Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1902-11-18
Wayne MacVeagh. for the Erie,
and President Mitchell Con-
sinue Cross-Examination.
COMMISSIONERS INTERESTED.
Fourth Demand of the Union, For a
Yearly Trade Agreement and Rec
oanition Of the Organization, Was
tie Bone of Contention.

presence Of as many persons as could
be iammed into the superior court
room yesterday, Wayne MacVeagA,
for the Erie company, and John
Mitchell for the miners, continued
their brilliant battle Of cros5-exam'
ination before the anthracite coal
strike commission. The two men, tn.
one In the thirties and the other in
his seventies, were followed with in
tense interest by both the commits
sioners and the crowd throughout the
day, and the contest was resumed
this morning. The fourth demand OF
the union, which calls for a yearly
trade agreement, and which means a
straightout recognition Of the union,
was the bone of contention, and al
though four hours were taken up in
a discussion of the question, not
much material progress was made,
Wayne MacVeagh skilled in the art
CT discrimination, attempted 70
show the utter responsibility Of the
union and its unftness to make con
tracts which it could not live up to.
His. principal argument was the al
legged boycott, and he often hard
PRESSED the miners president for an
answer. The latter, however, slowly
anat deliberately gave some reply, but
they did not always satisfy his in,
QUESTION. Mr.. MacVeagh, in the
presence OF the assemblage. expressed
his admiration Of the ability Of the
witness, and on one occasion, when
Mr.. Mitchell parried a question re-
garding the boycotting Of coal and
iron policemen by a hotelkeeper, the
distinguished attorney threw up his
hands, laughed and said:
Mr.. Mitchell, you are the best wit
ness for yourself that ever COD
fronted."
Mr.. MacVeagh weighed heavily on
what he said was a reign Of terror
in the anthracite region during the
period of the strike. He read list OF
IA names Of men who were killed dur
ing that time, and also submitted
in evidence about Is printed pages
of acts Of alleged violence, boycott
and intimidation, and, with the as
sistance Of stacks Of other documents
maintained that it would be utterly
impracticable for the coal companies
ne represented to enter into agree,
ments with an organization that could
not control its own men. Mr.. Mitch,
ell stoutly maintained that the dis
cipline NJ the organization is as good
as it possibly could be where 14700C
men are involved. He claimed that
the strikers were not entirely re
sponsib!e for the acts OF lawlessness
that were committed. He regretted
that members Of the union had. in
some instances, violated the law
even after they had been warned ~
refrain from doing so, but made the
. excuse that in times Of great excite,
ment there was always more or less
disorder. In answer TO questions he
SAID that there was no reign of ter
ror and he had no information that
such was the case during the late
I tAC' NOAA4iathS dIlSS NudL dA lH-
! 'n:eraSie" o. unfortunate" Reply
| ing tc s0aoifc instances pointed out
) 70 hin b. Mr. EacVeagh. where men
: Asd heen deferred from going to work
t--c"' : fea- # personal harm or so
! c''' ~s-cacis- 60 themselves ami
t'r"i':es. W. NitcNaIl said that IN
some ""-~s rcu -~ev have tee1 de-
te-~a7 Nr-+ ~c-'~1 - assertion tia.
go. aro~e@ a--- 7-even:e5 tie -:nez
s-"-' - -~a-2 i. re sail that
- - st-;Ee vas declared eve. y
20 wor'-e- in thn region quiz work
~ re~"e:~ed out cen after ,Ae Of
"a rat-ra .card # tne state ha5
zen t>-cwn in,N 80 ccal feds. N
s'oTt. o -a'i. tat the men wouIj
T"t hG~o g-ca 70 work u1de- an
ccrdi.i rs
The Commission adjcu-ned until to-
Gev. ~ Na"7aa-h wes still engaged
n C--ss o-H---'7-ag 81. Mitchell on
boyco;-s ar5 go Of violence to show
the i-respons:bi'it~ Of the organiza-
fIau