The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-18
MITCHELL IS RIGHT
PRESIDENT OF MINE WORKERS
OPPOSES BIG STRIKE.
He SUBMITS PLAN OF Relief.
AID OF UNION WORKERS AND PUB
Lie TO BE SOUGHT.


strike and Stressed the Fact That
mosthetie Strikes Have Rarely.
If Ever, Succeeded-Let Bitunitn-
Gus Miners Continue mt Work an,s
contribute Literally to Anthracite
Strikers-CaII Upon Other Lnb Dor
organizations for Aid and Enlist
Public sympathy-His Sentiments
Approved by Convention.
indianapolis, July 17--If the voice
and influence of President Mitchell of
the United Mine Workers, shall pre-
vail with the members of his organi-
cation. there will be no general strike
Of the organizat ton. In his speech in
the convention this afternoon Mr..
Mitchell advised strongly against a
strike and urged that the biturinous
miners continue at work and that
system of assessment upon the men,
hers of the order, which he outlined, to
be carried into effect as the best means
of affording aid and support to the
striking anthracite men in the East.
His recommendation, if it had been
adopted by the convention this after
noon, would have settled the entire
question for which the convention was
called, and an immediate adjournment
would have followed. A motion to
adopt it provoked a long debate, in
which the general sentiment was
against the ordering of the strike.
The men from the anthracite
regions asked that they be allowed to
hold a caucus to determine upon an
expression of opinion as to what they
thought the convention should do, and
asked an adjournment pending the
caucus. This was granted. In the
convention three speeches were made
by members of the anthracite districts,
asking that the soft coal men walk
out, and twice as many were made by
the anthracite men urging the soft
coal men to continue at work.
Mr.. MitcheIPs Position.
President Mitchell, in his address,
said:
In determining the advisability OF
inaugurating a. national suspension Of
coal mining in defense of our strug
Cling fellow workers in the anthra-
cite field of Pennsylvania, it is i'm
perative that neither passion nor pref
udice should influence your action, and
l sincerely trust that your decision,
whatever it may be, shall carry hope
and inspiration to that great army
of men, women and children in the an
thracite fields who are watching and
praying in expectation that this as
will
which shall prove sufficient to enable
them to obtain living wages and hu-
name, American conditions of employ
ment. Their success will be yours,
and their defeat will be your defeat;
moreover the destruction of the Unit
ed Mine Workers organization in the
anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania
would prove the greatest possible
shock to the American trade union
movement,
Sympathetic Strikes No Good.
THE past history of the labor move
ment teaches lessons that should not
be forgotten to-day | do not know OF
one solitary sympathetic strike of any
magnitude. which has been successful;
on the contrary the most conspicuous
among the sympathetic labor struggles
have resulted in ignominious and
crushing defeat, not only for the
but also for the divisions participating
through sympathy.
In this supreme crisis failure to
i've up to the high standard that has
made our union pre-eminent among
Americans of labor, would prove
substantiation of all the charges and
allegations made against us by our
enemies and would confirm beyond
the possibility of uefutation, the spec
lous argument of the anthracite coal
operators that the United Mine Work
ers of America is an irresponsible and
unsafe body with which to deal.
am firm in my conviction that
the strike in the anthracite fields can
and will be won without repudiating
our solemn contracts with the bitumi-
nous operators, provided the bituminous
miners will arise to the occasion and
Do their full duty by their struggling
fellow workers. I submit the follow
ing specific recommendations:
MitcheIrs Plan of Relief.
First. That the national secretary
and treasurer be authorized and di-
dected to Immediately appropriate $780,
VoO from the funds in the national
treasury and place it at the disposal
VI the officers of Districts /, and 9.
That all districts, sub-districts and
!ccal unions be appealed to to devote
rom the surplus in their treasures as
ialge amounts as they can afford.
Third. That an assessment of not
less than 81 per week be levid upon all
members of lacol unions, the amount
80 levied to be collected at the earliest
possible moment and forwarded to the
national secretary and treasurer.
Fourth. That an assessment of rs
per cent. be levied upon all national
district and sub-district officers. whose
more.
Fifth. That an appeal be made to
an american trade unions and to the
seheral public for financial assistance
~ carry the strike through to a sue
sixth. That a committee be selected
rom this convention to draft an ad-
ISIS 10 the American people, setting
.otth IN proper form the policy of the
liners organization and appealing to
~ people to bring all possible press
ne 70 bear upon the officers and stock
Holaers OF the anthracite coal carrying
-ta1Iroads to compel them to treat con-
Sluerately the appeals of their employees
LOT arbitration.
me speech was greeted with great
tppiause from both anthracite and BIZ
luminous miners
resident Ryan Of the Illinois miners
~. and II was promptly seconded,
-rL the recommendation be adopted.
-, question was being put when
ts rose TO ask <or Information,