The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-04

and also an attempt to monopolize the |
labor necessary in supplying coal found
| in one state to the markets of other |
states, and thus to monopolize this part
of the commerce among the, several
states The actions chad by said United
Mine Workers has greatly injured the
interstate business originating In the an
thracite coal fields. ~ The courts have al
bination is unlawful within the act OF
congress of July 2, 1890, passed for the
purpose Of preventing restraints Of inter-
state commerce and known as the Sher-
man act Omitted States VS.. Council, "a
fed, rep, sO4; 157Ffed. rep. s5;;;s,tThomas VS..
Cincinnati CountyyssS 81: fed srepsssS9s,s sos;
United States vs.SSAlger, 60 fed. rep. S24;
United States VS. Elliott, 81 fed. rep. SOL;
Ga fed. rep. 20; Arthur VS. Cakes, SO fed.
rep. 80; in re Debs,s 81 fed,G rep. 724;
affd. 1853 United States. 1884,, 800; United
States vs. Trans~ Missouri Association,
165 United States.F2s0s s43, 1860. Egf45, So.
I'm addition, the circuit court jof the
United States for the western district Of
Virginia upon March % last held that
this Identical United Mine Workers as
, ISOLATION was illegal Omitted States VS..
Weber, ia fed rep, $780, The case
:, comes clearly within the Debs case
; THAT was an effort to organize a uni
t versal association of railroad employees
( covering the whole country for the pur-
t pose of controlling interstate commerce.
I
f junction and when the injunction was
disobeyed enforced the same by the use
t of the United States army. This quickly
n disposed OF the matter, and the action
y Of the government was upheld by the
o courts. Un re Debs. "a fed rep, a.
n affd. United States, 564, 5OO).
- 1.-The true course for the national gov
" eminent therefore, is to proceed in &C"
e cordance with the precedent In the Deps
# case These considerations were called to
It the attention Of the, president and the
;, attorney general last June.
1.-The anthracite coal companies are
= making every effort to mine coal as rap
l. idly as possible. They are obstructed by
S the failure of the state authorities to full!
10 protect those who desire to work 1o1
e them, and by the failure of the nationa
l. government to enforce the statute under
n which the mine workers association ha:
" been already held to be illegal. AS soo1
as action Of that sort Is effectively takef
there can be no doubt that the supply
coal will be ample. The question at pres
+ ent is merely whether an unlawful asso
citation shall be permitted in this country
- by means which are illegal, to decide VIII
e. shall be allowed to work, what shall b
- his hours of work and what he shall II
70 paid This is contrary to the spirit an
~. the letter of the laws. If they are en-
~ forced such an effort will cease at once.
=. "While the United Mine Workers hav
~ been endeavoring ever since the strike De
~ gan to prevent the production OF COAL tn
-: GENERATORS have been actively seeking
=. increase the same, and are now actuali
- producing about Is per cent of the norma
II. cutput. This company now has abou
49,. one thousand men engaged in the bus
~ ness. This production is steadily 1ncreas
~ Ing and the rate of increase would nav
W ~ been more rapid but for the failure OF tn
-. state and national governments to prote(
30 life liberty and property of those des1r1n
49, for
~ the operators from the onslaught of tn
~ illegal combination to restrain and NOR
~ opolize the entire fuel supply OF the cou1
w. try If the functions Of government
q. this regard were sufficiently discharge
~ | production would be rapid enough>to SUI
- ply all necessities.
" Grave as are the matters mentioned
w., the presidents memorandum, the que
W lions fundamentally involved are eve
~ more serious They are whether freedo
- of life and property are to continue
" nthis country, or are to exist merely
iio accordance with the will Of combination
=. and conspiracies which are prohibited
IN the constitution and the statutes and t.
80 common law, and whether this company
ll, 40 faithful employees are to be delivered
w. the destruction which surely awaits the
'oie in case of the triumph Of the mine Wor
~, W ers' association This company respec
-l10 fully and earnestly urges upon the pres
y" dent the use Of his lawful powers In: t
III. premises, which was made in the De
go case by one of his predecessors a
'i 80 which was sustained by all the, cour
oe If the national government would NJ
eu' enforce the law with equal. promptne
au- the strike would end next week.
m. THE representative as Of the Unit
eos Mine Workers has 'noW stated that,
ent members are willing to return to wo
and has frequently said that he did
men demand official recognition Of the uni
Ing notwithstanding that the Shamok1n c.
ons vention of March last resolved that
oW- employment of non-union men should
ION, cause for striking. The condition
inst returning to work which he makes is t
the a commission be appointed by the pre-
Its dent to investigate existing conditi
ers. and that the mine workers and the
1t orators agree to abide by it's recomm
iza- dations. The personnel of such a &C
me- mission is uncertain; it's action would
aid without authority of law precede
tol-
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