The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-13
MINERS REJECT.
VIII Have Nothing to Do With
Baer's Proposition.
Sentiment Is Made Plain by
Clarence DarrOW.
CONTINUES ADDRESS
v-Ao-.G,- DoFo~o H.
Begun Yesterday Before the
Strike Commission.
Says Industrial Peace Can Only
Come Through Arbitration.

Philadelphia. Feb. ia crowd all
most as large as that which heard
President Baer and C. S. Darrow yes
terday was present today when the
chief counsel for the mirers resumed
the closing argument before the strike
commission Mr.. Darrow wasted no
time in preliminaries and began his
speech as soon as the session was
opened. He first discussed the cause
of the strike. The responsibility for the
coal famine. he said, rested with those
who were responsible for the strike If
the men struck without just reason
then they were responsible; but if the
men were right and the operators not
broad minded enough to see the just
ness of their claims, then the latter
were responsible for the trouble he
believed the strike was due to tine
blind. autocratic. stupid spirit of the
operators They believed the issue was,
who should be the masters. the oper-
ators or the men. L say neither should
be the master of the other"
Mr.. Darrow proceeded at some length
to verify his assertion and quoted from
the testimony of the late Ario Pardee,
coal operator before a congressional
investigation 20 years ago. showing the
alleged blind spirit of the operators
n score Of years back, when they re-
Iused to treat with the organization of
lHe men, The same spirit. he said, eN-
lists today. He briefly referred to the
spirit shown by John Markle in eVfct-
ing 13 persons for ALLEGED criminal
acts, and then took up Mr.. Baer's slid
ing scale proposition made Yesterday.
He said if MT. Baer believed he made a
nice, fair proposition he proposed to
show him 1t was not With the assist
ance OF the miners expert statistician
Mr. Darrow said. the one per cent
raise ON five cents suggested by Mr.
Baer would give the operators an in
crease of 31a per cent i'm profits and the
miners only Y on the $3.50 basis. Mr.
Darrow's remarks on the proposition
plainly indicated that the miners flat
ly reject the proposition.
ReVerting TO the cause or the strike
Mr. Darrow quoted from the replies of
the operators last spring, when they re-
fused to treat with the organization.
He said labor leaders hesitate to call
strike because they know it means dis
tress and suffering. He wanted the
captains Of Industry to know that it
was better for the men to treat with
then than have the men go to the
petty feudal tyrants." Who are under
them in authority for the purpose of
getting just trea tment. It would be bet
tiers for the industry and the country
20 have the heads Of the coal companies
ana the representatives Of the men
meet face to face. rather than have the
1nalNldual workers go to the under boss
4f the boss does not like what the miner
says he throws the latter out.
counsel followed this by reading the
nnunlcauons from MT Mitchell be-
Iore the strike asking for arbitration
Arbitration, Mr Darrow SAID is the only
means by which Industrial peace can
ne maintained Every appeal and every
prayer OF lle men, he said was con-
semptuQusly rejected by the operators.
kef1 III
more than the organizatf tier of the min
ers ne said to prevent the civil
Heeue ual was thrust upon the people
or the country They spurned all our
requests with contempt. We win not
treat with You, but viii post notices
on our works which shall be YOUR con-
1Iaet lor tne coming year they said
He1 iorced the strike that they might
demonstrate to the men and to the
generations to come that the owners
or capital are the masters of the work
men Ihey tried to crush the ilnion
which was the first ray Of hope and
INSPIRE non that has entered their dark
ANes but at this late dav after
months of strife on the part of the men
20 meet their masters, the operators
come i'm with a proposition.
Mr. Baer' Mr.. Darrow continued
feared his own combination more
than be feared the miners union. be-
cause MT Baer's combination vras rich
ana lne miners was poor. The peoDle
90 not DelleNe in such an absolute
ownership of the riches of the aar-fh
as that which the anthracite coal COM
binauon possesses. The time win come
when the operators combination viii
be destroyed, not by the miners union
but by the people who viii take posses
sion Of the riches under the ground
and relieve themselves of the tyranny
or these men
so long as the laws Of the country
do not prevent industrial wars" he
capital want to fight. so long win the
M.rE-ngman Of The co-lr-L---- d..