The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-11-20
CANNOT TRAP MITCHELL
Operators Lawyer Fails to Confuse
Labor Leader.
BATTLE OF cRoss-sxAMlNATloN

Miners Leader Was often Hard
Pressed For An Answer. But Man
aged to Give Some Reply-lrvestiea-
ton Is Too Slow For Commissioners !
Scranton. Pa. Nov. 1S.-In the pres +
ence Of as many persons as could be
iammed into the superior court room
yesterday. Wayne MacVeagh. for the
Erie Company. and John Mitchell, for
the miners. continued their brilliant
battle of denomination before the
anthracite coal commission. Mr.. Mitch
eli was on the stand when the com
mission adjourned yesterday after
noon. The fourth demand of the I'M
ion. which calls for yearly trade
agreement. and which means a straight +
out recognition OF the union. was the
bone OF contention, and although four
hours We're taken mp in a discussion Of
the question. not much material pro-
sress was made.
Wayne Alac\ eagh. skilled i'm the art
OF denomination. attempted TO
show the utter irrosp possibility OF the
union and is unhtness to make con-
tracts which it could not live up to.
His principal arsument was the al
legged boycott. and he often hard
pressed the miners president for an
answer The latter. however. slowly
and deliberately save some reply. but
they did not always satisfy his inquisi-
tor. Mr.. A,acNcagh. in the presence OF
tine asscmblage. expressed his adrira-
tion al the ability of the witness. and
on ono occasion. when Mr.. Mitchell
PARTED "a question regarding the boy
cotting of a coal and iron policeman
by hotel keeper the distinguished at
torncy threw up his hands laughed
and said. Mr. Mitchell. you are the
best witness for yourself that / ever
confronted"
Mr.. MacNoagh read list OF "a names
OF men 40 We're killed during that
time. and also submitted in evidence
about Is printed pages of acts of al
legged violence, boycott and intimida-
ton, and with the assistance OF stacks
of other documents maintained that it
would be utterly impracticable for the
coal companies he represents TO enter
into agreements with an organization
that could not control its own men.
Continuing. Mr.. MacVeagh inquired:
Don't you think these acts deserve
the statement I made that they We're
n foretaste Of help"
Does our union commit these acts?"
Mr.. Mitchell inquired.
I'VE Will follow with the proof" re-
marked Mr.. MacVeagh, but l ask you
what language do you use TO character
ize this simation?"
Il should say intolerable."
"Will you tell me of a single instance
in which any one of the perpetrators
was dlsciplined?"
There never have been occasions
when the responsibility was placed
upon members OF our organization. Il
is the province OF the courts to punish
men who violate the law. do not
know that any of our men have been
convicted except in the case OF the
two who murdered Mr.. Sweeney. who
confessed to the murder Of a nom
union man and were sent to prison"
"Oh, only sent TO prison for killing
a non-union mann"
1t is better" said Mr.. Mitchell,
than TO promote a militiaman who
shot man.
The miners president, no matter how
skillfully he was questioned, could not
be dragged into a fat admission that
he. as president Of the union. approved
of the boycotts complained OF by the
companies. He had his personal opin-
ions Of some phases of the boycott. but
would not express them as being the
sentiment or policy of his organiza-
ton. During the cross-examination
the commissioners often interrupted
with questions in order to stop a long
colloQuy over some disputed point.
While the examination was at times
quite spirited the best OF good feeling
prevailed. Only once MIR. Mitchell
showed signs Of irritabiIity. This was
when Mr.. MacVeagh, reading the long
list Of acts of violence, would take Mr..
Mitchell to task for some particular
vicious act and say. sharply: You
could have prevented this"
In the course OF the forenoon ses-
sion Mr.. MacVeagh examined Mr..
Mitchell regarding the eight-hour de-
mand, and referred to the fact that
Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield
and William Mckinley worked more
than eight hours a day and were thus
/ enabled to climb the ladder to the
: presidency. Mr. MacVeagh grew elo-
/ quent in the course Of putting one OF
! his questions to Mr.. Mitchell regarding
/ the martyred presidents, and added: Il
only mention these because they are
the three victims of the spirit Of an
archy. which is the curse of this coun-
/ try to-day, and the only serious curse
affecting it,"
The miners president. quick as a
/ fash, came back with the inquiry:
Trades unions are not held response
Bile for it, are they?" to which Mr..
MacVeagh quickly responded that they
were not, and supplemented this with
the remark that labor unions are most
admirable. The bringing of the word