Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-22
is AN AMERICAN FIRST.
President Mitchell Delivers Farewell
Speech Before Commission.

Speech Before Commission.
Ottumwans and especially the min
ers of this vicinity will be interested in
the last remarks of President Mitch
ell, delivered before the coal strike
arbitration commission at the session
held Saturday afternoon in Philadel-
phia. Mr.. Mitchell was about to leave
for indianapolis, where he today open
ed the annual convention of the United
Mine Workers of America. In speak
Ing of the non-union men taken to the
coal fields during the strike, Mr.. Mitch
ell declared that they had been decoy-
ed there through misrepresentation
and finally betrayed by those who pro-
posed to take care of their interests
before the commission.
Il want to say too" said Mr.. Mitch
ell as to the matter of lawlessness,
that before being president of a union
| am an American. over and above
everything else. | believe that every
man should first be an American. There
is no man connected with an organiza-
ton; no man associated with this in
vestigation, who will condemn lawless-
ness stronger than | would. If did
not do it because l was opposed to law
lessness would do it because it mill
tates against the success of strike
and against the success and advance
ment of the organization. / do not be-
lleye that lawlessness ever won a
strike. | do not believe that lawless-
ness to very large degree deters
men from working. | believe that law
lessness under all circumstances will
initiate against the men who go on a
strike. AS l have said many times,
have an abiding faith in the American
people. | believe that when they I'M
derstand cause to be right they will
support it, and without the support of
the people no great movement can
succeed. That is true of strike. If
the people of the country are not in
sympathy with it, it must fail, and
am sure the sympathy of the people
will never be with those who violate
the law"
Mr.. Mitchell then referred to his ap-
peal to the miners to increase the out
put in order to relieve the suffering
caused by the coal shortage, and said
the responses showed the men were
| willing to do so, but are not furnished
sufficient cars with which to handle
what the miners can produce at pres
| ent.
This statement was challenged by
Major Warren, representing several
coal companies.
In answer, Mr. Mitchell said the
miners tell him the tracks are con.
gested with loaded cars of coal at the
mines, and then called attention to
the fact that 5000 miners who were
on a strike have SO far been refused
the right to work. though they are
ready to mine coal. He suggested
that the operators can at least in
crease the supply of coal ''to the ex-
tent OF putting to work our 5000 men.
! I'VE have waited patiently" said
| Mr.. Mitchell, 'since the date of re-
sumption, for our men to be placed
back in the mines. We believe they
ought to be given work. We do not
want to, and will not, cause trouble
at the mines, but will do all we can
| to prevent it. But | want the COM
mission to understand that the men
who have been idle all this time are
getting impatient. They are writing
every day asking if something cannot
| be done to secure them work in the
mines. They are charged, of course,
with being criminals. 1t is alleged
that they left their jobs and all that.
but if they are going to have a term
of peace for some years in the anthra-
cite field it seems to me they ought
to stop fighting now and that any de-
sire to punish the men by the compa-
MES ought to cease. We are willing
and anxious to get along in harmony
with those in the coal fields and will
| do all we can to establish good rela-
tionship there, and we hope the coal
operators will meet us half way in
doing that"