The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-11-20


Duryea washery and even in a peaceable
manner to go onto somebody's else land,
in order to persuade the workmen there
from working?
A. They had as much right to persuade
men from working there as they had to
| persuade them from working anywhere
! else.
q. Well. they did more than persuade
them there. didn't they?
| A. understand they did. We had n
poor fellow going along one night and
somebody killed him. and went out dur
Ing the night and picked the bullet out
of his head, SO they could not be sure
who 1t was. They certainly did things
| there more than persuade
y. As YOU say. YOU are not informed,
and am not informed as to who did 1t.
| A. No. I was not informed who did It.
| Q. But there were cases where they
came in broad daylight, in large crowds,
| and endeavored to intimldate men who
| were there at work-and used actual
violence? A. Where that was reported to
me. ! sent a special man right to Dur
yea and repeatedly sent word to our
| people there that they must cease inter-
| ference of an unlawful character--sent
| special officers to Dnryea to stop it,
| q. Then YOU would not approve of that?
A. OF unlawful acts; no, sir.
The Chairman: Mr.. Burns. Just pause
for moment. We are drifting right
| Ddth W lne Olu controversy. NOW.
whether you think or Mr.. Mitchell thinks
| that the acts described, supposing they
| We're committed. were wrong or not, the
commission think they were wrong. and
the moral sense of the public Is that
| they were wrong. do not see anything
to be gained by going over and over this
| matter. Excuse me If 7 speak somewhat
emphatically, but the commission have
| heard a great deal about it. and they
have a moral sense of their own. which
| | presume agrees with the moral sense
of the community and of society general
| y. I do not think it makes very much
difference to the cOmmisson-t say 1t
with all respect-what Mr. Mitchell
| thinks about 1t or what Mr.. Burns thinks
| about it.
Very Important.
! Mr. Burns: But If the commission
| please, it is very important to both sides
| here-the union men, the operators and
| those who are non-union men who desire
to work here--as to this other question
which T have been endeavorng to pre-
| sent Whether the commission finds. as
] suppose 1t can find and recommend or
| direct that the union men cease entirely
from molesting non-unon me in their
| own particular work under the order:
whether the commission do that. or
| whether they do not do IT. is a matter Of
the most vital Importance.
The Chairman: Yes. but what bearing
has this particular colloquy upon that
subject?
Mr.. Burns: 1t is to show the commits
sion what has been the custom and what
ought to be corrected.
The Chairman: This witness does not
testify as to whether those things have
been done or not. He cannot do it, he
says he cannot do it, that he does not
know anything about it. Now, these
acts. If proved at all, ought to be proved
by somebody who knows something about
them.
Mr.. Burns: We probably shall not
have the opportunity of meeting Mr.. Nit
chell OH the stand hereafter. and 1 was
only asking him as to his views on the
subject. Supposing that these things are
all true, as they will be proved, and sup
posing that the commission has the
power to say what shall be done by the
union men in regard to the non-union
men. 1t would be of some Importance to
get his views here as to whether he
approved Of it, or as to whether he could
do it.
The Chairman: He has been asked that
very question over and over again. ]
think you will agree that the commission
are not impatient when they draw the
line at mere cumulative testimony.
Mr.. Burns: AS a general rule, he has
succeeded in evading the question.
The Chairman: Oh. I do not think So
the commission do not think so.
The Witness I will say that direct
answer would be this: Whatever the
commission decide. whatever they award.
even in relation to the non-union men,
we shall accept. and, as far as l am
concerned, the miners will carry it out to
the last letter or get out of our union.
BY Mr.. Burns: q. Have you enter
tanned that view and have you made that
expression heretofore in regard to that?
Is not that something new that you have
just expressed?
A. No, it is not something new. + said
in my opening statement to the commits |
sion-emphasized it over and over again
that we are pledged to accept the award
of the commission. that the United Mine |
Workers of America is pledged. |
Non-union Mems Standing.
The discussion relative to the nom
union mems standing before the COM |
mission followed this:
The Chairman: Mr.. Lenaha with ref
erence to the matter of your application |
to appear before the commission as coun-
sci for certain non-union workers in the
mines. the commission have considered
that application, and in the light of the
claims that you have filed with the COM
mission on behalf Of your clients and
they have looked at the papers which
have come before them unofilcially, not
|
your represent; and the commission have
concluded that you may be allowed TO
appear for the non-union men who you
say you represent, upon the condition
that YOU appear on the same basis as |
other formal parties to the hearing, with
the distinct understanding though that
the commission cannot be in any degree
q party to the Withholding of any mat
ter or the identity of any person con-
nected with the issue before the COM
mission. from full publicity.
Mr.. I.enahan: We will accept that
suggestion.
Mr.. Darrow: Then, your honor, we are
to have the names OF the parties whom
these counsel represent?
The Chairman: We cannot withhold
them.
Mr.. Darrow: Are they part of the
record of this commission?
The Chairman: Part of the records of
this commission and therefore you have
access to them.
MIR. Darrow: Thank you. In our for
NAL answer 10 this commission we al
legged
The Chairman, | take 1t, Mr.. Darrow,
of course that 1t will be exercised in all
on both sides. Mr. Mitchell APP
peared i'm Washington at the initial hear
ing before this commission and said that
he represented the anthracite mine work
ers of this region who Were ON strike. !
That, | understood, was his statement.
The gentlemen say that they represent
certain non-rnion mine workers who !
were not Oh a strike. Mr. Mitchell has
not been asked TO disclose the names of !
the union men; and II it We're posi-
ble I suppose he has no objection 10 Civ
ing Them The gentlemen who reDresent 1