The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-04

'En CO.,, NEW YORK.
 killed by those acting in sympathy with the mine workers organization. He maintained that on that account the association was not within rules regard ing ordinary labor organizations and that 1t constituted a combination or conspir- scy which was held to be unlawful under the Sherman act as 1t greatly injured interstate business. He further claimed that the present case came clearly within the Debs case where the government in- stituted suit to prevent the organization of universal association of railway em- ployes to control interstate commerce and then enforced the injunction obtained when it was disobeyed, by use of the Federal army, the government being up- held in it's action by the courts.
 Continuing. MT. Wilcox said: ''The true course for the national government is, therefore. to proceed in accordance with the precedent in the Debs case. These considerations were called to the attention of the President and the Attorney Gen. eral last June.
 ''The anthracite coal companies are making every effort to mine coal as rap- idly as possible. They are obstructed by the failure of the State authorities to fully protect those who desire to work for them. and by the failure of the na- tional Government to enforce the statute under which the mine workers associa4 ton has'been already held to be illegal As soon as action of that sort is effec- lively taken, there can be no doubt that the supply of coal will be ample. The question at present is merely whether an unlawful association shall be permitted in this country by means which are to decide who shall work, what shall be his hours of work and what he shall be paid This is contrary to the spirit and the letter of our laws. A If they are enforced, such an effort will cease at Jhce." --t~ The United Mine Workers he declared, TRYING TO PREVENT
 COAL PRODUCTION. are trying to prevent the production of coal but in spite of that fact, the com panies are producing about 15 per cent of the normal output, with the amount steadily increasing.
 ''The rate of production" he continued.
 would have increased more rapidly but for the failure of the State and National Governments to protect the life and prop crty of those desiring to work for the op- orators and to protect the operators from the onslaught of this illegal combination | to monopolize the entire fuel supply of the country. If the functions of govern ment in this regard were efficiently dis charged, production would be rapid enough to supply all demands
 "Grave as are the matters mentioned in the Presidents memorandum the questions fundamentally involved are even more serious. They. are, whether freedom Of life and property are to continue in this country. or are to exist merely in accordance with the will of combinations and conspiraeies which are prohibited by the constitution and the statutes and the common law, and whether this com pany's faithful employees are to be de- livered to the destruction which surely awaits them in case of the triumph of the mine workers association.
 This company respectfully and earn estly urges upon the President the use of his lawful powers in the premises which was made in the Debs case by one of his predecessors and which was sustained by all the courts. If the national Gov ernment would now enforce the law with equal promptness, the strike would end next week."
 Regarding Mr. Mitchell's proposition to the President for ending the strike, MT. Wilcox claimed that the personnel of commission appointed to arbitrate the differences would be uncertain and that 1t would be without power to enforce its recommendations, being without law. au- thority or precedent and ignorant of the existing conditions. He maintained that MT. Mitchell was not sincere in his repre- sentations and promises and that the coal companies could not sanction his plan though his company was willing that any grievances at It's several collieries should be passed upon by the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas for the district where the collieries are situated.
 Thomas R. Fowler of the New York. Ontario and Western stated that while he concurred in the opinion of the other rail- road officials he would reserve his state ment until a future date.
 At the conclusion of the statement there was considerable general and what might perhaps be regarded as informal conver- saton. The President called attention to a part of the statement made by Mir Baer in which the latter said that the operators were willing to submit griev- ances to the court of common pleas of Pennsylvania. The President asked Mir Mitchell if he, not as president of the union, but as an individual, would agree to that MT. Mitchell promptly replied that he would not and said:
 MITCHELL DENIES
 MINERS ARE LAWLESS.
 The charge made by the gentlemen that twenty murders have been committed in the anthracite coal region during the present strike is untrue. If they will ntme the men and will show that they have committed the murders, I will re- sign by position That is fair proposi- ton Mir President. that is fair example of how our organization and our people are maligned. The truth of the matter is az far as l know there have been seven deaths unfortunately, No one regrets them more than l do. Three of them were committed by the coal and iron police and no one else has been charged with them. God knows the miners do not escape being charged with everything done there They speak about burning There was @ reward offered for burn ings. l can bring affidavits of a hun dred people if necessary that the light ming caused one burning that they charg- ed 10 the United Mine Workers. MT. President. l have admitted on more than