The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-15

Union Men OF Opportunity TO Buy
Necrssarics Of Life and lie Answers No
keeping a Contract Is superior to
the Constitution. lie Says-N0 Union
Men Punished for Iawlcss Acts-He
says the boycott Is n Strike and DE.
nOunces In OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES a. TO
the Represent ation OF Non.l MON Men.
SCRANTON, Pa. Nov. ii-John Mitchell
President of the United Mine Workers Of
America, had a very unpleas SAINT ten minutes
upon the witness stand just before the
anthracite srike commission adjourned
for the day in this city this afternoon.
Mr. Mitchell had been the only witness
calleito the stan ldurng the day and, in fact
was the whole thing in the days proceed
ing> Matters had gone along rather swim
mingly for him. questions had come at him
easily and. with the exception of few min
Y,es just before the adjournment hour al
noon. there had been nothing TO disturb
his serenity The change was brought
about through the hand that Judge Gray
took in the examination Of witness.
When John Mitchell first turned over to
the operat ors. after a somewhat exhaustive
examination in chief by Clarence s. Darrow
~ Chicago he was taken in hand for cross
examination 10y David Wilcox of New York.
counsel and vico-preSidcnt of the Delaware
and II olson Canal Company. Mr. Wilcox
had asked a great many pointed questions.
but these Mr. Mitchell had foreseen and he
answered them with readiness. as though
perfectly familiar with all matters in hand
and ius' a. if he knew what was coming
Finally. Mr. Wilcox asked Mr. Mitchell
II there had not been great dea of boy
cotting during the strike. The chief q
the mine workers answered that he learned
from the newspapers that there had been,
but he knew ~ none officially and he had
never authorized any. Mr.. Wilcox then
read a report in a newspaper containing
resolutions passed by local Of the United
Mine Workers al Nanticoke in which store
keepers and all other business men of the
town had been warned against selling to
the non union men then at work about the
mines AZ that plaza.
Mr. Mitchell was asked II he knew any
thing about this case, ami he answered
that he did not; he might have read about
il in the newspapers at the time.
After several other questions, Mr.. Mitch
ell was asked what he meant when he
called a man unfair. Mitchell answered
that a man was unfair who took tho place
Of another man who was on strike 20 better
his condition Then he was asked what he
meant when he called business man unfair.
and he answered a man who did anything
to antagonize union man who was seek
ing To get a proper increase Of wages or
Improvement Of condition.
But how about selling to non-union
men?"
Il have never passed upon that. answered
Mitchell But my own views are that
have right in spending my own money to
spend il with whom choose, and naturally
would spend it n my friends. and not with
my enemies. The members If union have
a right to advertise who are their friends
and who are no, their friends. and TO let
other union m"a know who are their friends
and who are their enemies"
Here is where Judge GRAY interposed
There was bland smile on the face Of the
distinguished iurist and his voice sounded
smooth and pleasant as he asked Of Mr.
Mitchell: What the commission would
Hike 10 know, Mr. Mitchell is. does your
organization approve Of the use Of this
weapon the boycott. in the manner de-
scribed, causing business men TO refuse
the necessities of life to non-union work
men?"
Mitchell answered that the organi7aticn
a
Judge Gray-Tha' is not an answer Ia tho
question. DO YOU approve Of the with.
drawal from nor-uuiou men of the right t.
buy the necessities Of life, things necessary
to prolong life 10 YOU approve of tho with
drawal from nou-luion men cf tho right 10
buy the necessities Of life, things necessary
to prolong life, do you approx" of this?
Inc Judge had grown moro earnest as he
proceeded, and his voice was raised and
showed some excitement a. ha concluded
the question Mitchell had evidently be-
come impressed with the importance Of
the matter and he pitched his voice in a high
kew a he mad" answC~.
AEmphatiCally, no"
AZ this point, adjournment hour having
been reached, the commission announced
that they would 60 on in the morning and
left the room.
The proceedings throughout the dav
had been interesting, though rather dry and
formal The sessions were held in the
Superior Court room in the County Court
. House.
The Superior Court Of Pennsylvania
consists Of seven momhers; hence the
bench where the Commissioners sit was
admirably suited for their purpose The
room is a rather small one. not over 4OxeO
feet in size, and into this several hundreds
OF anxious and curious people attempted
TO crowd. There was a large newspaper
representation, the array Of counsel was
large and brilliant and there was number
of witnesses in attendance.
A. "A result we room during the day
was crowded almost to sufocati ion and
people were standing upon chairs in an
effort to catch a glimpse Of the Commission
ers and the other notables present and
get som" idea Of the testimony that was
being aiduced
Daring the morning and lefore pro-
'ocdlng 10 tho court room the Comms-
'ioleis had held brief session at which
%" question of The hour, that they would
lie N ,,'sion had come up II was de-
'ided 10 shorten the proposed work of
the day half hour, al ,ourl.ilg at - clock
Instead Of $50. - had ~ first been an
nounccd
The space allotted tine counsel and their
principals the latter largely made IN of
local Independent operators, was rot suf-
ficiert, and John Mitchell and his attor-
Ecys were crowded over to ore corner of
the room, far from the witness, stand Well
up IN froit sat Senator Wolverton, coun-
sci for the Reading road, and almost as
far as John Mitchell from the witness stand
was Mr. Wilcox, counsel for the Delaware
and Hudson company, who took a promi-
rent part IL line proceedings.
The Com'n.' sion' RS filed into the room
from their privat" apartments in the rear at
exactly 1865 Their ent rance was impress
sive, all coming forward TO the bench and
standing facing those prooaYt
The audience rose as they entered and
remained standing upt il tho