The Irish standard., 1903-11-28

effect in every respect has been ad-
| mirablc. The award has carried mo-
mentous consequences. 1t has made
the lot of the anthracite miner toler-
able. 1t has reduced the hours of la
Dor, enhanced wages, broken down
certain vicious practices, and in gen
eral substituted economic conditions
that an advanced civilization would
care to recognize for DETECTED cur
rent in the general well-being of the
country. You must remember in at
tempting to appraise the results of
our efforts for human standard of
life that perhaps 65 per cent, of the
miners are not English-speaking peo-
pie, and hence find an initial barrier
of great magnitude shutting them out
from the heritage of civilization.
CLOSELY welded organization, conserv-
ative and efficient leadership, a high
and appealing ideal have been neces-
sites in situation bristling with diff
ticulties. The award of the commits
sion has had the priceless value of
placing clearly before the American
people the aims, aspirations, struggles
! and triumphs of the vast, and to an
extent voiceless, workers in the
mines" The Republics representa-
tive then asked if the problems which
confronted the anthracite and btu
| minOus coal miners were the same
'Identically, l might say" responded
Mr.. Mitchell. "While the details and
specific prescriptions of the programs
may vary at times, the general lines
| of policy are the same. The ideals are
similar and the demand for the trade
agreement is the central feature of the
| unionist propaganda. The trade
agreement, which should lie at the
base of all relations subsisting be-
tween employer and employee, is be-
ing progressively recognized as essen
tial to the welfare of labor. By it a
rational working day is secured
hours that are long enough to main
tain industrial efficiency at the maxi
mum, and yet short enough to enable
the worker to grow to that level of
manhood that is impossible when la
Dor is unremitting. AS to the nom
union laborer? Well, his status is still
more dubious and vague than before
the great strike Of last year. The ar
ticle in McClure's Magazine, which
rather held him in the public gaze in
the light of martyr was gross ex-
aggeration-or rather gross perver-
| sion of facts. So much clearer have
come in the past year that the non
union laborer is gradually becoming
absorbed in the cohorts of organized
labor. He sees on all sides the al
most miraculous transformations that
have been accomplished by the consol-
idation of separated strugglers. The
triumphs of the industrial world and
the equally important victories of Ia
Dor are an object lesson to him. He
secs that isolated effort is almost as
rllinous as no effort at all. OF course,
the process is educational. And with
the spread Of education, the diffusion
Of the principles of sound economic
science, and the enlightenment that
America represents those who rise in
insurrection against the spread of un-
ionism will become rarer and less
worthy of consideration. Now, with
reference to the sympathy Of the
Catholic clergy. You must bear in
mind that over 90 per cent. of the
miners are Catholics, penetrated with
a traditional fealty to the Church that
is as chivalrously tender as the love
which son gives a devoted mother.
This could not be unless the priest
was an important factor in the life
of the people. That he is, is unques-
toned. Out of this large sentiment
of helptulness and spiritual guidance
there issues a sympathy on the part
of the Catholic clergy for the aspira'
tions and the struggles for wider Op.
portunities which have been the es.
sential proposals of the labor move
ment. have known only two priests
in my whole experience who were not
friendly to the miners in their battle
for better conditions. And these mer
were not representative of the type
that spells widened influence for the
Catholic conception Of life. The priest
knows the workman. He does not
look ut him from the quiet and carpet
ed seclusion of Il study where he
browses over academic and anaemit
discourses on the condition of labor
His sympathy is wellspring of living
waters. 1t is prompted by intimate
contact. 1t is not sterile devotion tt
an unreal workman conjured up by
the weaving of many phrases Wher
The Republics representative men
toned Bishop Spalding's name, Mr.
AIitchell's eyes kindled with enthusi