The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1903-02-13
COAL STRIKE ARGUMENT
President Baer Made the Closing
Speech for the Operators.
BARROW REPRESENTED THE MINERS
And Made a Strong Presentation Of Their
case--The Audience Manifested
Deep Interest.

Philadelphia. February I2.-Before an audi !
encc that filed every Inch Of space In the
United States circuit court room, President
George f. Bacr of the Reading company
today made the closing argument for the
coal operators before the strike commits I
sion, and Clarence s. Darrow, chief counsel
for the miners. began the summing up for
the strikers Mr. Bacr concluded his adj /
dress by making proposition TO pay the
contract miners on sliding wage scale. !
the wages TO fall or rise with the market |
price Of coal at New York, but In no case
TO fall below the present basis for three
years.
Attorney Darrow spoke at the afternoon
session for two hours and half and VII
take up all Of tomorrow in closing the
miners case. His remarks today were di'
rected principally at the wage statements
presented TO the commission, which, he
said, could not be relied on.
Mr.. Darrow, in opening, made a compll-
mentary reference TO the patience of the
commission. reviewed the strike and oil the
suferings It entaicd and said IL SHAH
apologize g6r none Of the mistakes OF the
men, but do say that it does not be
come their accusers to call them criminals
He went on to tell of the operators re-
fusal To give the men more money and said
"As result of this act, $4,000 mon iaid
down their tools OF trade aud We have seea
10000 men, women and children reduced
to want and starvation for six long months
We have seen the president OF the Dmjyd
st0te appoint this commission TO settle
fnis dif6dultv and th.u dds AFTERNOONS lu
Inc last hours of this proceeding, the man
more responsive man Ah5 "tl.I e''H 40
sv'ctir tb9t which these mon demanded
niue months before and which tbcy, iu
heir bIndurss. thclr ignorance and their
su,niaity refuSol Wny dii not Mir Racr
~ iohr Nfurb.u nine mou,ns ago, ass
he came In t6is commission todayf
THssin, 10 the wage statements handed
1 ~ e,,,1,issjop Vr barrow talu the
'r,rntors md Esrr 1ec,,tc5 hy thrlr own
atconntapts and that when Bacr Informed
t,e gen"tors of this state the president OF
~ SS-,iti St,t.. auJ I,e commission ut
IL ,gL ,rog,s his mon we've eoftiu..
bo rove than i1formation al pas, 80 OBI iD
r "a nor cont hnycnd nuy facts Chat really
IT, III ~, t,. sud ~ all thls time
81 isLor h. is 0.if.Iu- 10 dive us - ur iO
anu iAu"', ~ az. tt-,t he saws cor.
icf,,,, r,,,r,ls ,nt n,p ,.,ruiirsI' D9rinW sa'd.
t'' ,.tii ~, Ia ,p,frsd H. rake a. From
tbn boajrrIrg ~ tbIs efrikr until Inc end,
~ 80. - mos, .,v ,bout whether the
{rnre tnS,, ,yrS+ thar were getting or
'l ~. 49, mentions heya ueror Given our
80 10 s,,r az ,,,a. % statement that
~ nS"' ~, Httr asr Tor "a sind,
m"u,d t'. .,I,, me- t,li,S5 tn tho publtc
,r...t.,- -. ,., ,,,i,,,' Ia e,rtrs he said that
,ra a. @ut ~ over, 1000 Torc
tnled cvrrv YEAR. to saw nothing Of tho
tsi,,o.f orJ 't.. rrioplrd and tho blind
~ girnlsIr,. tbe i,iil labor uucatl,n Do,
sni5. .,f tbc wort 81 tbi. commission do,
rnf rcsu.t N, artfinr rid of this abominablc
d{srrocafpI pvU ~ rhfll labor IN Pcuueyl
vaTia tbcD / thinL the neopIe may wei
saw that IN has been a failure
stVhen those railroad urpslhouts were
eneiiv c,ticd before the nreslleut OF tn
TfnItEd STAGES o,,r Of tnpin shcd tears be
rnnse mo limited Mine Workers allowed
these hoys 10 tnln thplr organization, be-
cause they taught these poor bnhes doe
trineg Of anarchy and dlsohedieucc 10 Law
This railroad president shed tears hccnus
the United Mine Workers were spoilng "a
souls OF these poor children. and vet b
was willing 90 take the earnings of thcs
poor children that he aud his family mi 81
be richer because OF their toll"
In opening his argument. Mr. Bacr di
cussfd ut some lcrgth the necessity ~
great combinations NJ capital, owing {
trade and industrial Development Coutiul
Ing he said; Elm general no one dcui'
the right Of man 10 organize Tor amy law
fui purpose. but the RIGHT tn organize ann
the power Of the organization when orgaI
ICED must still be governed aud coutrolo
by the Ccnera law Of tine land under white
our individual property rights are protected
We couccac 20 organized labor the sam
tights that We claim for organized capita
Each must Keep within the law. Their
gan not be one law for citizens ana corpor
lions and pnother FOR labor organizations.
''f Mr. Mitchell simply represented ou
ewn employees and was acting eNcusivel
for them there could be no objection I
dealing With him. but he represents IN o
ganization having for It's object some Ut
plan scheme of uniformity In wages an
conditions In the mining of coal all oy,
the United States, and Instead therefor
Of considering only the questions at ISIS,
relates 70 aii the conf miners IN Inc Unit,
States TO limit the right OF cNertion