Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-04

ployed. It's violent methods have already
received the condemnation of the circuit
court of the United States. (Reinecke Co. VS..
Wood, 112 Fed Rep. AIS; United States vs..
Weber, ia Fed. Rep, $50; United States
VS.. Haggerty. 116 Fed. Rep, 500
In accordance oyith these objects last
May the United Mine Workers ordered a
strike in the anthracite coal region which
extended to all the workings therein Since
that time it has been SO far as possible
forcing all persons who are willing to work
to sease doing so. Within a few days one
or more miners who had returnd to work
having been formerly connected with the
Minis Workers Association have been muir
dered by those acting In sympathy with the
strike.
"These facts show that the Mine Workers
Association is not within the rules regard
ing ordinary local labor organizations. On
the contrary, the association and all OF us
members constitute combination or CON
spiracy not only at common law. but also In
restrait of trade and commerce among the
several states and also an attempt to mo-
nopolize the labor necessary In supplying
coal found in one state to the markets OF
other states and thus to monopoliZe TINS
part of the commerce among the several
states The action had by said United Mine
Workers has greatly injured the interstate
business originating in the anthracite coal
fields. The courts have already many
times held that such a combination is I'M
lawful within the act of Congress OF July
g. 1890, passed for the purpose OF prevent,
ing restraints Of interstate commerce ana
known as the Sherman act Omitted states
vs. Council, "a Fed. Rep. 1874; 1b1 FED.
Rep, So; Thomas VS.. Cincinnati CO., "
Fed Rep, sO2 sO3: United States vs.. AL
ger, 60 Fed. Rep. 1924; United states VS..
Elliott. GO Fed. Rep. sO1; "a Fed. R alo.
in re Debs, "a Fed. Rep. 724: affd. 1853 U;
g., b64, 600; United States VS.. Transmissouri
Association 166 U. S., 2S0. 343 and 396) IN
addition, the circuit court Of the United
States for the western district OF virginia,
upon March Is last held that this Identical
United Mine Workers Association was IL
legal Omitted States vs.. Weber, ia Fea.
Rep 95O The case comes clearly WITHIN
the Debs case. That was an eHort TO or
ganize universal association Of railroad
employees, covering the whole country, for
the purpose Of controlling interstate com
merce. The government Instituted suit oy
Injunction. and when the in)unctlon was
disobeyed enforced the same by the use OF
the United States army. This quickly dis
posed of the matter, and the action OF the
government was upheld by the courts TN re
Debs, "a Fed Rep, 124. and. 15S U. s., o64,
6OO). The true course for the national gov
eminent is, therefore. to proceed In accord
ance with the precedent In the Debs case
These considerations were called to the at
tention Of the President and the. Attorney
General last June.
PENNSYLVANIA Authorities Arraigned.
1.-The anthracite coal companies are max
ing every effort to mine coal as rapidly as
nossible. They are obstructed by the fall
ure Of the state authorities to fully protect
those who desire to work for them, and by
rhe failure of the national government to
enforce the statute under which the Mine
Workers Association has been already helo
to be illegal. AS soon as action of that sort
is effectively taken there can be no doubt
that the supply of coal will be ample the
question at present Is merely whether an
unlawful association shall be permitted IN
this country by means which are illegal 10
decide who shall be allowed to work; what
shall be his hours of work, and what he
shall be paid. This is contrary to the spirit
and letter of our laws. If they are fnforced
such an effort will cease at once While
the United Mine Workers have been endeav
oring ever since the strike began to pre-
vent the production of coal, the operators
have been actively seeking to Increase the
same and are now actually producing about
Is per cent of the normal output. This
company now has about 1000 men engaged
in the business. The production is steadily
increasing, and the rate Of increase would
have been more rapid but for the failure of
the state and national governments to pro-
tect the life, liberty and property of those
desiring to work for the operators and to
protect the operators from the onslaught of
this illegal combination to restrain and mo-
try.
Appeal to the President.
eff the functions Of government In this
regard we're efficiently discharged produc
tion would be rapid enough to supply all
necessities. Grave as are the matters men
toned in the Presidents memorandum the
questions fundamentally involved are even
more serious. They are whether freedom of
life and property are to continue in this
country are to exist merely in accord
ance with the will Of combinations and con-
spiracfes which are prohibited by the Con-
stitution and the statutes and the common
law, and whether this company's faithful
employees are to be delivered to the destruc-
ton which surely awaits them in case OF
the triumph of the Mine Workers Associa-
ton. This company respectfully and earn
estly urges upon the President the use of
his lawful powers in the premises, which
was made In the Debs case by one of his
predecessors and which was sustained by
all the courts. If the national government
would now enforce the law with equal
promptness the strike would end next week.
The representative of the United Mine
Workers has now stated that its members
are willing to return to work. and he has
frequently said that he did not demand Of
fetal recognition Of the union, notwith-
standing that the Shamokin convention of
March last resolved that the employment of
non-union men should be cause for strik-
ing. The condition of returning to work
which he makes is that a commission be
appointed by the President to investigate
existing conditions and that the mine work.
ers and the operators agree to abide by its
recommendations. The personnel of such
commission Is uncertain; it's action would
be without authority Of law or precedent,
and it would be without knowledge of the
varying conditions in the different collierfes
and regions. This company has no power
to commit the welfare and existence Of the
property to such uncertainties. Moreover,
as already pointed out, the Mine workers
is an illegal body and has no lawful con-
troll over it's members. This Is shown by
the fact that after the settlement Of 1900
local strikes were more numerous than
ever and that it's representative is now
constantly counseling against violence.
while nevertheless outrages and murders
are of constant occurrence. He must, there
fore, be powerless or insincere. and any as
surances as to the future would be without
value.
I'm order, however, that this company
may be under, no charge Of unwillingness
to endeavor in good faith to remedy any
xrieyaBces which may exist upon the part