The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-06
TWO SIDES TO FIGHT
Col. Plat Walker Says His sympa-
thy With the Striking Miners
Is Shaken.
Was Eye Witness to Countless Acts
of Brutality by the Union
Men.

Colonel Platt B. Walker the veteran
lumberman, has returned after an eight
months sojourn in Scranton, Pa. Colonel
Walker left Minneapolis last August, and
since that time he has been with his mar
ried daughter in the heart of the anthra-
cite coal region.
AS a. $dsinterested observer Of events
growing out Of the great strike of the
United Mine Workers. Colonel Walkers
views of that titanic struggle will be
found interesting. He declares that he
went to Scranton with heart bubbling
over with sympathy for the strikers. but
that his observation on the ground
changed his views materially.
is The condition OF the striking miners
has been grossly exaggerated" says Col
onel Walker, "and if was vested with
the. power to settle the problem about
100000 low grade foreign miners in 1.-The
anthracite region would be shipped back
to Europe. a@ f4@ ~. = .s% Il :
"They are not American citizens in the
| true sense, although they can vote and do
vote, as political necessity. But those
poor. ignorant workmen will never become
| representative types of American civiliza-
tion. Their children will advance slowly,
but the army of John Mitchell is a fearful
aggregation. ~ 49,. ..- e..- !.
Il went to Scranton convinced that
| there was but one side to the great ques-
tion which had been raised between the
operators and their employees. but have
returned a wiser man. was in the thick
of It, and had exceptional opportunities
for getting at the real situation.
Sympathy With Strikers Shaken, K
- AS l said before, the miners represent
all that is low, british and ignorant in
the neid or labor. l was an eye witness
TO many acts of Violence and am fra nix
to- confess that my sympathy with the
strikers and faith in human nature were
shaken to the foundation by the crimes
which were committed daily during those
dreary weeks. -
l failed to find the evidence of terrible
suffering and cruel treatment which filled
the columns of tho newspapers through
out the strike. Most of the miners are
married men and live in comfortable cot
tages. speake of the district in the
Lackawanna valley, region covering
some fifty miles, of which Scranton is the
center. @sl
Scabs' Beaten or Murdered.
'Of course it is an old story to say tha
!; the strikers would not permit other mer
to work in their places No one, not or
the ground, can understand how .effec
( lively they prevented the non union MAJ
from working the mines. If such a man
more fearless than the rest, dared to mak
stand. he was murdered, or kicked an,
g., beaten to the point of death. I was al
witness to such occurrences, and m,
hand. ! could tell of many instances o
atrocious crimes committed by tn
4 strikers, but my heart 'sivkens when
think Of them; and besides, they %wer
quite fully set out before the strike com
mission. -;
II do not wish to be understood ASIDE
ing in hearty accord with the actions o
=. the operators, as I have never forgive
- - them for importing the pauper labor q
= Europe to do the work which rightful
4sl belongs to American 5Workingmen;sssbu ~ bu
!. there are two large sides to the antllra
= cite coal question, just the same.
! T1'is'I attended very many sittings of tn
: strike commissions and was impressed b.
the remarkable ability of President job
Mitchell of the Mine Workers associa
tion. He is an extraordinary man. Hi
intelligence is of the highest order an
, his information simply amazing. He ha
" wonderful self-control, is sharper tina
ninetenths Of the lawyers. and it is i'm
possible to confuse or rattle him.
Colonel Walker was about town Frida
and Saturday. shaking hands with oil
10 friends, to all of whom he likened himsel
as the prodigal son. Il was never S
happy in my life he said, ''as when &c
If back to Minneapolis