The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-14
Attorney Darrow for the Miners,
Closes Case With an ALL
Day Argument.
CROWD APPLAUDs SPEAKER.
Commission Will Meet Secretly in
Washington to Consider Deci-
sion on Which 1t Has Been .
at Work Three Months.

Philadelphia. Feb. 13.-The Anthracite
Coal Strike Commission. after being in con-
tinuous session for more than three months.
closed its open hearings to-day with an
all-day argument by Clarence s. barrow
in behalf of the miners.
The commission will meet in secret in
Washington next Thursday and begin the
consideration of its award.
1t is expected that by the end of this
month the arbitrators will be ready to
make their announcement.
If an increase in wages is determined up
on the increase is to GATE from the first Of
last November. the commission having de-
cided upon that date on October 81.
After the session to-day the commission
held a short conference with the lawyers
for the several sides and asked them to
hold themselves in readiness in case they
are called upon by the commission.
The crowo that heard Mr.. barrow speak
To-Day was fully as great as that which
listened to Mr.. Baer and Mr.. barrow yes
terday. He took up the entire time of both
sessions. five and one-half hours. He
touched upon almost every phase Of the
with long applause. which Chairman Gray
did not suppress. President Mitchell was in
court all day. but did not have anything
to say to the commission in parting.
ENCUSE FOR VIOLENCE
Mr.. barrow early launched into n de-
tense for the men who committed crime I'M
der passion. and said the conduct Of the
men was due to their condition and environ
ments. If he had been, brought up under
the environment of the Pole who struck
James Winston on the head with a club. he
said he probably would DO the same. II he
had been brought up under the environ
ments OF President Baer he probably would
do as Mr.. Baer had been doing throughout
this strike.
operators called the men criminals. cut
throats and assassins"' was enough to ex-
asperate them. and Chairman Gray inter
rupted to say: The commission does not
believe the miners are criminals, cut
Threats and assassins."
You can never have a great strike ex-
said Mr.. barrow, "and so 1t was in the coal
close to life"
He said it was a wonder. after the oper-
ators have constantly and cruelty rejected
the requests of the men. that there was
rot That violence among the population, re-
ton. You may roll together all the cruelty
and violence committed in the anthracite
region" he exclaimed. land you cannot
when he turned helpless people into the
street simply to satisfy his hellish hate"
ASSAILS GOBLIN.
Brigadier General Goblin, who commanded
one brigade of the State troops in the field
during the strike, came in for severe crlti-
cism from the miners counsel. He read
ANPeAho ia 1NACldA SODln ny
his .regimental commanders, and severely
condemned the Generals now famous shoot
to kill' order, which had been followed by
an immediate abatement of disturbances in
the district.
Turning to the boycott, Mr.. barrow said
there was one illustrious example, at least.
IN the United States of tho boycott, and
that was in the American Revolution.
There IL not one specific act that is
charged to the mine workers." he said, 'but
what was charged to the men whom we
teach our children to love and venerate.
You and l may sit here and Judge men by
the dead letter of the law. We may say
that this act is right and that act Is wrong,
but up there sits the living God and he
judges the acts Of men by another standard
than ours. Let me say there is the legal
side and the moral side. The boycott is an
ancient weapon; 1t Is respectable when
when we use it"
In closing he said:
This contest is one Of the most important
that have marked the progress of
human liberty since the world began-one
force pointing one way, another force the
other. Every advantage that the human
race has won has been at fearful cost. Ev-
cry contest has been won by struggle. Some
men must die that others may live.
1T has come to these miners to bear this
cross, not for themselves. but that tho hu-
man race may be lifted up to a higher and
broader plane than it has ever known be- |
i