The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-07
HANNA DEFENDS LABOR.
Pays Glowing Tribute to the
Mine Workers Union.

aims ana accomplishments OF tne Sirlo
Federation, of which the senator IS tne
president. Senator Hanna said in part;
My friends. Judge Warneck has told
you that in my business life nao peen
connected with industries empioying q
large nun Der of men. That Is true.
From the miner under the GROUND TO
the men that work in nearly every Vo-
cation in life in our industries l nave
had to do. Thirty years ago i was a |
witness and participated in one of the
most serious strikes that ever occurred |
in Ohio. 1t was the miners, strike o.
the Tuscarawas valley. After it had |
been settled. after property had been
destroyed and bloodshed, there came "a |
time to think it over, and made up |
to settle such disputes than that. And |
from that hour to this 1t has been the |
thought and theme uppermost in my |
mind And as years of experience have
passed and have noticed and studied !
every feature of the question. every |
trait of character, every question that |
moves men. have formed the opinion |
that it was possible to settle disputes
in different way. 1t is not a political
question, but an economic one 1t is
that and more. 1t is a moral one. The
best way to reach mems minds and
mems hearts is to appeal first to the
heart and then to reason with the mind.
Who knows better the great good that
can be accomplished through education?
And IT is that work that am devoted
to personally. 1t is to that work 1 want
TO enlist the sympathy of all such peo-
pie that sit before me, and with Gods
blessing may it spread through every
circle in the land. If I can enlist the
sym pathy and cooperation of the good
women and men who unite for weeks in
every year in a combined effort. first
to learn how to do it, and then to do it,
every day and in every action of your
lives, Their 1 will feel that the work so
begun will never be abandoned until the
millennium comes"
Inc senator then spoke of the Ma
IA n1n 80 ,ifrfr,
and its work. He said the object of the
organization is to better the condition
of labor. bring labor in closer contact
with capital, and if possible by effort
and education to make it impossible to
have strikes. Continuing he said:
IN every instance but one in ten
months life we have settled every labor
difficulty that has come to us. This one
instance where the organization failed
was the anthracite coal strike. 1 adj
init that the Civic Federation has failed
c1liate, 1t is hard to arbitrate a question
when only one side will consider it.
But in that connection I want to call
your attention to another incident in
my enorts on that strike and others.
when appealing to the employers to
consider some things in connection with
the situation did not think they fully
appreciated or understood, 1 told of the
experience of myself and associates re-
Gently in connection with the coal min
ing of western Pennsylvania, Ohio, In
diana and Illinois. I have said that
thought there is a better way to settle
differences and after twenty years of
experience the operators controlling the
mines of the states mentioned have
found better way. After days and
nights of negotiation, four years ago
we organized what was termed the in
terstate association composed of the
operatives and operators of the coafs
min IS of these states. We agreed upon
scale of wages, flexible enough to
adapt itself to different physical condi-
lions That scale once agreed on, all
that became necessary was to find the
OASIS process. That was four years ago.
The contract was made. The presidents
went into the market and sold their coal
and the coal miners abided by their con-
tracts and delivered it. The next year
It was renewed, and then last year it
was renewed Peace and harmony, good
and successful business operations have
succeeded that policy.
In using that argument with others
1T was said to me, Why, what is your
contract worth with labor organiza-
ton? If it doesn't want to keep it, it
won't and you can not make it That is
true, but when that remark carried with
1t the insinuation that men of that class
had no honor in carrying out a contract.
l want to say that I deny it. and now
l have the proof. The prolonged strike
In the anthracite country has brought
ABOUT condition that is alarming NOT
only to the peace of society, but to the
material interests of our people. There
10 III the CONSTITUTION OF the united Mine
Workers of America, a provision that
II five divisions of the organization
make an application to the president,
he shall call together in convention del
egates of the organization and settle
that question. When every other means
had been unnecessarily tried, when
men became desperate from their Situa-
ton, when they saw hunger and starva-
ton before them was 1t not natural that
they would be desperate? They then
resolved to call that national conven-
ton, and five divisions asked the presi-
dent to call it. The object was TO de-
eide the question whether the bitumin-
Gus men belonging to that organization
would go out and strike in sympathy
Those of you who may be familiar with
the great railroad and industrial in
terests of this country can appreciate
what that meant. 1t would stop the
wheels of commerce and paralyze every
industry that depended on the fuel from
these mines.
John Mitchell had expressed himself
publicly as averse to that expedient.
And, knowing what knew of his in
fiuence with his men. and believing as
did that the men who had entered into
the compact with their employers which
had been in force for four years. bound
only by their honor, I knew they would
defend that honor and they did by vot-
ing unanimously against the strike.
Now there is one of the best lessons
that has ever been presented to the
American people. There is one of the
StIOnSeSt arguments tnat can De urged
in favor Of going farther with this ps,licy
and encouraging these men and their
class by assuring them that they can
earn and establish the confidence of
their employers and the whole Ameri-
can people by such acts as these
II am encouraged and am very CRATE
ful Tor this reception. I am glad that
i have been able to look into the faces
of an audience like this, coming to-
gether for the purposes which insuire
this organization. 1 say feel encoilr-
aged that. If my mission in life is to do
good in this direction in which 1 ha We
enlisted. it gives me more hope and
more courage to go on. The only diff
Guilty is that I am afraid the Republi-
cans of Ohio will have to find some
other fellow for the senate, because I
don't want to go back there. 1 think
10 Lii e.