The evening Republican., 1902-08-02
MITCHELL TO MINERS
Rousing Mass Meeting at
Scranton Addressed.
STRIKERS URGED TO HOLD OUT.
President of Mine Workers Union
Says il This Struggle Is Won
There Will he ara End
to Strikes.

There will BE ara End
to Strikes.
SCRANTON, Pa, Aug. 2.-The first
Of the series of strikers mass meetings
planned to take place at the various
strike centers was held yesterday in
the Round woods. There were 1000
strikers present from all parts of the
city and the adjoining towns, some To-
Gals having marched four miles to the
meeting, headed by band or drum
corps and carrying flags and banners.
National President John Mitchell, Dis
trict President T. D. Nichols, District
Vice President Adam Ryscavage, Dis
trict Secretary John T. Dempsey, Or
ganiZer Mortini MemolO and Subdis-
trict President ThHphilus Phillips de-
Uvered addresses Vice President Rys-
cavase spoke in Polish and Organizer
Memolo in Italian.
Mr.. Mitchells speech was brief and
dealt only with the live issues of the
fight. He said III part:
ut has been said by some who are
not your friends that the miners of the
Scranton region are getting tired Of
the strike and are about to return to
work. come to find out if this is SO.
want to know If you are going to re-
turn to work, dishonoring your organi-
cation and dishonoring yourselves. II
the strike is lost, may God Almighty
help the l9en, women and children who
depend for their subsistence on the
mining of anthracite coal. If the strike
is lost, you will pay the cost of the
strike.
Il want to say that the anthracite
miners went on strike themselves.
They themselves voted for the strike.
1t was not the officers of the United
Mine Workers who called the strike.
1t will never end until you vote it
ended.
From the Offices Of the coal pres-
dents in New York comes the declara
ton that the strike will be settled only
i'll their own way of settling it. l
would direct your attention to similar
declarations made in the 1900 strike.
The coal trust may be powerful and
strong, but the American people,
whose hearts throb in sympathy with
the miners cause, are stronger than
the coal trust.
Il understand there is some dssatis-
faction and misunderstanding about
the distribution of the relief fund.
The operators have sent men among
you to urge you to be dissatisfied
Through the newspapers they have
told you that you We're dissatisfied.
We have sent circular to all the To-
calls which will explain in detail the
plans for distributing relief, and |
trust when you hear it read there will
be an end to satisfaction and mis-
understanding. While we haven't got
millions, we have enough to see to it
that no miner will starve during the
continuance CT the strike.
Il want to appeal to men with means
to refrain from applying for relief.
Let the fund be used by those who are
in absolute need of help. Be patient
with your committees. Put your Shout
der to the wheel and do your share of
the work. Don't depend altogether on
your officers to win your fight. If we
are to win, we must all help.
"The one among you who violates
the law is the worst enemy you have.
No one is more pleased than the op-
orators in New York to hear of dis
order in the coal regions. | want our
men to exercise their rights that inure
to them under the laws. but I want
that no man shall transgress the laws.
"Thc strike will be won. ! have no
more doubt about 1t than ! have that
l am standing here addressing you.
"'rhc operators are trying to make it
appear that the strike is beginning to
break up. There is a saying that
those who come from afar can lie with
IMMUNITY, AT Shamokin the operators
tell the strikers that the men at Wilkes
barre are returning to work, at !
Wilkesbarre they tell them the men at |
Shamokin are returning. and at other
places they tell them the men at Scran-
ton are weakening. | fail to see any
signs Of weakening here.
IF you lose the strike. the operators I
will make you pay for their strike
losses by reducing your wages, and if
you lose the strike Yea lose your or
ganization. l trust and hope and con
stantly pray you will stand as you did
in 1900"
Before the handshaking episode be-
gan Chairman Phillips asked all who
favored a fight to finish to raise their
hands. Every hand went up
Twenty-Five years ago, Aug. I, 1877,
10000 striking miners who had been
out for six months met at this same
Round woods in almost the identical
spot where yesterdays meeting was
held and with uplifted hands avowcd
that they would not return to work
until their demands were granted.
That afternoon occurred the memOra-
Die riot Oh LackaWanna avenue, when
n company of hastily formed vigil
lantcs killed two men and fired upon
4 procession made up of strikers from
this and another mass meeting who
We're bent on burning breakers and
who had nearly killed Mayor McKune
when he tried to halt them. A week
later the miners went back to work
gaining any concessions,