The Washington times., 1902-10-04


| covering the whole country, for the
purpose of controlling interstate com
merce
Regulars Were Used.
The Government instituted suit by
injunction and when the injunction was
| disobeyed enforced the same by the use
of the United States Army. This quick
ly disposed of the matter and the ac-
ton OF the Government was upheld by
he courts.
The true course for the National
Government is, therefore, to proceed
IN accordance with the precedent In
the Debs case. These considerations
! were called to the attention OF the
President and the Attorney General last
June.
Trying to Mine Coal.
The anthracite coal companies are
making every effort to mine coal as
rapidly as possible. They are obstruct-
ed by the failure of the State authori-
ties to fully protect those who desire
the National Government to enforce the
statute under which the Mine Workers
Association has been already held to
be illegal.
AS soon as action of that sort is ef-
fectively 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 to decide who shall be
allowed to work. what shall be his
hours Of work, and what ne shall be
paid
This is contrary to the spirit and
the letter of our laws If they are en-
Operators Are Busy.
while the United Mine Workers have
been endeavoring ever since the strike
began to prevent the production of coal,
the operators have been actively seeking
to increase the same, and are now actu-
ally producing about Is per cent of the
normal output.
This company now has about 1000
men engaged in the business. The pro-
duction is steadily increasing, and the
rate of increase would have been more
rapid. but for the failure of the State
and National Governments to protect the
lives, liberty and property of those de-
string to work for the o-erators, and
to protect the operators from the on
slaught of this illegal combination to
restrain and monopolize the entire fuel
supply of the country.
If the functions of government in
this regard were efficiently discharged,
production would be rapid enough tc
supply all necessities. Grave as are
the matters mentioned in the Presidents $
memorandum, the questions fundamen-
tally involved are even more serious.
They are whether freedom of life and
property are to continue in this country
or are to exist merely in accordance with
the will ci combinations and conspira-
cies which are prohibited by the Con-
stitution and the statutes and the COM
|
faithful employees are to be delivered
to the destruction which surely awaits
them in the case of the triumph of the
Mine Workers Association.
Plea for Relief.
This company respectfully and
earnestly 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 Ma
iional 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 q g wiling to return to work
and he has i-cq emily said that he did
not demand viricial recognition of the
union, notwithstanding that the Shamo-
kin convention of March last resolved
that the employment of non-union men
should be cause for striking.
The condition of returning to work
which he makes Is that commission
be appointed by the President to inves
tigate existing conditions and that the
mine workers and the operators agree to
abide by it's recommendations The per-
sonnel of such commission is uncer-
tain; its action would be without au-
thority of law or precedent, and 1t would
be without knowledge of the varying
conditions in the different collieries and
regions.
This company has no power to COM
NIT the welfare and existence of the
property to such uncertainties. More
over. as already pointed out, the mine
| workers is an Illegal body and has no
lawful control over its members.
This is shown by the fact that after
the settlement OF 1900 local strikes were
more numerous than ever and that Its
representative Is now constantly coun-
selling against violence while neverthe-
less outrages and murders are OF con-
slant occurrence He must, therefore,
be powerless or insincere and any as
surances as to the future would be with
out value.
These are the local officers of the
law having knowledge of the facts. 1t
is willing. therefore. in case of re-
| sumption of work, to add to Its notice
| already posted provision 10 that eff
| feet and similar to that in Mr.. Baer' s
statement. This would be as follows:
IF the employer and employees at