The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-12

3 1.-THE lawlessness in the coal regions
was the direct result Of mistaken theories
as to the right of the mine workers. It
will not do to say that the leaders have
not encouraged violence. and crime. It is
true, no doubt, that they did not advise
it,
They may at times have counselled
against it and expressed regrets for it;
nevertheless, they are legally and morally
responsible for the situation they created
and from which this violence and crime
necessarily resulted. Resolution No. So of
the Sham okin convention approves the ac-
ton of the district convention No. 1,
which decided to insist upon forcing all
who work. in and around the mines to
become members of the union and that
they may be authorized to refuse to work
with non union men,
Threats Of the Union Men.
'"The leaders intended to enforce their
demands by the threatened destruction of
the mines. They well knew that if the
pumping ceased the mines would be de-
stroyed. They thought the operators
would yield rather than see the ruin of
the mines. These operators did not yield.
Every attempt to supply men to work the
pumps was met by niobs, by picl1ets, and
all the devices that labor organizations
commonly use to prevent men from work
ing.
with the cessation of mining for five
months and the destruction, for the time
being, of a number of collieries. the public
is now suffering for want of an adequate
supply Of fuel. Think what the result
would have been had the efforts Of the
mine workers to drown out all Of the col
lieries been successful. Many good men
have found fault with us for not making
an agreement with the. United Mine
Workers of America. You will recall that
~ md do ,,1S Vxyoe for
form scale of wages, covering the whole
anthracite field. All Of the operators were
asked to meet in convention with a view
to adjustment. The conditions of employ
ment are not always the same, and there
fore a uniform scale of wages applicable
to the whole United States would not be
just.
I'VE have made every effort to convince
Mr. Mitchell and his friends Of the utter
i1npra cticability Of his scheme. Our chief
objection to his organization was that it
was a foreign organizat ton, interested in
rival and competitive business. We
never could see the wisdom Of permitting
the bituminous coal miners to inject
themselves into the anthracite mining
situation 1t has proved to be just as
mischievous as we believed it would be.
"our Rights" vs.. Labor's Rights.
sIn addition to the fact that the miners
union was controlled by an hostile inter-
est we objected to 1t because we cannot
delegate to the miners union or any of
the labor unions, the right to determine
who shall be our employees. The law Of
Pennsylvania and the. charter OF the
Philadelphia & Reading Coal and Iron
company in express terms give to the
president and directors the power Of APP
pointing all such officers, agents or en-
ployes as they may deem necessary. We
have the right to employ any honest man
without discrimination as to religion, ma
tionality or membership in labor organi-
cations. This is a right we will not SUR
render We do not object to our en-
ployes joining labor organizations. This