Abilene weekly reflector., 1902-10-02
THE STRIKERS SIDE.
The President Of the Nine Work.
ers Makes 4 Statement.
WHAT The STRIKING MINERS DEMAND



Philadelphia, Sept. 29.-President
Mitchell, Of the United Mine Work.
ers. last night gave out long state
ment. 1t says in part:
"Since the very inception Of this
strike the aims, objects and ideals
Of the United Mine Workers Of Amer
lea have been willfully distorted by
Q small army of critics. We have
been unjustly maligned and our mo-
tives and purposes maliciously i'm
pugned. We therefore take this op-
portunity to repeat specifically that
we do not seek to interfere with the
management Of the coal properties
or with the proper discipline of the
working force, but we do demand
first, an increase in wages for men
employed on piece work; second, a
reduction in the hours Of labor for
men employed by the day; third,
payment for legal ton official;
fourth, that the coal we mine shall
be honestly weighed and correctly
recorded, and we favor incorporating
In the form of an agreement the
wages that shall be paid and the con-
ditions Of employment that shall OBJ
tain for a specific period.
"As to the reasonableness of these
demands we have proposed to sub
nit to and abide by the award of an
impartial board of arbitration.
There could be no grosser perver-
sion of truth than the assertion of
the operators that the mine work
ers' union is a lawless organization.
Looking at the past 20 weeks the
whole power of the union has
been exerted to preserve the peace
among a voluntarily idle population
Of 100000, and it is tribute to the
activity of our officers and the 10y
atty and self-restraint of our mem
bers that we have been more sue
cessful in allaying VIOLENCE than the
cell and iron police in melting it.
Despite all our precautions, we re-
gret that occasional violence has re-
suited, but it would be as logical to
charge any one of the religious, So
cial or other organizations, or even
the United States with being an un-
lawful government because some of
its adhercnts transgress the law, as
it is to charge the United Mine Work
ers of America with being an unlaw-
full organization because some OF its
members violate the law"
Conference on Moving Troops.
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Sept. 29.-The
authorities. Sheriff Jacobs |
md some of the superintendents of
Ihe coal companies in this vicinity |
held meeting in the office of one of |
the coal companies Saturday evening |
md talked over a plan by which the
troops can be moved promptly to
scenes of disturbance. 1t is not the |
of the military to do police
luty, but if any of the companies can
ret men to go to work the soldiers
will give them protection. 1t is re-
ported again that attempts will be
made to-day to resume work at sew
raj collieries in this region which
lave been idle since the strike be-
ran, but the report cannot be veri-
led.
At strike headquarters it was
laimed that there will be no change
n the situation the coming week,
which Is the twenty-frst OF the
trike; that strikers are as firm as
ver and that there will be no deser-
ions from the ranks to make it pos
ible for the coal companies to start
Up any new collieries.
The Ninth regiment went into
amp at Westside park yesterday
Ifternoon in the midst Of drench-
ng rainstorm. The Sheridan troop,
,rdered out by the governor yester-
lay, Joined the Thirteenth regiment
It Olyphant, Lackawanna county,
his morning.