The Topeka state journal., 1903-02-11
WORSE THAN MOLLIES.
Attorney for Miners Denounces
NJ. w. A. Organization.


Philadelphia, Feb 1.-THE case of the
Lehigh Valley Coal company was
argued before the coal strike commits
sion today by Attorney Francis I. Cow
en-, who dwelt at some length on the de-
mand CT the miners union for an in
crease of 20 per cent in wages. Mr..
Gowen asserted that President Mitchell
when on the witness stand, was either
unable or unwilling to commit himself
regarding the earnings of contract
miners
Mr.. Gowen said in part:
THE first question that we are asked
to consider is the demand that is made
for an increase of wages or increased
earnings for the contract miners and
that demand is that 20 per cent shall be
added in some way to their earnings.
have Mr.. Aitchells authority for the
statement that the only fair way to
judge of the earnings of contract miners
is to determine them with reference to
the annual earnings which they are en-
abled to make. Dealing with that ques-
tion what then is the case that the
miners themselves have presented2
In the first place I think the COM
mission will recall quite distinctly that
Mr.. Mitchell when on the stand was
either unable or unwilling to commit
himself to any theory whatever as to
what the contract miners ought to earn,
or to what they had been earning in the
past upon which this 20 per cent ad-
vance could be based That was an ex-
traordinary situation. Here was the
leader of this organization which had
for weeks and months insisted in public
that the wages were Inadequate and
when called to the stand to testify on
the subject he was unable to state what
these earnings have been and finally fell
back upon the statement that that was
a matter that the district presidents
knew more about and that in due course
they would be put upon the stand to
testify.
we know that the district presidents
were not called and therefore we have
no light on the subject from the leaders
Of the organization. Mr.. Mitchell fur
ther stated that he was now satisfied
that no statement that he had made to
the public concerning the earnings Of
the contract miners could be relied upon
as representing the accurate Iaets II
the case and notably his statement that
the average earnings of all the men en-
ployed at the mines amounted to 1868
a year was inaccurate
Ira H. Burns of Scranton. counsel for
the Independent operators of the Lacka-
wanna and Wyoming regions, then ad-
dressed the strike commission as fol-
lows
What are the respective claims of
the miners and operators The miners
want more pay and less work The
operators want the right of every man
to own and control his own labor.
THE one wants more money. the 9TH
er more law and order. The one con-
tends for a policy: the other for prin-
ciple. Whether a man shall receive one
dollar or two for days work or wheth-
er he shall work eight hours or ten are
matters of policy and expediency OH
which men may honestly differ and
which may be changed by agreement:
but whether a man shall be allowed to
earn his daily bread in his own way,
subject only to the laws of the land. is
! q
as eternal as the everlasting hills
THE crucial point in this whole con-
troversy win finally be the right of ev-
cry man to enjoy the fruit of his own
labor with no one to molest or make
afraid.
we respectfully. but earnestly urge
this body not to forget the sufferings
and deserts of the nOnunion miner. He
stands for a principle.
Mr. Burns quoted Franklin B. Gowen
in the Moliie Mcclure case and conclud-
ed as follows.
And yet the Mollies with all their
blackness of crime, never made war on
women and children. This lower depth
was only reached by the boyeotters of
1902 ="
Continuing he said;
THE Miners union had the strongest
of reasons for the terroriZatlOn of the
non-union men for on it depended their
hope and success and Increase of gain.
Any impartial jury in the common
wealth of Pennsylvania would convict
them without leaving the box.
In reality the contest is being the
American people on one side and the
union miners on the other and the is
sue is to determine whether the people
may have coal. except upon such terms
as the union may prescribe
I'VE submit that there is nothing in
the evidence showing any basis for a
demand for increase of wages at the
present time. The symptom Of pay and
overwork in any avocation is the fact
that the workers. themselves gradually
leave it. Is there any such indication
in this case2 On the contrary, quite
the reverse
ssTaxation without benefit is robbery.
If we are taxed for the benefit of these
plaintiffs, we ask for some benefit in
return; not pecuniary value, but we
demand not in insolent defiance, but
as humble citizens of this state, that
protection and safety for ourselves and
employees that is guaranteed US by the
bill of rights Of the constitution of
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