, NfK President, a:
| a plain citizen Of these United States
/ looking at the whole question broadly
and with reference 10 its possible effect OF
! cur future welfare and prosperity,
! think it my bounden duty to restist and
combat with every power and faculty
both physical and mental, the avoWee
| and evident object and purpose Of the
United Mine workers association. as ex
emplifed in the anthracite district OF
/ Pennsylvania today. and as taught ans
! defended By it's officers and other eXpon-
| ents of its we'll known and so-called pur'
poses and principles
Mr.. President. we firmly believe that
and such adjustment Of this matter as
has been suggested here today VIII only
result in perpetuaung conditions that are
utterly abhorrent- 70 any good American
citizens ana most intolerable and darnag-
ing to the interests which I represent
We cannot. therefore, concur therein
Wilcox Has His Say.
| David Wilcox. vice president and gen
eral counsel of the Delaware and Hud-
son Railroad company. in his statement,
said:
The United Mine Workers is the most
extensive combination and monopoly
which the country has ever known. 1t
habiually enforces its orders and direc-
tions by whatever means may be the
most enectusl. including strikes, boycott.
picketing and the like. not confined 10
its own members alone. but in which
are. compelled to join as far as possible
all other persons similarly employed Its
violent methods have already received
the condemnation of the circuit court OF
the United States.
THE mine workers association is not
within the rules regarding ordinary local
labor orga anizations. On the contrary, the
association and all of its members con-
stftute a combination or conspiracy not
only at common law. but also in re-
strafnt OF trade md commerce among the
several states. and also an attempt 10
monopolize the labor necessary to supply
ccai found in one state to the markets
o. other states, and thus TO mOnOpoiizs
this part of the commerce among the
several states. The action had by said
United Mine Workers has greatly injured
the Interstate business originating in the
anthracite coal fields. The courts have
already many times hel,. that such a COM
bination is unlawful within the act OF
congress of July >, 1890, passed for the
purpose of preventing restraints OF inter-
STATE commerce, and known as the Sher-
man act in addition. the circuit court
Of the United States for the western dis
,rict of Virginia. on March 20, held that
this United Mine WORKERS. association
xas illegal Tho care clearly comes un-
der the Debs case. That WAS an effort -
organize a universal constitution of rail-
road employees; covering the whole coun-
try. for the purpose OF controlling inter-
state commerce.. The government jnsti-
tuteti suit by injunction and when the
injunction was disobeyed, enforced the
same by the use of the United States
army This quickly disposed of the mat
ter. and the action OF the government was
urheld by the. courts. The true course for
tho national government is. therefore. to
m oceeds in accordance with the precedent
in the Debs case. These considerations
We're called to the attention of the presi-
dent and the attorney general last June
Gebs Case is Cited.
The anthracite coal. companies are
making every effort to mine coal as rap
idly as possible. They are Obstructed BY
the failure of the state authorities to fully
protect those who desire to'work for them
and by the failure of the national govern
ment Il. enforce the statute under which
the vine workers association has been
held to be Illegal
As soon as action of that sort is ef-
fectively taken there can be no douh;
that the supply of coal Will be ample.
The question at present is merely whether
an unlawful association shall be permitted
in this country, by means which are iile-
sal, TO decide who shall be allowed to
work. what shall be his hours Of work.
and what he shall be paid. This is con
trary to the spirit and letter of our laws.
L they are enforced, such an effort VIII
cease at once
Grave Fundamental Error.
Grave as are the matters mentioned
N the presidents memorandum, the ques-
ions fundamentally involved are eveh
more serious. They are whether freedom
If life and property are TO continue in
his country or are to exist merely in
accordance with the viii Of combina-
ions and censpiracies. which are prohib-
ted by the constitution and the stat
lte; and the common Law, and whether
his company's faithful employees are to
De delivered to the destruction which
surely awaits them in case Of the tri-
lmph Of the Mine Workers associa- /
ion. This company respectfully and /
earnestly urges upon the president the /
fr, feee
rhich were used in the Debs case by one /
# hs predecessors and which action |
was sustnined by all Of the courts. II /
he national government would now en- /
orce the law with promptness. the strike
would end next week.
Thomas Flowers Statement.
The statement Of Thomas r Flower. |
president New York. Ontario and west |
IN Railroad company, is IS follows.
The the President; beg leave TO
7tate that 7 fully concur in the state /
nents submitted at this time by the other 1
gentlemen whom YOU have invited. 10 be I
,resent AZ todays conference. I. how /
.ver. ask leave 20 present my views more :
ulIy at a later day and hope 20 have /
n YOUR hands early next week stale /
nent presenting in some detail the situ- 4
zion and conditions prevailing through I
,ut the anthracite oual regions at the /
resent time.
In introducing the subject % the repre-
entatives OF the mine owners and miners
,nion. President Roosevelt saids
Il wish 10 call your attention 70 the
act that there are three parties az I
a-.ess ny fhf situation in the anthracite
rade. The operators. the miners and the 4
.zneral puhlic. speak Tor neither the !
perators nor the miners. but Cor the sen