The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-10-18

CAC4L VI ~ oL4tS bCtNCCli 4dDOL anu A0H~
ital.
"(2) Amicable relations between emf
ployers and employees, the latter speak
ing through their organization, and
their organization aiding the companies
in maintaining discipline. adjusting all
difficulties by conciliatory methods,
averting local strikes and lOckouts and
securing stable and satisfactory cOndi-
tions to the industry.
Our organization, by the same meth
| DDS which we have proposed here, has
secured just such relations and just
such results i'll the soft coal fields of the
country. Organization, like an individ-
| ual, must stand upon what it has done
and the life it has lived. We invite
scrutiny and investigation of our record
and character. In the soft-coal fields
we have joint conferences with the
operators, and with them we adjust diff
ferences, we sign joint agreements, to-
gether we preserve discipline. settle dis
putes, and maintain harmony and sta
bility in the trade. We have asked the
anthracite operators to inquire of the
coal operators how well they are pleas
ed with their business relations with us;
whether or not we keep agreements
and render satisfactory service for
wages paid to our members One bust
| ness man might thus learn of another
| what is the character of our organiza-
| ton. Many soft coal operators have
publicly declared that they would not
| dispense with our cooperation, and
would deem it a disaster If compelled to
get back to the chaotic conditions which
existed when their labor was morgan
lied.
Upon our past record we are willing
| to stand or fall We have. time and
time again, invited the anthracite oper-
ators to adopt these business methods
and to deal with us on this basis. De-
spite repeated rebuffs, we persisted, but
they resented any attempt upon our
part to organize their employees; they
refused our overtures for amicable dis
cussion and possible satisfactory ad-
justment Of wage differences in joint
conference. They refused to have any
dealings with their employees except as
| individuals; they refused concessions
and refused arbitration; they put their
backs against the wall of prejudice and
their faces arbitrarily against progress;
they thought themselves stronger than
the great union principle which is max
ing such strides throughout the world;
that while combining their corporations
and pooling their interests in hard and
fast alliances, they could deny the men
who worked for them the right to Or
ganize and speak through their organ
| ization.
when the inevitable conflict came on
they attempted to justify themselves
upon the false plea that ours is an ire
sponsible organization; when we DEM
onstrated our responsibility and relia-
bility they then asserted that we were
a lawless organization which was NOM
mating by violence. When society at
tempted to interfere to settle the strike
they declared their divinely appointed
right to be let alone. When representa-
tives of national and state governments
tried to mediate they resented such
medding by politicians
But, thanks to you, Mr.. President,
and the power of public opinion, they
have been brought to a realization of
the fact that the interests and welfare
ed with impunity. BY the eminent tr-
bunaI which you have named we have
confidence that justice will be done our
people. We are glad TO have a chance
to appear before such a court empower
ed to consider and dispose of all ques-
tons at issue First among these is
the demand of the mine workers for in
creased wages and a reduction in the
hours Of labor; second, is the relations
which ought to exist between the em-
ployers and the organizat ton which the
men have formed and which they au-
thorize 20 speak for them. From this
arbitrat ton we hope and believe will
come a complete. satisfactory and per-
manent solution of the troubles which
have vexed the anthracite field from
time immemoral.
Respectfully yours,
Il John Mitchell,
"President United Mine Workers Of
America -