The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-07-10
President Of Miners Union
Tells His Followers to
Remain Firm.
FEELS CONFIDENT OF
WINNING GREAT STRIKE
Says Alleged Organization Of Citizens
Is for Purpose of Breaking Down
Miners union--Makes Charges
Against the Operators.

Naticoke, Pa, July 9.--In an address to-
day before the 400 delegates of District
No. 1 in convention, President Mitchell
of the Mine Workers Union, said he had
never participated in a strike in which
he was so confident of success. This
statement by the miners chief was greet
ed with great applause. The national
president severely criticised the citizens
alliance organizations, which have been
formed In Scranton and wilkesbarre for
the purpose of prosecuting persons who
boycott or otherwise intimidate men still
working in the mines. or their relatives.
President Mitchell was enthusiastically
received Mr. Mitchelrs address In part
is as follows:
"It may not be amss for me to make
few comments upon the situation as 1t
presents itself to me; and also to point
out some of the means that are being used
to discourage and injure you. he coal
operators have organized press bureau
and are constantly sending out through
1t what purport to be interviews with
and statements from them; WHILE as
a matter of fact there is not coal op-
orator in the entire region who will stand
responsible for any of the statements.
The Citizens Alliance.
1.-THE operators have also organized an
other adjunct under the name of the Cit
liens Alliance. l am sure 1 do not know
how many citizens are members of this
mysterious organization. as so far only
one has had the manhood or the affron-
terry to acknowledge his membership. I,
of course, hesitate to criticise men for
doing anything they have legal right to
do; but when an organization of the cit
izens of any community is formed, the al
legged purpose of which is the maintenance
of law and order, and when 1t develops
that the entire energies of the organiza-
tion are being directed against the coal
strikers, 1t arouses a suspicion, to say the
least, in my mind that the name of the
association is a misnomer and the al
legged purpose of the cloak under which
so-called citizens have joined forces with
the coal operators In a damnable attempt
to crush the miners union. Is 1t not rath-
er strange that this organization was
not formed at any time during the 25
years in which the anthracite coal COM
panies were blacklisting, boycotting and
driving from their homes and families all
men who dared to assert their rights and
join a labor organization?
Never Proceeded Against Trust.
Again, did any one hear of the Citizens
Alliance proceeding against the coal trust
when 1t threatened to close the mines of
the independent operators by refusing to
cfr nj
some Independent operators had granted
an eight-hour day to their firemen In the
strike of year ago? Moreover, did this
great Citizens Alliance attempt to pre-
vent the illegal efforts that the coal cor
porations arc making to cause the defeat
of every candidate for membership In
the legislature of the state of Pennsyl-
vania VINO advocated or favored labor
measures in the last session?
If men have right to belong to an
organization, and if the organization is
formed for good purposes, why do not
its members come out in the sunlight
like men and acknowledge TO be proud of
their membership in it? Moreover gem
tlemen. let me say that we know more
about the personnel of the Citizens Alli-
ance than its members think we do, and
when this strike is over some of them
who are now playing fast and loose with
the cause of the mine workers will find
1t extremely difficult to account for their
conduct
Stands for Law and Order.
Personally, l stand, always and under
all circumstances, for law and order Our
organization advocates full and complete
observance of the laws of our country,
and l want to declare emphatically that
as law-abiding citizens, as patriotic,
liberty-loving citizens, the members of
the miners union are second to none:
and while there may be some among us
who have transgressed the law, let me
say emphatcally that the proportion of
lawbreakers In the ranks Of the miners is
no greater than in the ranks of business.
professional or any other element in our
country.
And now. gentlemen, permit me to
warn you and the mine workers of the
anthracite region that no attention what
ever should be paid to the silly reports
that being sent out that the strike
is about to collapse, or that men want to
resume work. These same predictions,
emanating from exactly the same source,
have been made through the columns of
the press each day during the past month,
and yet every mine IS idle, and let me say
that every mine will remain idle until tie
strike is settled.
I'm all my experience in the labor
movement l have never participated In
az strike in which 1 felt so confident of
success. If our membership will stand
as l know they will, we shall in the not
far distant future achieve a victory and
settle for all time the right of the coal
miners to receive for honest labor and
unremitting toll at least a sufficient wage
to enatle them to live, maintain and ed
ucate their families and enjoy a few
pleasures of our civilization"
Virginia Strike About Over.
Roanoke. Va, July 9.-Those interested
in the coal fields claim that the strike is
virtually a thing of the past Five hun
dred and forty cars of coal were loaded
yesterday. Seven carloads or MINERS from
East Virginia and North Carolina ar
rived in the fields yesterday and immedi-
ately went to work, many Of them being
old miners returning. The labor lead
ers assert on the other hand that the
critical stage has not arrived yet.
1t has been stated that If the demands
of the strikers are not acceded to by
the nth inst other labor unions viii very
likely take hold of the rnatfar