The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-21
THE COAL COMMISSION.
The Peculiar Relation Of Its Members TO
the Testimony Already Taken--Prcsi.
dent Mic hell In Earlier Strikes.

| To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: The
press reports Of what has been going on at
| Scranton-impcrfect as must he the effort
, TO give, in two or three columns. the Ques-
tons and answers Of a whole day should
| convince your readers that YOU had the
| right Of II In your insistence that the turn
| ing point of the coal strike was and Is boy
cotting. picketing. terrifying and murder
ing non-union miners seeking to take tho
places Of the strikers. The rate Of wages
| may have been cause, but IL could not
have produced the results if Mitchell and
the labor politicians who are the organizers
and bosses" OF strikes had felt that the
law Of the land would be relentlessly
and quickly enforced against violence.
Your readers must also now discover
that you were quite right in de ploring what
was, In effect. an alliance by the President
and the head Of the Labor Department
Of the Government at Washington with
Mitchell to compel the miners or operators
of the mines TO submit TO compulsory arb-
tration. which no Federal Law tolerated
pointed out n few weeks ago the peril
Of putting so many Government officials
on the work Of the commission, and even
few days o: Investigation at Scranton
has justified the warning.
Mitchell has already complained under
oath OF tho conduct of Federal Judges in
dispensing Of what he describes AZ labor"
questions He has especially condemned
Judge jackson Of the West Virginia Fed
eral district for issuing writs of in junction
against boycotters and piche,ers. Judge
Jackson il not in Judge Gray's judicial
circuit, hut the latter has been, ncverthe-
less, compelled to listen To Mitchell's ina
pudent ccnsure of judicial colleague Of
thu Chairman Of the strike arbitration COM
mission.
II must also have been bit annoying
for labor Commissioner Wright, AZ one Of
the Presidents arbitrators, TO listen to
Mitchell's denunCiation Of the common
law of our land on the subject of boy
cotting and picketine ~ set forth by Pr.s-
den, Roosevelt's Department Of Labor in
its Bulletin No. l, pages 9s aid 90.
1t viii require watchful tirmness by the
commission TO prevent unseemly criticism
by Mitchell'e Witnesses Of the conduct OF
judicial and executive officers Of the United
States in REFRESHING heretofore violent and
unlawful acts by strikers
President Roosevelt caused it to be given
out few days ago at Washington that he
had washed his hands Of the commission;
that 1t would not report officially to him, and
that he would not be responsible for its acts;
bu how can he now escape taking sides on
the boyrotting issue which Mitchell has 80
Extensively raised?
The commission cannot shirk it. and II
(which is un,hnkabiel a ma jori,y of tie
commission shall sympathize with Mitch
ell and antagonize Judge jackson and a
long line of Federal Judges who have en-
forced what -s,rikers' stigrnati2e a. gov
eminent by Injunction" will President
Roosev vel, stand mute?
1T is only the first step which costs,
and therefore, in Government business il
should. before taken. be submitted 10
Argus with his hundred eyes But now tina,
it has been taken by the President. as in
this boycotting business, IL Is 10 be hoped
he will ~ walk that future Mitchells and
strikers will beware Of the Government of
the United States LAW.
New YORK. Nov. 20.