Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-20

ACCepJ
to talk bout the first visit and work Of the
commission at Wilkesbarre. The findings
of the commission, il was evident from the
talk of the delegates, were expected TO 1orm
standard or sort of high court decision
which would make easy of adjustment fu-
ture differences between the coal operators
and the miners, and bring about closer re-
lation between employer and employe
Question as to Pumpmen.
A phase of the situation that is causing
much discussion among the men today is
the status of the mine engineers and fire.
men. According to an explanation given by
a miner there are about 1000 of this class
of employees who struck with the miners or
have since gone out. Having cast their
fortunes with the strikers they are con-
Cerned by what seems to them chance
that the strike will be declared off, and
that the men will return TO work, leaving
them unprovided for, the non-union men
who were hired to keep the pumps going
being retained in their places. 1t has been
suggested that the mine superintendentS
can be communicated with and that the
prospect of the striking engineers ana
miners returning to work thus be cleared
at once. There was some talk while the
convention was assembling that the engi-
neers and fremen would demand from the
convention an accurate statement of what
to be done with them. Their serious
ness on this point is readily admitted, but
there seems to be no feeling whatever that
they will try to prevent the acceptance OF
the arbitration plan.
Mr.. Mitchell said he did not think thcre
would be any trouble in satisfying these
The convention was called to order at 2:lo
pm.
Mitchell and Wilson were elected perma-
nent president and secretary respectively.
There are 662 delegates present who Will
cast S64 votes.
President Mitchell reached the theater at
2:3O shortly after his election as president.
He was received with great cheering.
President Mitchel's Speech.
Mr. Mitchell said: In opening this con-
vention for the transaction of business,
take pleasure in extending warm greeting
and welcome to the accredited represent
atives of the 10000 men and boys whose
heroic struggle for living wages and Amer
lean conditions of employment has won the
admiration of the whole civilized world
Language is inadequate to express the
sense of pride l feel in you and those you
represent Your noble defense Of the prin-
cipIes of unonism endears you to every
man and every woman in our land VINO
works for livelihood. When the history
of the struggles of toilers shall be written
its pages will record no event more i'm
portant no principle more ably defended,
no battle more bravely fought than the
contest which l earnestly hope is now
about to be happily ended
gress of the strike or even to enumerat2
the important events which have now pass
ed into history. Imprinted indelibly upon
the hearts of our people are the memories
of the sufferings and hardships which have
been and are being endured. For five long
months the eyes of the nation have been
centered upon your actions, and it is
pleasure to say that the great heart OF the
American people thrObbed in sympathy With
you. 1t is, of course, source of deep re-
gret that the millions of underpaid work
men in our great cities should be the most
acute sufferers by reason of this contest
between ourselves and our employers. But
strange as 1t may appear hundreds upon
hundreds of those who suffered most from
lack of fuel sent words of commentator
and encoura cement to us. and in many In
stances declared that they would endure
any privatiOn in order that the miners and
their families might secure a sufficient
wage to enable them to enjoy little happi-
ness and sunshine instead of the gloom and
sadness which has been their lot for many
years.
Owe Debt Of Gratitude.
The debt of gratitude our fellow
workers in this and other lands, the debt of
gratitude we owe generous public and
friendly press, who have supported and sus-
tanned US during this memorable strike can
never be adequately repaid.
For our opponents we entertain feel
ing of malice. While they have maligned
our characters, impugned our motives and
sought the victory by methods which We
should scorn to use yet on this day, when
have secured avenue Of redress, on
this day when the realization of our hopes
and ambitions seems near, when the pros
pect of brighter and happier future seems
assured, We should hold out to them the
hand of friendship and ask them to join us
in providing for such business relations as
shall for all time establish peace and tran
quillity In the coal fields.
The day is past when great organizati tions
of capital maintain the false position
that their employees shall be denied the right
to organize into compact bodies and speak
through the organization of which they are
members. We recognize the right of capital
to consolidate. to federate and to speak and
act through its organization, but in accord
ing these rights and privileges to capital we
demand and shall assert the same privileges
for those who toll. Between the combina-
tion Of capital on the one hand, and the or
gan!Zaton Of labor on the other, there
should be, and need be, no irreconcilable
conflict; each is factor in the economic
deVe!opme mt of our civilization, and the ap-
plication of business judgment and plain
common sense by each would enable them
to work in harmony.
Labor and Capital Interdependent.
While the interests of labor and capital
are not by any means identical, they are
nevertheless reciprocal; each is dependent
upon the other and under form of gov
ernment one cannot prosper without the
other.
Abraham Lincoln truly said that capital
is the fruit of labor, and could not exist
If labor had not first existed. Labor, there
fore, deserves the first consideration That
this fundamental principle will be recog-
niZed by the tribunal selected by the Presi-
dent of the United States l have no reason
to doubt.
The grave question which you have been
| called upon to consider today demands and
must receive your most careful thought.
Personally, i should have preferred an ad-
| justment OF the difficulties existing In the
! anthracite field by conference with the an
! thracite mine owners and without the in
| tervention of agencies not directly involved,
| but l recognize the fact that relations be-
/ tween ourselves and the mine operators
| have become strained as to render direct
! negotiations at this time impossible If the
| consequences of this strike affected only
| the interests OF the operators and mine
workers there would be less reason for the
| Intervention OF third party, but the fact
| that coal famine was upon the people OF
| the eastern and seaboard states and threat
eued to become a national calamity justifies
| the action of the chief executive of our ma
| ton in his earnest effort to bring about an
early resumption of mining.
The proposition submitted for your con-
sideration may have Objectionable features,