Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-04-09
LESSONS OF THE REPORT
Impressive Warnings of the An
thracite Commission.
state OF War" Theory in Conducc OF
Strikes-Unions Must Abandc.
1t IL They Would Con.
tinue.


It is ono of the significant facts in con-
noction with the report of the coal
strike commission that labor leaders like
Mr.. Gompcrs profess to be pleased with
IT, while ut the s1mc time they ignore
tho condemnation of the union methods
adopted by the strikers. If silence on this
point on the part of the leaders iudi-
Gates anything for the future, it means
that organized labor does not intend to
need the warning of the report and to
follow its councils.
But this is really the most important
feature of the document, so far as the
community is concerned, and those who
are charged with the care of public or
der and With the maintenance of the
sovereignty OF the law ought to keep
before the country, especially for the in
Struction of the lawess elements, the
vigorous condemnation of union meth
DDS 50 amply illustrated in the strike
which ended SO careless newspapers
and sclf-secking politicians are saying
IN NittorY for the miners.
some of the miners and engineers, in
deed, have won n victory in getting an
increase of pay and certain reduction
In hours of labor. This victory has
cost the parties Immediately concerned
In the strike nearly Sloo 100,0 00, not
TO speak of the vast sums paid by the
community in the way of additional
cost of coal. The fruit of the victory,
however. might have been had for the
asking, and this enormous expenditure
of money, the social generalization in
the anthracite region, and the presi-
dents dangerous experiment in extra
constitutionality. all might have been
avoided if the men had accepted the
suggestions of the operators and had
presented their grievances directly to
their employers
The operators insisted that they
IL ii;
els congloneratc union of anthracite
ana bituminous miners and would not
even consider tho proposition that the
working and the discipline of their
mines should lac put in charge of tho
United Mine Workers of America. They
were always willing to receive their own
mon, ara no one who knows the facts
doubts that the men might have obtained
substantially all that they asked by such
direct conference.
But tn" truth is. As is now established,
that MitChclls purpose could not have
been satisfied by so peaceful a prDcelur =.
For years he had worked for a reCogni-
tion. in the anthracite region. of his
union-thc bad character of which is
now declared by the commissiou-and
he fancied last summer that his opor-
tunity had arrived. So far as the opera :
tors were concerned the sins of the poll
ticians' compromise Of 1900 had apparent
~ come nome 10 rOost, ana Mltcnell
struck Tor the union
Ills strike has failed. The union is not
only not recognized but 1t is declared
mat, under its present constitution, 1t
docs not present the most inviting in
duoem'nts to the operators to enter into
contractu7l relations with it In other
words, the commissioners report sus-
tains the operators co far as their re-
fuSll to arbitrate with the union is con-
Cenel
subject of arbitration, that President
1}aer's suggestion of real anthracite
miners union is approved by the com
mission. and that Mr. Charles Francis
! Adams'S plan for a public inquisition,
| based on the earlier methods of the Mass
achusctte railroad commission, and first
| mentioned ana explained in these col
umns last summer, is also approved. The
report OF the Presidents commission
| may he an illustration OF tho value of
| turning on the light if all the newspapers
will treat the report as Il whole, and will
| dwell not so much on the material gain
Of the mon, for which the strike was not
! necessary, as on the strong condemns
tiOn of the principle which has been grad
! uallV adODted by labor ORGANIZATIONS that
! the relations of labor and capital are
| those of war. and il the writer's will per-
nit their readers to know that the COM
| mission condemns everything that the
| strikers did for the purpose of cnforc-
ing recognition of the union.
If, however, the newspapers persist IN
! following the exnmrle of MIR C;omnors In
ignoring the features of the report which
are disagreeablc t. ORGANIZED labor. ii is