Evening journal., 1902-07-10
MITCHELL SURE
MINERS WILL WIN
Strike Leaders CriLiciS0 the
Citizens Alliance
SAYS Il Joined With Operators in
Attempt to Crush Existence OF
Miners UnieR

Wilkesbarre, Pa, July 10.-In an ad-
dress yesterday before the 400 dele
gates Of District No. /, in convention
at Nanticoke, President Mitchell, OF
the Mine Workers Union, said that he
had never participated in a strike in
which he was so confident of success
This statement by the miners chief
was greeted by great applause. Mr..
Mitchell was enthusiastically received
in Nanticoke He went there for the
sole purpose of addressing the men, and
returned to headquarters here imme-
diately after concluding his remarks.
He took no part in the proceedings Of
the convention.
Mr. MitchelPs address in part is as fol-
lows: 1T may not be amiss for me to
make a few comments upon the situa
tion as it presents itself to me; and
also to point out some of the means
that are being used to discourage and
injure you. The coal operators have
organized a press bureau and are con
stantly sending out through it what
purport to be interviews with and
statements from them; while, as a
matter of fact there is not a coal op-
orator in the entire region who will
stand responsible for any of the state
ments.
"The operators have also organized
another adjunct, under the name of the
Citizens Alliance. 1 am sure do not
know how many citizens are members
Of this mysterious organization, and
so far only one has had the manhood
or the effrontery to acknowledge his
membership The alleged purpose of
the organization is the maintenance of
law and order, but when it develops
that the energies of the organization
are being directed against the coal
strikers it arouses a suspicion in my
mind that the name OF the association
IS a misnomer, and the alleged purpose
a cloak under which so-called citizens
have joined forces with the coal op-
orators in a damnable attempt to crush
the miners union. Is it not rather
strange that this organization was not
formed at any time during the rs
years in which the anthracite coal
companies were black-listing. boycott
ting and driving from their homes and
families all men who dared assert their
rights and join labor organization?
"If men have a right to belong to an
organization. and If the organization is
formed for good purposes, why do not
its members come out in the sunlight
like men-and acknowledge and be
proud of their membership in It? How
ever. gentlemen, let me say that we
know more about the personnel of the
Citizens Alliance than its members
think we DO, and when this strike Is
over some of them who are playing fast
and loose with the cause of the mine
workers will find it extremely difficult
to account for their conduct
And now, gentlemen, permit me tC
warn you and through you the min,
workers of the anthracite region thai
no attention whatever should be paiC
to the silly reports that are being SEN
out that the strike is about to collapse
or that men want to resume work
These same predictions, emanatinl
from exactly the same source, hav,
been made through the columns of tn,
press each day during the past month
and yet every mine is idle, and let ms
say that every mine will remain idl,
until the strike is settled.
"In all my experience in the labo
movement have never participated il
a strike in which I felt so cOnhden
Of success. If our membership vii
stand. as I know they will, we shal
in the not distant future achieve a vic
tory and settle for all time the righ
of the coal miners to receive for homes
labor and unremitting toll at least
sufficient wage to enable them to live
maintain and educate their familie
and enjoy a few of the pleasures of GU
civilization"