The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-18
MITCHELL ARGUES
 AGAINST A SyAlKE
President of the Mir, Workers Says Union Should Keep Con-
 tracts InViOlate.

1 nize the effect of their action upon the
 public, but the past history of the labor | movement teaches lessons which should
 not be forgotten today.As far as my | knowledge goes I do not know of one | solitary sympathetic strike of any magni- tude which has been successful; on the contrary the most conspicuous among the
 sympathetic labor struggles have resulted | In ignominious and crushing defeat. not
 only for the branch of industry originally involved, but also for the divisions par | ticipating through sympathy. In my judg | ment the United Mine Workers should not | repeat the mistake which like mile stones
 mark the path trod by the toiling masses
 in their never-ceasing struggle for better
 and higher civilization.
 Has Met Reverses. This. like all great. progressive move | ments, has met with repulses, but gath | ering new strength in diversity, moves l forward and onward again on its march
 to ultimate victory Each defeat should
 teach lessons of inestimable value in
 framing the lines upon which present and future battles shall be fought ond won. | ''1f this convention acts wisely, if 1t | legislates judiciously, feel confident that
 public sentiment will be so concentrated against the arrogant and unreasonable at titude of the anthracite operators that | they win be forced to yield and to make
 settlement with their employees which
 shall ensure living wages and fair condi- l tions of employment and establish basis | for future adjustment of wage questions | that shall render strikes, with their at | tendant sufferings and losses. unneces- sary.
 Tt has been the proud boast of the United Mine Workers that during the past several years, or since our organi- | zation became a power in the labor world, contracts based solely upon the honor | and good faith of our union have. under
 the most trying circumstances been kept | inviolate. and in this supreme crisis a failure to live up to the high standard | that has made our union pre-eminent
 among organizations of labor, would
 prove a substantiation of all the charges | and allegations made against us by our | en su1ies and would coafrm beyond the l possibility of reputation the specious ar | gument of the anthracite coal operators.
 that the Unite1 Mine Workers of Ameri-
 ca is an irresp p1nsible and un-
 safe body with which to deal. The Scheme of Mitchell.
 T am firm in my conviction that the
 strike in the anthracite fields can and
 will be won without repudiating our sol
 emn contracts with the bituminous op-
 orators provided the bituminous miners
 will rise to the occasion and do their full | duty by their struggling fellow workers;
 and with this in mind I desire to subm.
 for your consideration the following spe- | cific recommendations:
 l ''First-That the National Secretary | Treasurer be authorized and directed to
 immediately appropriate S5O00O from the
 funds in the national treasury and place
 it at the disposal of the officers of dis | tricts l, and 9.
 l "Second-That all district sub-district
 and local unions be appealed to donate | from the surplus in their treasuries as
 large amounts as they can afford
 "Third-That an assessment of not less | than S1 per week be levied upon all mem-
 bers of the local unions. the amount to
 he collected at the earliest possible mo-
 ment
 "Fourth-That an assessment of 25 per
 cent be levied upon all national. district
 and sub-district officers whose salaries | amount to s60 per month or more. l "Fifth-That an appeal be made to all
 American trade unions and to the gen
 eral public for financial assistance. | "Sixth-That Committee be selected | from this Convention to draft an address
 to the American people, setting forth in
 proper form the policy of the miners or | ganlzation and appealing to the people
 
 the officers and stockholders of the an-
 thracite coal carrying railroads to com l pei them to treat considerably the ap peals of their employees for arbitration. Will Insure Success. Firm in my conviction that the adop- | ton of these resolutions and concurrence
 in this policy will insure success and con-
 serve the best interests and the welfare of our organization, l submit them to you and bespeak for them your earnest | consideration, with the sincere hope that whatever policy you decide upon the hon
 or and integrity of our organization will be preserved"
 The speech was greeted with great ap- pause from both anthracite and bitu-
 minous miners President Ryan of the Illi- | nos miners at once offered a motion.
 which was promptly seconded, that the recommendations be adopted. The ques- ton was just being put when delegate arose to ask for information and then be- gan a debate which continued until ad- journment.
 Delegate William Downey of Indiana spoke strongly in favor of the adoption of President MitchelIs recommendations and when he sat down was greeted with cheers. Patrick Gildea of Pennsylvania an anthracite man, urged that the ques- tion of a general strike be left to the soft coal men entirely. IL was for them to decide what they wished to do for the striking anthracite miners. He thought the anthracite men should remain out of the discussion.
 John S. deSlva of Sha mokin Pa. made ringing speech in favor of the recom- mendations He said he wanted the world shown that when the miners of the United l States signed a contract they lived up to it. Want Financial Aid. We don't want sympathy" he said.
 "but we do want hclo. We are becoming
 financially weak down in the anthracite regions, but we don't want the bitumi- nous men to violate their contracts. It won men will live up to these recommon- dations. we in the anthracite region are ready to strike until we win. We want | and need financial help. and when we
 go home it will please the people down | there great deal better to know that they are to receive help. than to know that others have gone on strike to show | their sympathy Lewis L. Lewis of Parsons, Pa an an thracite delegate. said that neither he nor any other anthracite man vas sen. to the convention for the purpose of ask | ing the soft coal men to violate tho'E agreement.
 We would not violate our agreements.