The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-10
ARGUMENT ON
 COAL STRIKE The Miners Attorneys
 Open the Talking. THEY LAUD UNIONISM
Ex-C0ngressman Brumm Has
 Tilt With Baer.
Former Declares That the Coal Road President Awaited the Eleventh
 Hour to Disavow c Charge of Murder.

Philadelphia, Feb. s.-Arguments for and against the demands of the union an- thracite mine workers, which will con- tinue before the coal strike commission for the next six days. was begun today when the miners, through Daniel J. Mo- Carthy of Hazleton. made the opening argument.
 Mir. Mccarthy was followed by former Congressman Brumm of Minersville, who made a general argument. and Henry D. Lloyd of Chicago. who confined his of forts to the question of recognition of the union and yearly trade agreements.
 The operators will begin their argu- mont tomorrow, continuing for three days and closing with George F. Baer. Presi- dent of the Reading Company. Then Clarence s. Darrow of Chicago, the prin- cipal counsel for the miners, will take up all of Friday and Saturday until ad- journment In summing up the case ana m answering President Baer.
 President Mitchell of the miners union is expected here during the week. Wheth- CT he will address the commission de- pends upon developments.
 Efficiency of Arbitration.
 In his speech, Mir. Lloyd said: There has been no mine strike of any import ance since relations of negotiation and ar bitration were established where the ar engagement prevailed, but there have been serious strikes elsewhere. Neither the President nor the National Board ever ordered strike. In case of dispute the I,aL Lanf and the miners at work
 "Ther trade agreement need not and does not interfere with the employment of non-union men. The Mine Workers of America have never gone on strike against the employment asS non-unior men. 1t is not the non-union man the unionist fears, but the 'scab. the strike breaker of trade, who lives by getting odd jobs of industrial assassination at high wages and loafs between whiles, on the theory that 1t Is better. to have loafed and lost than never to have loafed at all.
 "The evidence that has been proved proved, not charged-we claim as part of our case. tally of twenty-one murders was paraded before 'he President and the country by the coal roads. Of ten of these twenty-one, not word more has been heard in the testimony. But what violence there was we charge in the gross and the main upon those who help in their hands the control of the livelihood of the whole population, and refused to negotiate or reason with them.
 The strikes, scores, hundreds of little strikes since 1900, we claim as part of our case for the recognition of the union. The anthracite miners are willing to be disciplined by a power which exists by tk1a iot 0f fha nnArQfOra nd themselves.
 'They are not willing to be disciplined by the operators alone.
 ''Tne strike of last summer was the Waterloo of capitalistic absolutism in this country.
 Only Asking for Justice.
 We are not asking for favors, but for justice.'
 During Mir Lloyd's argument Chairman Gray interrupted him with this question: What have you to say regarding the non-union men who prefer to continue at work through the strike in the exercise of the right that they suppose they have, thcse who are not strike breakers and not loafers betimes?"
 "of course in doing that" Lloyd re- piled, they are strictly within their le- gal rights, but to me they seem to vio- late a moral duty of the highest sanctity which is that a man must do what he can to help along a necessary struggle for the elevation of his own class and of society at large"
 Are such men protected by the union ?S
 "The union certainly withdraws no le- gal protection from them," said Lloyd. They are not protected by the union from being visited with that obloquy which properly falls upon man who will not join in a common effort for the cvommon good. I shall class this man precisely with the loyalists in the Amer ican revolution. characterize the strike as an industrial war"
 In reply to this the Chairman said: 'In our theory, there Is only one war making power and that is the great union rep resented by the government of society; and they tolerate no wars-strictiy wars inside of their influence or sphere. We may, for the sake of rhetoric or analogy, speak of war, but there can be no war tolerated. in the proper sense. within any peaceful community governed by law"
 Brumm Spats With Baer.
 Lloyd was followed by former Congress- man Charles NJ. Brumm, who occupied the time up to the adjournment. His argument was principally in support of the demand for the recognition of the union. He said that organization is the essence of government. He charged that the coal companies were responsible for the presence of the large foreign popula- tion in the coal regions.
 Br11mm was directing many of his re- marks at President Baer, who was sitting close to him. The Readings President gave him close attention and when Brumm, in an oratorical light said that Ieaar denied at the eleventh hour that he har ever said twenty-one murders were committed in the coal region-that he did not deny 1t until the statement was permitted to go over the country and receive full effect. Baer jumped up and exclaimed:
 Wasn't 1t lie? Did I ever say it?"
 The suddenness of the interruption evil dently did not disturb Brumm, who re- piled: "One moment; will answer that"
 Baer was not satisfied and said with great earnestness: "You said did not de- ny 1t unti 1.-the eleventh hour. What do you mean?"
 saT .osd Nyo,t dfd pof dov,y ff milf r.a