The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-10-21

mine workers a greater degree of Jus
tice than they have enjoyed in the
past.
THE people Of our country await
with anxious expectancy the result OF
your action today: the eyes of the ma
ton are centered upon you. and friends
and foes alike demand the submission
Of issues involved In this strike 10 the
tribunal named by the president of the
United States.
| THAT there are discordant elements
in this convention. that there are dis
satisfied ones al home, l am fully
aware. but, gentlemen, with all the
learnestness Of which l am possessed,
urge that you give your approval
TO the action of your executive officers,
who have recommended acceptance OF
the proposition that the strike be de-
| clared on and all men are then TO re-
turn 10 work IN the positions and work
ing places occupied by them prior TO
the Inauguration OF the strike and that
/ all questions at issue be submitted for
adjustment to the tribunal selected by
the president OF the United States"
The address was followed with the
| closest attention by the delegates.
Those who expected him TO tell all he
| knew OF the situation with reference
TO the arbitration question and the
question Of having all the men obtain
their former positions were disap-
pointed, as he reserved this for his
later remarks. when the question was
actually brought before the delegates.
At various stages of the reading of. the
address Mr.. Mitchell was applauded,
but when he urged the delegates to
adopt the recommendations OF the ex-
! ecutive boards 10 call of the strike
a. 81 = -
sitiOns they occupied before the strike
was inaugurated." tremendous applause
greeted the remark.
Motion to Adopt.
The moment he finished a Wilkes
barre delegate was on his feet and
moved that the recommendations con-
tanned In President MitchelTs address
be adopted. II this had been acted
upon at once the strike would have
been of and the conventions work
done. but those in opposition would not
have Il that way. They wanted to
and did debate the matter until the
adjournment. after o'clock.
A Panther Greek engineer was the
first to take the door In opposition TO
accepting the plan until he and his
colleagues had some assurance that
they would be reinstated in their old
positions. The companies have said. he
declared. that they win not dismiss the
men now employed by them and place
| strikers in their positions. A number
OF other delegates spoke along the same
lines. and then more confusion resulted
over the presence Of persons who were
not delegates. One delegate took the
| ground that many Of those in the hall
were strangers I'VE do not know
whether Baer. Ohphant or John Mar
kle is in the hall READY TO vote on the
proposition 20 come before the men"
he said. After some speechmaking
President Mitchell again Strengthened
| out matters by requesting all those ex-
cepting the newspaper men who did not
have credentials 10 leave the hail.
About half Of those present retired.
Desultory Debate.
The question then reverted 10 the
| convention TO adopt the recommended
tiOns OF officers TO call off the strike
and refer all questions at issue to
President Roosevelt's commission. The
debate was resumed. but before the
discussion had proceeded many min
utes a delegate demanded that the Gre
dentials OF all those in the building be
examined to see that no one was in the
place not entitled TO admittance This
was done, and then a motion was made
20 reconsider the vote by which the
newspaper men were permitted TO re-
main in the hail. The motion was de-
feated. President Mitchell then re-
quested the correspondents not TO men
ton the name of any delegate in his
report on the ground that it might in
lure him In obtaining work This
ended the debate on correspondents.
The question again reverted to that of
reinstatement of the men. dozen
speeches were made for and against the
question of some specific action for as
surance that the men would get back
their places II they returned to work.
1t was argued b. one delegate that
the calling out Of the engineers, fire.
men and pumpmen was a mistake, but
as good union men they obeyed. He
wanted the union 10 stand by those
men now and not turn its back on
them.
A delegate arose and asked President
Mitchell 20 express his views on the SUBJ
ject He Immediately responded and
made one of the most important adj
dresses ne has been called on TO make
during the past five months. He spoke
slowly and clearly. and every word was
listened to with great interest, because
1t was looked upon by the delegates as
the real speech OF the day. The strike
leader spoke as follows:
Mitchell's Second Speech.
Gentlemen Of the Convention: ]
desire To inform you that the president
I Of your organization has done all ne
can to learn the attitude of the COM
panies toward the men who are now
on strike. AS you know. the compa-
MES refuse direct negotiations with US
Through Intermediates we have re-
ceived assurance that the companies
are going 10 meet the issues squarely:
that they are not disposed 20 black list
the men; that they do not purpose 10
be vindictive; that as far as possible
men are 10 be returned 10 their old
places. II may take some time before
that can be brought about, and Il may
be that some few men viii not be re-
stored to their former positions at all
When you vote on this proposition, you
must do II with as full knowledge OF
the situation as l can give you.
Nov let me emphasize this point:
That the poorest boy that worked in
a breaker is as dear TO US as the man
who ran the best engine; that while we
shall try with all the power we have "a
! get every man that struck back 10 his
old job. we viii make special efforts for
none and show special favOrs to none
We want the engineers and the fremer
and the pumpmen and the inspectors
and the bosses TO go back. but we dc
not want them 20 so back one bit more
than We want the little breaker boys
TO go hack. There was no single class
Of workmen who went out on sym
pathetic strike. Every man who struck
struck for wages: he struck for exactly
, the same thing the miners and the mine
laborers struck for. AS far as IL Is
within the power OF the union, we
shall afford protection TO every man
union and non-uniOn. who went out