The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1902-10-25
PLAIN TALK BY MITCHELL.
us xys,tcd Al 70 Understand the Situation
Exactly Before Reachinga
Decision

|
afternoon session of the miners dele-
gate convention, Monday, President
| Mitchell felt called upon to define the
position of the Mine Workers OF
America and their officers toward the
entire BODY of miners and mine work.
ers generally. His remarks were i'm
promptu. but presented the status OF
the situation clearly and forcibly. lie
said:
Gentlemen of the Convention-l
desire to inform you that the presi-
dent of your organization has done
all he can to learn the attitude OF the
companies towards the men who are
now on strike. AS you know, the
companies refuse direct negotiations
with us. Through Intermediates we
have received assurances that the
companies are going to meet the is
sues fairly; that they are not disposed
to blacklist the men; that they do
not propose to be vindictive; that, as
far as possible, men are to be "a
turned to their old places. 1t may
take some time before that can I've
brought about, and it may be that
some few men will not be restored
to their former positions at all. When
you vote on this proposition, you
must do it with as full knowledge of
the situation as l can give you.
"Now let me emphasize this point;
THAT the poorest boy that worked
in a breaker Is as dear to us as the
man who ran the best engine; that
while we shall try, with all the power
we have, to get every man that struck
back to his old job, we will make
special efforts for none and show spe-
cial favors to none. We want the en-
gineers and the fremen and the
pumpmen and the inspectors and the
bosses, to go back, but we do no.
want them to go back one bit more
than we want the little breaker boys
to 20 back. There was no single class
Of workmen who went out on sym
pathetic strike. Every man who
struck, struck for wages; he struck
for exactly the same thing the MI
ners and the mine laborers strlck for
AS far as it is within the power u
the union we shall afford protection
to every man, union or non-union,
who went out on strike with us. B'i,,
gentlemen, It may be true that some
will be sacrificed and, much as we
shall regret that, desire to say that
no battle was ever fought, no victory
was ever won, that did not carry with
il some victims. Lives have been lost
to gain the most brilliant victories
that were ever won in the world. II
appeals to your judgment to accept
the recommendation of your officers
II you decide to defer to the judg-
ment Of the president Of your coun-
try; II you wish to be guided by tho
advice Of your friends all over the
the United Mine Workers Of America
will protect the man who happens to
be left out OF his job. In our pledge
to the president OF the United States,
in which we notified him that we
would recommend to you resump.
ton of work, we said to him that we
should recommend n return OF our
people to their old jobs; and II the
coal companies fail to give our men
their old places, II they fail to treat
them reasonably, we shall carry the
question to the tribunal named by the
president, and ask that tribunal to
decide that we are entitled to the
work we left when we went Cd
strike.
"Now, gentlemen, those are my
views. ] have no assurance that II
you return to work on Wednesday all
OF you will be given back your old
places, ] do believe, however, that
the coal companies will gradually dis
place the men who have your jobs and
give you your old places again | Dare
say that hundreds OF the men who
were brought here from the cities and
from the farms to take your places
will return to the cities and farms
when you 20 back. ! have no doubt
at all that before two or three weeks
have rolled by there will be no qucs'
ton about the reinstatement OF the
men, However, remember this, that
when your votes IRE cast | want you
20 east them with the full knowledge
that some OF you may not get your
old places back. dare say the com
panics are ny anxious TO have com.
pctent engineers, hremen, pumpmer
and inspectors MS you ARE TO I'll those
places; and you know that the men
they brought here TO take your places
are not competent, You all know
TINT the men they brought here 10
take your places Nrc not competent
TO run the hoisting engines; that the
frcmcn they have brought here have
not been successful, and while the
companies will not 90 out before the
public and say they will Sacrifice
| the men who stood by Them" MS they
call II, they will, In most eases, be
glad TO have their old and competent
workmcn back"