Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-02-19
MINE WORKERS ORGANIZATION SEVERE,
LY SCORED.
UNEQUAL MEN ON BASIS
DOCTRINE OF SOCIALISM EsTABLlsRe,
CLEARLY.
S0CIALISTIC DOCTRINE
Counsel for Coal Company Says LADDERS In,
pose on Men-Side Of the Non
uulouists Presented.

Philadelphia, Feb. 1.-THE united
mine workers Of America as an or
ganizatiOn was severely scored today
by counsel before the anthracite coal
commission. The non-unon men
through their attorney, John T..
Lenahan, presented their side of the
controversy and demanded consider
atioI at the hands OF the commission,
claiming the legal right to earn a
livelihood as they might select with
out the consent or dictatlon OF the
union.
During the presentation of the case
Mr.. Lenaban denounced the union
as a fCmenter OF crime and anarchy.
The main feature of this argument
was the claim that the union had nc
legal or moral right to coerce miners
into membership or to aTrogate to
Itself the authority to fix the wages
of mine workers.
James S. Tory, counsel for the
Delaware e. Hudson company, claimed
that the question Of recognition of
the union was not an issue before the
commission, but he devoted consld-
cradle time to the consideration Of
that demand. He asserted that VIC,
lence and intimidatiU were agencies
selected for the promotion of the pur-
poses Of the mine workers.. Regard
iug the demand for an eighU hour
working day Mr.. TorTey said the ev-
idence showed that for various rea-
sons the breakers did not average
more than eight hours a day, so that
the physical effects Of long hours were
not felt.
! Major Everett Warren. counsel for
the Hillside Coal and Iron company
and the Pennsylvania Coal company,
ansW cred the demands of the miners
in detail and declared the socialIstio
theories of the union, or some of Its
leaders to he responsible for unreaSon-
able claims. He said among Other
things;
"The real parties to this suhm ssion
are the employees of the several COM
panieS on the one side, or certain OF
them, and their employers on the
other. They who are seeking to be-
come parties and intruding them
selves upon the commission. absolute
ly without warrant by the terms
thereof, are the united mine workers
Of A America.
Major Warren asserted that the
companies had proven accidents for
the most part to be the results Of
the miners CarelessneSs, and that
the occupation Of miner is COM
paratively healthy. In closing he
said:
"Throughout the discussion as to
the rates Of wages no matter how it
may be presented, it is absolutely
necessary tC bear in mind that the
/ annual earnings Of the mine workers
are limited by the men themselves.
| am perfectly willing that you should
take into cunSide ration all the evil
dences ffered on the other side as to
| the efforts made to equaliZe the dis
| tTibution Of cars, and after all this
it remains clearly established before
/ you that. since the advent of the
union, the earning capacity Of the
| contract miuers has been Unite, and
| instead Of the union being an ad VEN
! ture to him it has worked to his adj
disadvantage In restricting his earn
! ing capacity.
81 do not charge this upon the
great body Of the mine workers them
selves, They do not understand why
/ it is done. They are not familiar
with the sOcialistic theories Of some
of the leaders of the organization.
Whatever may he the motive on the
! part Of the union, the evidence is
Overwhelming that the result is a re-
striCtiOn on the part Of the indus
trious miner, limiting the amount of
work, and the consequent wages,
| shriyelling his powers and reducing
him to the dead level Of his lazy and
! ind tleTent associate. This cannot
be blOtted out from the record. II
apeaTS n the testimony Of every COM
pinY and every employer of abOr in
! the region.
Socialism proposes TO establish an
/ equality among the unequal met, by
| reducing them to the dead level of
this possible majority. Instead of
! allowing every one to determine for
himself what he wants to do, it is
to be done for him. That is nothing
but slavery. What is the theory OF
the union if it is not this? | do not
dispute the rig Int Of men to organ
ize, and / hold no brief against or
gained labor
Fire in Cabin of New York.