Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-18
MINERS ARE REFUSED WORK
Mitchsll Claims Three Thousand Anthracite
Workers Are Shut Out,
CALLS ON OPERATORS TO RAISE FAMINE
LnckRwanna Company opens Case
Before strike Commission by
Claiming Men Are
Satisfied.

- 80 hAAAN
today what he believed would be his fare
well address to the strike commission. The
Scranton Coal company closed its case dur
ing the session today and was followed by
the Delaware, Lackawanna e. Western rail-
way. II was while the latter company
was examining witnesses that the hour for
adjournment arrived, and Mr.. Mitchell
asked TO be permitted to address the ar
bitrators.
M~itchell's Last Appearance.
All the attorneys crowded around him as
he prefaced his remarks by saying it would
probably be the last session OF the investi-
cation he would be able to attend. He ex-
planned why he was called west, and said;
l wish to take this occasion to express
whom represent, at the manner in which
the, Investigation is being conducted. /
feel confident that by the thoroughness 1t
VIII result in much good. Considerable
time has been taken up by the presentation
Of evidence to show lawlessness in the
Personally. I bear no i'll will toward those
VINO came here and no personal malice
toward those who worked and | am trying
TO separate myself, as far as possible, from
the special interests | represent. The nom
union man who was brought here, the
fellow who was called a 'sCab.' was
Grought Tor the same purpose which put
him in the mines. He was put in the mines
for the purpose Of destroying the efforts of
the men who went on strike. He was de-
coyed before the commission because he
was told an effort would be made to secure
him an Increase in wages. He came here
paid by the companies, his hotel bills were
settled by them, and our men who went
around to see them say money was fur
nlshed to them to enjoy themselves while
He came here, and in not one case did
those who represented him attempt to show
that he was entitled to an increase in
wages. ne nOnlnlOn man was hptraNC6
by those who proposed to take care of his
interests before the commission.
Strongly Condemns LawIessness.
J want to say, too, as to the matter Of
lawlessness, that before being a president
of a union, before being a member of a
union, l am an American, over and over,
and above everything else. ! believe that
every man should first be an American.
There is no man connected with the organi-
cation, there is no man associated with this
investigation, who would condemn lawless-
ness stronger than | would. If l did not
DO 1t because was opposed to lawlessness,
I would do it because it initiates against
the success of a strike and the success and
advancement of the organization. l do not
believe lawless organizations ever won a
strike. / do not believe lawlessness to any
great extent deters men from working. L
believe lawlessness under all circumstances
initiates against men who are on strike.
l have said many times l have an abiding
faith in the American people. l believe
that when Trey understand a cause to be
right they will support 1t, and without the
support of the people 70 great movement
can succeed. That is true of a strike. If
the people of the country are not in sym
pathy with ii, 1t must fail and 1 am sure
the sympathy of the people will never be
with those who violate the law.
There is one other question that l feel 1t
is my duty to speak of. AS the commission
is no doubt aware, several days ago l adj
dressed a communication to all the anthra-
cite miners, urging them to cooperate with
the management Of the mines in increasing
the output for the purpose of relieving the
terrible suffering due to the coal famine.
/ have since heard from a large number
Of our local unions and in nearly every in
stance the miners tell me that the produc-
ton of coal cannot be increased through
any effort of theirs. TIA In most cases
the companies are failing to furnish them
as many cars as they would load. In other
words, the regular turn of cars will not
amount to as much as the men are ac-
customed and willing to load. so that they
cannot increase the output of the mines.
In some few cases they say they could and
have agreed to do so.
Major Everett, who represents several
coal companies before the commission, in
terrupted Mr.. Mitchell and requested him
to bring proof of the assertions he had
made. The companies, he said, had in
formation to the contrary and they would
show that the men did not and were not
willing to load as many cars as they could
be furnished with.