Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1902-10-23
MITCHELL ADDRESSES
the MINE WORKERS
Great Labor Leader Delivers .
Magnificent Address to
His Followers.
TERMS WILL BE ACCEPTED
Believed the Convention Will Finish
Its Task Today and That tho
Men Will Return to Work
on Thursday.
TERMS WILL BE ACCEPTED

the convention would end tomorrow
and the men return to work Thursday.
He said the outlook for acceptance was
bright, but there We're still intimations
among the assembling delegates that
there would objections on the part of
some to calling off the strike until posi-
tive assurance is had that all the men
will get back the positions they occu-
pied before the strike began.
Shortly after IL o'clock the conven-
ton adjourned until o'clock in the af-
ternoon.
adopted the convention turned into a
social meeting, the delegates being en-
tertained by songs. Give three cheers
to Mitchell fc1 the strike we have Won"
was sung by the delegates, and swept
the convention with enthusiasm.
All in Hands Of Delegates.
During the recess an expression on
the outlook was sought from Mitchell.
He smiled shook his head and said:
II have nothing to say at this time as
to the outlook. The whole situation is
In the hands of the delegates. They
ordered the strike, and they must de-
eide what course to pursue"
The convention reassembled at 2:1O
o'clock. Mitchell and Wilson were
elected permanent president and secre-
tar respectively.
NIlCucll MAS given an extremely corr
dial reception. The delegates arose and
cheered him for several minutes. He
spoke as follows:
Mr.. Mitchell's Address.
Gentlemen: In opening this convention
for transaction of business | take pleas
ure In extending Il warm greeting and
welcome to the accredited Representatives
OF $4,000 men and boys whose heroic
struggle for living wages ana American
conditlons of employment has won the
admiration of the whole civilized world.
Language is inadequate to express the
pride leel in. YOU and those you repre-
sent
Your noble defense of the principles OF
unionisfn endears you to every man and
every woman In our land who works for a
livelihood. When the history OF the strug-
giles OF the tollers Shall be written It's
pages will record no event more i'm
poftant, no principle more ably defended
no battle more bravely fought than the
contest which 1 earnestly nope is now
about to be happily ended 1t is not my
purpose TO REVIEW the progress of the
strike or even TO enumerale the i'm
portant events. which have now passed
INTO history.
our people are memories OF the suffer-
lngs ana hardshps which have been and
are being endured For five long months
the eyes of the nation have been conferred
upon your actions, and 1t is pleasure to
say that the great heart OF the American
people throbbcd in sympathy With you.
~ Is. of course, Il source OF deep regret
that the millions of underpaid worknen
of our great cities should he the most
acute sufferers by reason of this contest
between ourselves and our employers. But
strange as 1T may appear hundreds upon
hundreds OF those who suffered most from
lack OF fuel sent words of commentator
and encouragement to US and in many
instances declared they would endure amy
privation in order that the miners and
their families might secure sufficient
wages TO enable them to enjoy a litte
happiness and sunshine instead of the
gloom and sadness which has been their
.ot for many years.
Debt of Gratitude IncaIculable.
The debt of gratitude we owe our fellow
workers in this and other lands, the debt
OF gratitude We owe Il generous public
and friendly press who nave supported
and sustained us during this memorable
strike, can never be adequately repaid
For our opponents we entertain no tecune
Of malice. While they have maiigned oul
sought victory by methods which we
should scorn to use, yet ON this day, when
we have secured am avenue of redress
OIL this day when realization of our hopes
and ambitions seems near and when The
prospect OF Il brighter and happier tuturt
seems assured, we should hold out tc
them the hand of friendship and ask them
to join US in providing for such business
relations as shall for all time establish
peace and tranquility in the coal fields
The day is past when great organiza.
position that their employees shall be de.
MED the right TO organize into compact
bodies and speak through the organization
OF which they are members. We recog-
niZe the right of capital to consolidate
and speak and act through it's organiza:
tion, but i'm according these rights ane
privileges to capital We demand and shall
assert the same privileges for those who
toll. Between the combination of capita
on the one hand and the organization OF
labor on the other there should be ant
need be no irreconclable conflict; each Is
factor in the economic development Of
our civilization, and application of busi
ness Judgment and plain common sense
by each would enable them to work II
harmony. While the interests of labor
and capital are not by amy means iden.
teal they are. nevertheless reciprocal
Each is dependent upon the other anf
under our form of government one cannot
prosper without the other
No Doubt of Tribunals Justice.
Abraham Lincoln truly said that CAPT
tai Is the fruit of labor and could not ex
ist If labor had not first existed; labor
mat this fundamental principle Will b'
recognized by the tribunal selected by thu
president of the United States l have M
reason to doubt
called upon to consider today demands
ana must receive your most careful
thought. Personally l should have pre-
ferred adjustment of the difficulties eX
listing in the anthracite field by confer
ence with the anthracite mine owners an'
without the Intervention of agencies no
directly involved, but l recognize the fac
that the relations between ourselves ant
the operators have become strained a
to render direct negotiations at this tim
| impossible.
III the consequences OF this strike af
| fected only the interests of the operators
| and mine workers these would be less rea
son Tor intervention of n third party, bu
| the fact that coal famine was upon TIN
| people of the eastern ana seaboard states
| and threatened to become a national ca
| lamity, justifies the action of the chic
| executive of our nation in his earnest eff
! tort to bring about an carly resumption
! of mining.
Urges Acceptance of Proposition.
The proposition submitted for your con
| sideration may have Objectionable fca
lures, and in Its detail may not meet witt
unanimous approval of our people, but
is UNNECESSARILY better as now presente,
than when originally offered by the repre-
| sentatives OF the coal corporations. ! an
| firm In my conviction that IL prompt ac
ceptance of this proposal will secure t
| the anthracite mine workers and those de
Il