The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-18

invariably been met with the reply, we will not permit outsiders to dictate to us in the management of our affairs we have nothing to arbitrate.'
 Forced to Recede.
 Now that the managers of the com panies have been compelled by you and a thorough aroused public conscience to re- cede from this position, we are proud that the firmness and the heros endur- ance of our men and women in support of their rights and of a vital American prin- ciple have won the victory.
 "oThe poor. under-paid workers of the mine who toll from early morning until late at night for a livelihood, nobly sup ported by organized labor in this and other lands, have taught these corpora tion managers a rueful lesson in civic and social duty We exult over these tributes to the dignity of labor because it is the triumph of right and of good public poli- cy We do not, however, exult over our opponents We appeal to them now, as we have from the first, to turn their eyes to the future and to cooperate with us in an effort to establish better relations between employer and employees for the advantage of both. We forgive them their arrogant refusal to deal with us, and in this hour when they are forced to acknowledge their inability to operate their mines without our consent and CO., operation, We hold out the right hand of friendship and ask them to join with us in securing anicahle relations and wholesome codes in this region. We for give them the false accusations which they have made against us. They charged us with being criminals, rioters and an- archists, and our organization they de- nounced as '1awless and irresponsible. :"
 Charges Were Untrue.
 "They know and did know that their charges were untrue and without founda- tion in fact; they knew thar every officer of the United Mine Workers of America, from the President down, has constantly urged upon it's membership the impera- tive need of respecting the law; that 'ev- cry man who commits a deed of violence is an enemy to our cause has been our watchword Despite these admonitions. supported with all our influence, there have reen a few crimes and number of misdemeanors chargeable to those on strike But, MT. President we make the unqualified declaration that the imported guardians of law and order, the com pany's coal and iron police. have com mitted more unprovoked murders during this strike than can t, cfas Ged to the great army of men who have been Tn idleness for the past five rlontns. We have rcpc atedly anH ir language not sus- ceptible of misconstruction, condemned transgressions of law by thosc cn strike, we challenge the coal companies to point out one public utterance on the'r part in which they have deprecated acts of vio- lencc committed by their hi1 ed guards.
 "We declare that it was unfair and un- manly for the coal road presidents to insult us while we were your guests and charge our organization with responsi- biiity for acts of lawlessness during the strike. It would be just as logical to charge the American army in the Philip pines with being an army of murderers, torturers and robbers because a few crimes were committed by soldiers there. Until the millennium there will be crimes in every community, and human nature