The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1903-01-19
Relations Grow Cordial
Between Labor and Cap
ital Each Year.
TALKS ON INJUNCTION
Says Government By 1t IS
InSidiouS and Harmful
in the End.
by AssocIArrn rnrs,


Indianapolis, Jan. Io.-1hc United Nine
Workers fourteenth annual convention
opened in Tomlinson hall today. When
President Mitchell arrived there were over
GOO delegates present. lie received great
ovation. After the address to which Mr..
Mitchell responded briefly the preliminary
work of the convention was taken up. Mr..
Mitchell said in his address to the conyen-
tion:
"Thc demand for the incorporation Of
trade unions is the last trench Of those
who oppose organized labor II is impu-
dent and presumpious. No friend Of
trade unonssm ever believed in il or adj
vocated il, or called for IT, II is de-
manded today by those interests and those
enemies who have used every means At
their command TO oppose trade unonism,
10 cOuntcract its influence and TO destroy il.
How the labor organizations shall man
age their own affairs is not the business
OF the corporations or the employers. This
demand for the incorporation Of labor
unions is not only unjust and unrcason-
able, but il is impudcnt and insulting to
the last degree"
Government by Injunction.
Referring to injunctions Mr. Mitchell
said: Government by injunction is one
OF the insidlOus, harrassing and dangerous
methods resorted to by the enemies OF the
workingmen 10 destroy labor organizations
and 10 circumvent the constitutional right
OF trial by jury. The whole system Of
government by injunction grows from the
distrust of the ultra capitalists for demo-
cratic institutions
"1he reasons given for the issuing Of
injunctions are always misleading and
generally false. So far as those njunc-
tions are issued in labor cases they are
never issued excepting in such cases as
call for the exercise OF the criminal law.
Government by injunction is not only
hostile 10 organized labor but il is hostile
TO constitutional liberty. II the American
people do not check this arbitrary power
it will result in the annihiation Of labor
unions and then OF all other forms of asso-
Citations disliked by capitalists"
In closing Mr.. Mitchell said II desire
10 thank each official colleague, each Off
Ger and member of our union for his
assistance and support during the past
delegates in the conduct Of the conven-
ton"
President Mitchell began his address by
impressing upon the delegates the interests
committed TO their care. OF the many
important events affecting the interest and
welfare Of the toiers Of the country he
said the anthracite coal strike stood pre-
eminent
Vital principles were at stake which, il
defeated, would have given to the Ameri-
can labor movement shock from which il
would have required years to rally and
recover. After giving a brief history of
the great strine, including the efforts Of
the civic federation TO settle the contro.
vcrsy between the miners and operators,
the appointment Of the strike commission
by President Roosevelt and the White
house conferences, Mr.. Mitchell continued:
1T would of course be improper at this
time for me to comment upon the inyesti-
cation now being conducted by the an
thracite coal strike commission more than
to say that its members are men in whose
impartaity and judgment have full con-
fidence.
Firm in my opinion of our ability to
demonstrate the justice of our claims !
have no fear of the outcome
Touching conditions in Virginia and
West Virginia, President Mitchell said
the effort to secure for the miners the
same conditions that obtained in the dis
tricts covered by the interstate agreement,
had not met with the ..gree of success
that had been hoped for, although a larger
number of local unions had been estab-
lished during the past year than during
any other period in the mining history of
those states. The effect of the injunction
was demoralizing to the miners in the
Farmont region.
The strike in West Virginia, though not
a complete success, has resulted in an
Improvement in the conditions of en-
ployment and an increase of 10 per cent
(Continued on PAGE Threel