Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-09
MITCHELL OBJECTS
To Remark of Chairman Gray
About Miners Union.
Mr.. Gray Meant No unfriend|iness
but Remark Was Peculiar.
Evidence as to Acts of Violence to
Ncn-union Men.

feature OF the proceedings before the
coal strike commission, today, was the
exception taken by President Mitchell
to remark made by Chairman Gray
chat he would like to see the Miners
Union come UP out of the mire that is
around the baser part of it into the
sunlight.
The incident was brought about by
Commissioner Parker. Anthony Fer
guson, an outside foreman of the Phil
adelphia & Reading Coal and Iron Co..
testified that he was beaten while on
mis- way to work, that he recognized
two of his assailants as union men
and that they We're prosecuted and
convicted.
Mr.. Parker asked the witness if the
men were expelled from the union for
what they did but the foreman did not
know Noting the interest the COM
mission took in Mr.. Parkers question
the lawyers for the non-union men
called on Torrance Ginley, a member of
the executive board of the union in
the district where the assault was COM
mitted, for the information desired.
Ginley said he did not know Whe err
the local union to which the men be-
,onged took any action, but the local
unions and individual strikers used
every man to dispense crowds and help
maintain the peace.
Chairman Gray then asked: $50 you
wait for conviction by the civil au-
thorities before disciplining your men.
DO you think you can have effective
discipline unless you make some in
yestigation yourself and bring the men
up and punish them in some way? 1
lsk you as a member of the order and
rs q man who would be glad to see
your order come up out Of the mire
and the clouds that are around the
oaser part of it into the sunlight and
into the air of free government and
a free country"
Then followed a discussion over the
Shenandoah riot and the killing of a
man and in reply to Mr. Mitchells re-
mark that it was not the miners who
lid it, Chairman Gray said:
But there was crowd and as yet
have heard no evidence of a dis
ciplining voice in that mob. No man
there said: Shame on the coward q"
There was a further discussion on
his subject and then Mr.. Mitchell rose
nd said to Chairman Gray:
Il do not know whether 1 quite I'M
!erstand you in expressing yourself to
he Witness as to your solicitude for
he organization that lit should arise
ibove the mire or that part of it should
Use above the nire."
Chairman Gray-"Perhaps I may
have been misunderstood. 1t was not
an unfriendly wish that was expressed.
said 1 hoped it would life itself out of
the mire and out of the conditions
treated by these things which have
been testified to, around it's better
parts"
Mr.. Mitchell in reply said that while
The commission is going to determine
al the questions that are being pre-
| Sented here there is greater jury
passing upon the attitude of the strik-
arS.
1T does seem to me, until there is
some connection shown between the
| United Mine Workers of America and
| lcts of lawlessness," he said, 1.-The or
5anization should not be placed under
| my Indictment at ALL
Chairman Gray said that he did not
wish Mr.. Mitchell to understand that
anything he said indicated the organi-
cation.
II did hope" continued the commits
| sioner, that it would disentangle itself
| entirely from these scenes of violence
and lawlessness with which the strike
was attended. They may have been
| exaggerated as you contend. l am not
passing upon that now. We have heard
| isolated issues of outrage which we
1
| that that organization is responsible
for every act of violence and we only
wanted to sec whether the organization
las interested itself in maintaining the
order which you have adviced and
whether it has disciplined those who
| actually We're convicted of dis order.
| This closed the incident
| Mr. Mitchell was called to the stand
and testified that the three men who
We're convicted of killing a man at
Nauticoke We're not members of the
| union when they committed the crime.
They were ex-members because they
| nad failed to pay their dues. In reply
to q question Mr. Mitchell said that the
| union had spent nearly 100000 in re-
| lieving the distress among the 10000 or
10000 strikers who were not members
Of the Union.
| The testimony given, today, was
along the same line as that presented,
Yesterday. Many witnesses told of per-
sonal attacks upon them, the dynamit-
| ing of their houses. destruction of prop
erty by strikers and expulsion of nom
union men, from societies.
COAL GOING HIGHER.