Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1902-11-20
Strike QUERY RESUMED.
Coal Road Lawyer Continues Cross
Examination of President Mitch
ell Before Arbiters-
RESPONSIBILITY Fer Rlea PRICES.
Strike Leader Declares That MinerA
Are Entitled to Detter Pay Even Ii
Cost of Coal Is Observation-Disclosures
Hour Quextion-Anarchy the Curse
of the Country.


Cost of Coal Is Increased-Eight-
Hour Quextion-Anarchy the Curse
of the Country.
Scranton, Pa, Nov. 1S.-President
Mitchell, of the miners union, re-
sumed the stand Monday upon the
converting of the coal strike commits
sion and his cross-eXaminatlon by
Wayne MacVeagh, which was begun
on Saturday, was continued. Mr. Mac
Veagh referred to the subject of plac-
ing the responsibility for the IN
creased price of coal and inquired:
''Do you still feel at liberty to say that
it is none of your business what adj
ditional cost the people will have to
pay for their coal if that additional
cost is the immediate result OF your
demands?"
81 have not said at any time it was
none of our business" replied Mr..
Mitchell. 81 have stated it was be-
yond our control. That we have abso-
lutely nothing to do with the selling
price of coal"
won't your men have to work five
years to make up the loss they sus-
tanned during the strike" Mr.. Mac
Veagh asked. "Not by any means"
was the positive answer of Mr..
Mitchell. ~tg- as#5
Right to Demand More Pay.
'Mr Mitchell, do you think you
have the right to ask for an in
crease in wages which, if granted,
would increase the cost of living to
hundreds of thousands of poor?" The
miners representative replied that
there are 100000 persons in the an
thracite fields who are starving and it
is their fundamental right to ask for
living wages in return for their labor.
The examination for a few minutes
became very spirited on this phase of
the consequence of the strike, and
then Mr.. MacVeagh turned to the
matter of protecting the properties
during the strike. -r.
J Protection of Property.
Replying to questions by Mr.. Mac
Veagh on the right of private parties
to protect their property, Mr.. Mitchell
insisted that the city, county and
state authorities were competent to
handle the matter.
Raising his voice to a pitch and
speaking with great fervor Mr.. Mac
Veagh asked the witness: "Dont you
know as we'll as you know your name
is John Mitchell that in spite of the
authorities of this city, of this coun-
ty and of this state this whole region
has been treated for five months to
a veritable foretaste of hell?'
~ Mr.. Mitchell replied: 81 don't know
anything of the kind" "Well, you will
before we are through with you," was
Mr.. MacVeagh's retort.
i Mr.. MacVeagh then read Gov.
Stones proclamation calling out the
troops, in which the governor said
there was a reign of terror in the
region. Mr.. Mitchell denied the cor
rectness of the governors assertions.
Hours of Labor.
The eight-hour day question was
taken up, and in reply to query as
to whether he had a right to limit
mans labor to eight hours day, Mr..
Mitchell replied: eve favor maxi
mum of eight hours" and a moment
later, in answer to similar ques-
ton, said: eve will accept whatever
award the commission makes and that
award will have precedence over the
laws of the union.'
Then Mr. MacVeagh said: "Abra-
ham Lincoln was splitting rails and
he didn't limit himself to eight hours,
and you demand it not only for the
men in the mines but for all the men
above ground as well. He was doing
infinitely harder work than nine
tenths Of our men employed in the
mines above ground. So was Gar
field when he was, as boy, trudging
along the path of the canal, and so
was Mr.. Mckinley in his early life.
/ only mention these because they are
the three victims of the spirit of an
archy which is the curse of this coun-
try to-day and the only serious curse
affecting it, i
Not Responsible for Anarchy.
Mr.. Mitchell took quick notice of
the word "anarchy" as employed by
Mr. MacVeagh, and with considerable
spirit promptly inquired: "Trade
nnions are not held responsible for it,
are they?"
''No, certainly not" said Mr.. Mac
Neagh. "Trade unions are most ad-
mirable, but you make a demand upon
us that we shall prohibit every man
in our employ from working more
than eight hours. That strikes Us as
perfectly inadmissible"
Workings of the Union.
In answer to further questions,
Mr.. Mitchell entered into detailed
description of the workings of the
union. He said the officers of the
union under pay had contributed 81
per cent. per month of their salaries
for the benefit of the striking min
ers; that there were many differ