The San Francisco call., 1903-01-21
GIVES MINERS
ENCOURAGEMENT
President Mitchell Says
He Has Confidence
in Commission.
Declares Government by In
junction Is Intended to
Destroy Unions.

! INDIANAPOLIS. Ind. Jan. 2O.-The
| first thing on to-day's programme at the
! Miners National Wage Convention was
the reading of John MitchelI's annual
report The convention met promptly at
o'clock with 900 delegates in their seats.
Mitchell received the closest attention.
| President Mitchell began his address by
inpressing upon the delegates the interest
committed to their care. OF the many
important events affecting the interest
and welfare of the toiIers of the coun-
try. he said, the anthracite coal stood pre-
eminent.
Vital principles were at stake which if
defeated would have given TO the Ameri-
can labor movement a shock from which
it would have required years to rally and
recover. After giving a brief history Of
the great strike. including the effort of
the Civic Federation to settle the contrO-
versy between the miners and operators
the appointment of the Strike Commission
by President Roosevelt and the White
House conference. Mitchell continued:
1T would, of course, be improper at
this time for me TO comment upon the
investigation now being conducted by the
Anthracite Coal Strike Commission, more
than to say that its members are men in
whose impartiality and judgment 1 have
fun confidence.
Firm in my opinion of our ability to
demonstrate the justice of our claims, l
have no fear OF the outcome.
with each succeeding year the rela-
tions become more cordial between the
operators and miners in those districts
where trade agreements exist and the
bond of mutual confidence and respect
perceptibly increases. That the business |
relationship now existing will continue
and grow time goes on is my earnest
hope and confident expectation"
Referring to injunotions Mitchell said:
Government by injunction is one of
the most insidious. harassing and dan |
gerous methods resorted to by the enc
mics of the wOrkngman 10 destroy
unions and circumvent the constitutional |
right of trial by Jury. The whole system !
of government by injunction grows from
the distrust of ultra-capitalists for demo- |
cratic institutions"
At the conclusion of MitcheITs report !
Secretary-Treasurer Wilson submitted Ills |
report. Wilson dwelt at length on many
phases of the great anthracite strike and /
said that when the call for funds was
issued by the special convention sum- /
moned by the miners ii was Immediately !
taken up by the American Federation of |
Labor, the various trades unions, the CEN |
tral bodies, our cities and the public at |
large and the response was both liberal |
and prompt.
The total amount donated by the diff |
ferent branches of the miners organiza- |
tion $25s, ,S33 "a. The total amount !
received from the special anthracite as
sessment was 81, ,967, OPS "a, making a total |
of 81 225, $40 2S from the members of the I
United Mine Workers to assist their /
brethren in the anthracite fields. To this |
amount must be added S419.954 Al donated |
by the trades unions and the public, a /
grand total of 2.e45, ,324 %.
During the afternoon session Frank |
Thomas Of Minersville. Pa, presented To
President Mitchell a gavel made of wood |
taken from the house and tomb of Patrick !
Henry in Charlotte County, Virginia.
A movement has been started to buy
residence in this city to be presented to |
Mitchell.