The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-21
MINERS IN SESSION
JOHN MITCHELL TELLS OF HIS
 WORK.
Says He Has the Greatest Confidenee in the Outcome of the Delibera- tions of the Strike
 Commission.

 thing on todays program at the Miners National Convention was the reading of John Mitchells annual report. The, con vention met promptly at 9 o'clock with 900 delegates in their seats. Mir. Mitchell received the closest attention Ills report, which was voluminous, was in part as follows:
 President Mitchell began his address by impressing upon the delegates the inter ests committed to their care.
 of the many important events affect ing the interests and welfare of the tofl- CTS of the country" he said, ''the anthra- cite coal strike stood pre-emInent.
 Vital principles were at stake, which. if defeated, would have given to the American labor movement a shock from which it would have required years to rally from"
 After giving a brief history of the great strike, including the effort of the civic federation to settle the controversy be- tween the miners and operators. the appointment of strike commission by President Roosevelt, of which George ,. Gray is the head. and the White House conference, MT. Mitchell continued:
 Tt would. of course, be improper at this time for me to comment upon the investigation now being conducted by the anthracite coal strike commission more than to say that it's members are eminent men in whose impartiallty and judgment have full confidence.
 Firm In my opinion of our ability to demonstrate the justice of our claims, I have no fear for the outcome"
 Touching conditions in Virginia and West Virginia, President Mitchell said the. effort to secure for the miners the rn1dftin1U h~f r1afotnAd fa fh4 districts covered by the interstate agree ment had not met with the degree of success that had been hoped for. al- though a larger number of local unions had been established during the past year than during any other period in the mining history of those States. The ef- feet of the injunction was demoralizing to the miners in the Fairmont region.
 The strike in West Virginia. although not complete success. had resulted in the improvement and an increase of 10 per cent in wages in the Fairmont dis trict, and in the Norfolk and Western Railroad.
 The fact that strikes were becoming due to the operation of the joint agree ments.
 Local and general strikes, he said, oc- cured more often in districts where the operators refused to recognize the organ ization or treat with it's accredited of- ficers. Mir. Mitchell continued:
 with each succeeding year the rela- tions become more cordial between the operators and miners in those districts where trade agreements exist, and the bonds of mutual confidence and respect have perceptibly increased That the business relationship now existing will AaA Is my earnest hope and confident expecta- tion."
 Concerning the incorporation of trade unions, Mir. Mitchell submitted an opin- ion by Clarance s. Darrow of Chicago attorney for the miners before the strike commission, in which the following sem tences occur: '"The demand for the in- corporation of trade unions is the last trench of those who oppose organised la. Dor. It is impudent and presumptious No friend of trade unionism ever believ- ed in 1t or ever advocated 1t, or called foi it. It Is demanded today by those inter. ests and those enemies who have used every means in their command to oppose trade unionism, to counteract its inhu' ence and to destroy 1t. How the labor organizations shall man. age their own affairs is not the bust. ness of the corporations or the employ, CTS. This new demand for the incorpora. | tion of labor unions is not only unjust and unreasonable, but 1t Is impudent and in, sulting to the last degree"
 Referring 70 iniunetionR Mfr. Mitchell said: "Goverunent by injunction is on, of the most insidious. harassinE and dan. Eerous methods resorted to by the enc mics of the working men to destroy labor organization and to circumvsnt the consti tutional right of trial by jury. The whol, system of government by injunction grow: from the distrust of ultra-capitalists fol democratic institutions.
 ''The reasons given for the issuing oi inJunctions are always misleading and generally false. So far as these injunc tions are issued in labor cases. they art never issued executing in such eases a: call for the exercise of the criminal law "Ciovernment by injunction is not only hostile to organized labor hut 1t is hostile to constitutional liberty. If the Ameri can people do not check this arbitrary power it will result in the annihilation ot labor unions. and then of ali forms o associations dislilSed hy capitalists.''
 In closing. Mir. Mitchell said: "I desire to thank each official colleague, each of fcer and member # our union for his as sistance and support during the mast year and to ask the indulgence of our dele gates in the conduct of the convention Following the reports of the officers tho convention adjourned until 2 o'clock.
 The afternoon session lasted an hour