The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-19

ers and the Right OF Non.l niOn Men
TO Earn Living Brought Up Mitchell
Asked About the EiEht.IOur Day and
the Wages Paid to Miners In the Bitumi.
nous AS We'll as the Anthracite Field.
SCRANTON. Pa. Nov THE attack
upon the eight hour day was the fcatur"
of the sion of the anthracite strike
commit sion here this afternoon. /, wGs
accompanied 10y questions asked of Prcsi-
dent Mitchell of the mine workers, com
pairing the wages paid in the bituminous
field with those in the ant hracite district,
Many of the questions Mr. Mitchell
evaded by answering that he did not know.
il could not be der led, however. by even
his best friend, that he did not succeed in
making good his assertions that the anthra-
cite miner was undergrad as compared with
his brother in the # coal field.
The cro' ST Namiraton in the afternoon
was conducted by ". ". Ross of the Lacka-
wanna company. He is matter -of-fact
attorney and he attempted none of the
brilliant flights that made the cross-eN
animation by Mr.. Na'NeaRh so Interesting
H. did succeed. however. in developing
several facts that will tend TO strongly
support the contention made by the
operators lcioro the commission.
The feature Of the morning was the in
PRODUCTION of the statement of the nom
urion men by their counsel, John i. Lena
han of Wilkes Barre, and Joseph O'Brien
of this city The commission apparently
all along las viewed he side represented 10y
these men with suspicion and has been slow
in accepting their representatives When
tho Tod Ind %, m u
remarked that he had read it in the morn
ing papers. Mr.. Lerahan disclaimed all
knowledge of how the newspapers came
to get hold of it,
In presenting the statement Mr. Lenahan
made the request that the names of those
ne represented be withheld from the public
To this the commission appeared aversc,
holding that the public should know Of
every matter of record that the commits
sion possessed II was finally agreed
however, that the names would be withheld
until the time for the final argument on the
status OF the non-union men.
The smashing of the doors of the room
by the crowd yesterday had taught the Off
GERS Of the commission a lesson. Capt.
Williams Of the city police force was on
hand this afternoon with a force of men.
The people who were admitted to the room
where the commission sat were formed in
line, and those that came first were the
ones admitted As soon as there was no
room for more inside. the doors were closed
EFFECT OF VIOLENCE on STRIKERS.
When Mr.. MacVeagh resumed the asking
Of questions he sought to get an expression
from Mr.. Mitchell a. to the effect Of the law
lessness upon the minds Of the strikers in
the region. Mr.. Mitchell could not be made
10 give a direct answer, but asserted that
many of the reports Of the outrages and
deeds of violence in the anthracite region
were untrue He alleged tina, they were
collected for THE SrS by a newspaper man
personally hostile to the strikers. Mitchell
asserted as his belief that an investigation
will show that a great many Of these re-
ports are untrue.
Mir Nacveneh- What am irving TO show
l. that there j. growing spirit OF violence
NOR" rest'e-- and inpnticnt. and your in
fucnco,Gn them ! in-rflri"nt to keep them
'hem TO be. So, ii community j, aroused
to great pitch OF excitement and violence
nnd murders ar" committed in '9n,eguenc"
of the assertion of your right 10 deny every
man to labor for "A living then say the con
s"oucnc" i upon your head. whether
mon COMMIT murders or SOnlphOlN
slso, whether yonr motvcs are good or bad.
tho Consequeuce remains
Mr. Mitchell Tn" i"Rr. that my il huonce is
no' sufficient TO turnmcn from the, commission
of crimes i a CONTRADICTION of the claims
often made ] am said 10 have Influence 10
SS s D "" ana, THAT nSn che wa no
their boss In other word, the men were
Ike % many checkers that | might move
s been sad I"W So far AZ my influence ia com '-
ccrnod | don't know about II, hut it j. always
or tho sid" Of law ard order. and have
strike Who violated the law was he worst
enemy our union has. : may he that some
men have hcer deferred from going to work
r. public opinion by reason Of those acts
OF violence than it could possibly gain by
Cou,in upon acts of violence.
Mr. MpcVcach- The acts Of violence did
to some extent enable the strike to succeed
and prevent Us from getting men to return
Mr. Mitchell You assume, that I did no,
saw il I said IL may Inv" done so. | said
If the acts Of violence that You have recitcd
were true then those acts of violence may
have prevented men from going To work
RIGHT OF NoN-UNIoN MAN TO WORK
Quoting an editorial from the New lork
Tribune Mr. MacNeagh wanted To know
IL the witness believed that II IL the in
alienable right Of every American citizen
to soil his labor as ne chooses and not a.
some ono else prescrihcs.
Mr. Mitchell answered that there were
oualfcat ions man he said, has no right
10 sell his labor Mt a price that would pos
sibly affect "A great multitude of people
A man has not right to do a. he chooses
he commended He has no right to commit
suicide. He has no right to burn his own
property.
A little later Mitchell gave his interpre-
tation of what he considered "a lawful and
unlawful intimidation. When a picket
approached man and asked him to Join
the strikers he admitted that the non
union man was inundated. yet there is nc
unlawful act. The dynamting Of a mans
house would be wrong,
ARCHBIsHoP IRELAND BrorGHT IN.
Mr. MacVca Oh ask your attention II
upon y strike t. ard must be conceded rs a
right belonging to the personal freedom
of workin gmcn. this must ever 10 demanded
that they who cease 10 work must in no WAY
interfere with the liberty Of others Who may
wish 70 work. The personal freedom o'
the individual Cii2' l. tho most sacred
and precious inheritance of Americans. The
(onst itut ion and tlIc law. aut horiz" II: The
spirit Of the country proCmiri~ II the pros
yeritv Of he people, the very III" Of w" nat ior
require II No Won assent to that PROPOSE ior
Nlr Mitchell No, .ir u j. u contradiction
Of every principle Of American Government
The right Of a man To DO whatever he choose,
We do no, wans anarchy and that Is anarchy
pure and simple, for u man TO do Whatever
he pcasoS regardless Of the oNcct on society
MIR MacNcagh- i the language oi
very carefully disguised Anarchist, Tor II T.
tho language Of Archbishop Ireland.