The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-01-19
President Mitchell is Given a
 Warm Reception
SAYS HIS TASK IS DIFFICULT
He Thinks Differences Between Capt. tai and Labor Are Not So Great That They Can't be Recon
 ciIed-convenes Today.


 teenth annual convention of the United Mine Workers of America will open here tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock. Dele- gates arrived today from every part Of the United States. President Mitchell ar rived shortly after o'clock and was taken immediately to his hotel Vice President Lewis and many members of the executive board are already here, and those who are not will arrive tomorrow.
 The delegates from the western and southern states arrived today.
 Delegations have come In from Pitts burg and Ohio. The Tennessee delegation has also arrived with many delegates headed by the officers of that district.
 President Mitchell was met at Green field by the reception committee. At the depot here carriages were waiting and with the committee was taken to his ho- tel, where he held an informal reception for number of his personal friends.
 The crowd which assembled at the de- pot to welcome him was very large and when President Mitchell appeared he was greeted wl... cheers, which continued un- III ht ilttu itll lllS tdlIidSt anu Ghl0ttd the hotel It was expected by the per sons who assembled that he would De accompanied by President Samuel Com pers of the American Federation of La bor. Mir Gompers did not arrive, how ever, and probably will not be able to attend the convention. Those who accom- panied MT. Mitchell were Prof. Frank Warne, instructor of political economy Of the University of l ennsylvania, and Harry s. Wellington of the Boot and Shoemakers' Union. Others who arrived on the same train with MT. Mitchell were John Fahay, president of district g of the Anthracite Workers; President w. E. Haskins, Vice President D. H. Sullivan and Secretary-Treasurer G. w. Savage of the Ohio Mine Workers.
 Mitchell Welcomed.
 After the arrival of the president at the hotel many delegates, organizers and officers called to welcome him and to extend their greetings. At o'clock a dinner was served in the "Ordnary' at the hotel for Mir Mitchell and, the re- ception committee. After the dinner pres ident Lowering of the Columbia National bank welcomed President Mitchell, and the latter, in response. said
 'To live up to the measure that has Dttn Htt TUT llt Dy AllC pcoplc OA tnS United States is indeed difficult task The greatest number are prone to be- leve that a man whose name has ap- peared in the press daily for the last few months, and whose picture has been print ed in the newspapers from one coast to the other. is a great orator, but I am just a plain talker
 q have perhaps been honored by or ganized labor as much. if not more, than any one of its many leaders today. Whether I deserve these honors or not cannot say. I have tried to do my duty toward the men who have chosen me as them"
 Referring to the anthracite strike he said:
 T am not here to speak of the merits of the controversy between the operators and miners in the anthracite fields Strikes and lockouts, however, are for eign to the purposes of organized labor. I do not believe in strikes. I regard them as horrible and the creators of suffering. But I do believe that the laboring men of the country should never surrender the right to strike and to protect themselves against organized capital.
 Could be Reconcied.
 ''I for one do not regard the interests of capital and labor as so much opposed to each other that they cannot be recon ciled. I have abiding faith in the citi- zens of this country and believe that they can solve the great labor problem which confronts us, and solve it right. The labor principles are considered more lofty now by that class of the people who hereto fore did not understand the purposes of trades unions The anthracite strike will result. I believe, in the establishment of proper relations between employers and employees"
 Tomorrow Is the day of labor's celebra- tion of Mitchell's return. Tomorrow night a parade of laboring men will be held After the parade has reached Tomlinson hall, the following programme will be followed:
 Address of welcome-John L. Feltman. president of the Central Labor union.
 Address" Our Guest" Charles A. Book walter, mayor
 Address-John Mitchell, president of the United Mine Workers of America.
 Address-James M. Lynch. president of the International Typographical union.
 Address-W. P. Wilson, secretary of the United Mine Workers of America.
 Address-S. M. Sexton, editor of the United Mine Workers of America.
 Address--T. l.. Lewis, vice president of the United Mine Workers of America.
 Convention Opens at 10 O'clock.
 The convention will open tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock. It will be called to order by President Mitchell and Mayor Bookwalter will welcome the delegates President John Feltman of the Central Labor union will welcome the mine work CTS on behalf of local organized labor.
 Following the speeches the report of the committee on credentials will be sub mitted.
 President Mitchell said tonight:
 Immediately after the report of the committee ou-4eredentials Is submitted, will make my annual address and report It is very probable that 1t will not be made until Tuesday tiorning. It is very long and I will require some time to de liver it'
 He refused to discuss the context of the address and the recommendations he will make. It is understood, however. he will enter into an exhaustive history of the late conflict between the miners and the operators in the anthracite fields in Penn sylvania and of West Virginia strikes He continued:
 T believe that we will succeed in get ting an eight-hour labor law. The pros- poets are very favorable at least for it's passage.>
 Concerning the probility of the anthra- cite workers and the miners ever being able to get together In joint conference, MT. Mitchell said
 'T see no prospect of that coming to pass now, but it will have to come at some not far distant time. The miners in the anthracite region are now mining more tons of coal per d-y than they have ever done before. Their condition of