The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-17

us. They charged us with being oriinin-
ais, rioters and anarchists and our organ
ization they denounced as lawless and ir-
responsible They know and did know
that their charges were untrue and with
out foundation In fact. They knew that
every officer Of the United Mine Workers
of America, from the president down. has
constantly urged upon its membership the
imperative need Of respecting the law;
that every man who commits deed of
violence Is an enemy to our cause has
been our watchword. -,
4 But Few Grimes Committed. d:
Despite these admonitions, supported
with all our influence. there have been a
few crimes and a number OF m1sde-
meanors chargeable to those on strike.
But, Mr.. President we make the I'M
qualified declaration that the imported
guardians Of law and order, the COM
panies' coal and iron police have COM
mitted more unprovoked murders during
this strike than can be charged to the
great army of men who have been In idle
ness for the past five months. We have
repeatedly and in language not suscep-
tible Of misconstruction, condemned
transgressions of law on the part OF those
on strike; we challenge the coal COM
panies to point to one public utterance
on their part in which they have even
deprecated acts Of violence committed
by their hired guards. st..
1--WE declare that it was unfair and I'M
manly for the coal road presidents to
insult us while we were your guests and
charge our organization with responsible
ity for acts Of lawlessness during the
strike. 1t would be just as logical TO
charge the American army In the Philip
pines with being an army Of murderers.
torturers and robbers because rev
Il hvr-n fS1~S n
Until the millennium there will be crimes
In every community and human nature
Is the same, no better and no worse,
among the half million people dependent
upon us In the coal fields as 1t Is every
where IN our country =. 80. -,
Usefulness Of Armies Of Troops.
THE pretense of the operators that they
were unable to produce coal because IN
timida ton kept from work men VINO We're
willing to work has been proven false by
the fact that the protection which they
demanded has decreased rather than In
creased the number of men mining coal
hundred thousand troops could not have
enabled the operators to start their mines
for the simple reason that the men who
work them are members OF the United
Mine Workers Of America, men who were
determined to stand to the last for their
right to organize and through their or
ganiZation to demand better wages and
improved conditions Of employment. De-
privation, misrepresentation and troops
together were not sufficient to drive them
into surrender. They stood shoulder to
shoulder to the last.
'fhe operators declared that they
would have nothing to do with the United
Mine Workers, but they have found it
necessary to recognize the power of the
United Mine Workers Of America, through
MY r,,@ 10 ooly %
peace which will enable them to resume
their business Of mining and selling coal.
The recognition Of our strength thus
forced upon the operators by stern neces-
sity we exult over not in any narrow
spirit, but because it marks forward
step towards new era Upon the found
alton laid through war we are ready to
join with them in building for better con-
ditions and long and lasting peace"
What the Miners Have Asked.
1.-THE United Mine Workers of America,
since its organization in the Anthracite
field, has constantly sought to establish:
"First-Falr wages and Just conditions
OF labor, conditions Just to both operators
and miners. We have never made de-
mands beyond the ability Of the Industry
to pay on a basis OF equitable division OF
profits between labor and capital.
'Second-Amicable relations between
employers and employees, the latter speak
ing through their organization and their
organiza ton aiding the companies In
maintaining discipline, adjusting all diff
ficulties by cOnciliatOry methods avert
ing local strikes and lockouts and securing
stable and satisfactory conditions to the
industry. Our organization, by the same
methods which we have proposed here,
has secured just such relations and just
such results in the coal fields of the coun-
try. Organization, like an individual,
must stand upon what it has done and the
life it has lived.
We Invite Scrutiny and Investigation.
I'VE invite scrutiny and Investigation Of
our record and character In the soft coal
fields we have Joint conferences With tho
operators and with them adjust differ.
ences, we sign joint agreements, together
maintain harmony and stability In the
trade. We have asked the anthracite
operators to Inquire of the soft coal oper-
ators how we'll they are pleased with their
business relations with us whether or not
we keep agreements and render satIsfac-
tory service for wages paid to our men,
bers.
THE business man might thus learn Of
another what Is. the character of our Or
ganization. Many soft coal operators have
publicly declared that they would not dis
pense with our "'co-operation and would
deem it disaster If compelled to get back
to the chaotic. conditions which existed
when their labor was unorgan1zed. Upon
our past record we are willing to stand or
fall. We have, time and time again, in
vited the anthracite operators to adopt
these business methods and to deal with
us on this basis. Despits repeated rebuffs
we persisted, but they resented any at.
tempt upon our part to organize their en-
ployes; they refused our overtures for
amicable discussion and possibly satisfac-
tory adjustment Of wage differences in
joint conference. They refused to have
any dealings with their employees except as
individuals; they refused concessions and
refused arbitration; they put their backs
against the wall Of prejudice and their
faces arbitrarily against progress; they
thought themselves stronger than the
great union principle which is making such
strides throughout the world that while
combining their corporations and pooling
their interests in hard and fast alliance
they could deny the men who worked for
JUST COMMON SENSE.