The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-08-29

- statement that the members
OF the miners organization
have never sought to prevent
nom union members from working with
them in the mines." coupled with his
assertion that "they have no intention
of seeking to abridge the right of any
mine workers to become or not to be-
come u member Of the organization In
the future" constitutes an interesting
contribution to strike literature.
/ Issued in reply to the letter of Mr..
Hewitt, it misses the latter's main
point, that non-unlon men are now
being prevented by union men from eX-
ercising their right to work without in
reference. 1t would hardly be possible
for Mr.. Mitchell or anybody else to
deny that there is such interference.
If there were not, there would be no oc-
casion for troops or mine guards to be
in the field nor would the papers con-
tain, as they do, daily reports of violent
interference. Only yesterday the Phila-
delphia North American, paper GER
tainly not unfriendly to the miners
cause, printed conspicuously this dis
patch from Mt. Carmel:
Because her son was a non-unon work.
man, six pail bearers at the funeral OF
the late Mrs. Martila Wortulus, of this
place, today refused to bear her body to
the grave. The pail bearers were all
union men, and when they were told
that the dead woman had son working
at one of the collieres, they refused to
act
This, of course, was not an official
act of the miners union. 1t had no
sanction from Mr.. Mitchell or any Of
his subordinates in the organization
over which he presdes. 1t was individ-
ual. So are most, if not all, of the fire.
quently occurring instances Of violence
perpetrated upon non-union men by
members of or sympathizers with the
union. And it may be that the numer-
Gus local strikes and threats Of strikes
which last year took place throughout
the anthracite region in consequence
of the refusal of many operators
to permit representatives of the
union to Stand at the entrance to
the mine and enforce an inspection of
working cards issued by the union We're
due to individual and local feeling and
were not in pursuance of a policy hav-
ing the sanction of the entire organiza-
ton. Our information on these points
Is not exact.
But state of feeling producing such
acts must be reckoned with not less
than the authorized claims and de-
mands of the miners organization. Our
own opinion is that the union idea has
come to stay in the coal fields. We do
not think that it can be eliminated, no
matter how the present strike ends.
And If it can be divested Of unfair
features and educated into lines of
better usefulness, it's elimination would
be loss, not only to the men but also
to the companies and to the public.
In the long run we think that it will
be SO divested and educated. While
perfection is hardly to be expected in
any direction, 1t is noticeable that ex-
cesses have been fewer during this
strike, at least in the vicinity Of Scran-
ton, than during either of the preceding
long strikes In the history of the mining
industry-fewer in number and smaller
in size. The room for Improvement,
however, is yet very large; and one
thing especially which has to be learned
Is that no abrdgement by any In
fluence of the right to work can be
tolerated in a country calling itself free.