Evening journal., 1903-02-13
|BAER ARRAIGNs
GOAL MINERS
ielMakes Closing Speech for
Operators Before Strike
Commits sion
{ WAS FOLLOWED BY DARROH


pace in the United States circuit
our; room. President George F. Baer.
the Reading Company. made his
losing argument for the coal opera
ors before the strike commission yes
eTday, and Clarence s. Darrow. chief
ounsel for the miners. began the sum
ming up for the men.
MI. Darrow spoke at the afternoon
ession for two hours and a half, and
will take up all Of today in closing the
miners case. His remarks yesterday
we're directed principally at the wage
tatements presented to the commits
ion, which, he said, could not be re.
led upon.
Mr.. 5aer's Speech.
Mr.. Baer's speech in part was as
4 cllows:
4 tfink there is some confusion in the
minds Of many good people as TO the
lights, powers and duties which prop
serly belong to industrial organizations.
n general no one denies the right OF
nan to organize for any lawful pur-
;ose, but the right 20 organize. and
he power of the organization when
,rganized, must still be governed and
controlled by the general law Of the
4 anu, under which orr individual and
+ property rights are protected.
We constantly hear the cant phrase,
. Capital organizes; why may not labor
prgaI ize?" as if this settled the whole
problem. But capital cannot organize
or an Illegal purpose. Organized capi
4 al IS subject to sharper scrutiny than
Ilny other kind of organization. We
.oncede to organized labor the same
lights that we claim for organized cap
+ tai. Each must keep within the law
2Therc cannot be one law for citizens
ana corporations and another Law for
4 abOr organizations.
The lawlessness in the coal regions
( vas the direct result of mistaken the
lries as to the rights of the mine work.
ssrs II will not do to say that he
eaders nave not encouraged violence
aud crime. It is true, no doubt, that
hey did not advise it. Nevertheless,
hey are legally and morally respcnsi-
{ pie for the situation they created, md
Erom which this violence and crime
|hecessarily resulted.
Take the famous pump order The
.leauers intended TO enforce their de-
mends by the threatened destruction
Df the mines. They well knew that if
he pumping ceased the mines would
ee destroyed. They thought the op-
araiors would yield. rather than see
The ruin of the mines. The operators
A did not yield. Every attempt to supply
men Ia work the pumps was met by
nohs. by pickets. and all the devices
hat labor organizations commonly
nse TO prevent men from working.
.lhink OF what the result would
have been had the efforts of the Nine
Workers Union to drown out AL the
tollieries been successful
In adddtion to the fact that the Min
Frs Union was controlled by a hostile
SntcIcst, we objected TO it because We
cannot delegate to the Miners Union
br any other labor union, the right to
determine who shall be our employees.
We lave the right to employ any hon
4 sst man without discrimination as to
religion, nationality, or membership
IN K Dor organizations. This is right
we will not surrender.
We do not object 70 our employees
loinlng labor organizations. This IS
4 heir privilege. But we viii not agree
10 turn over the management OF our
business to a labor organization be-
cause some Of our employees belong 10
II Il. Our employees, union and non-nrion
men. must respect our discipline. 4
Is essential to the successful conduct
pf our business, and is peculiarly ne
ressaIy in mining operations to pre-
vent accidents.
The fact that the organization does
rest let the quantity of coal a man
may mine is clearly proven. 1t 5 de-
tended as right and lust, Restriction
bn production limiting the quantity a
man shall produce. seems TO be based
Dn the theory that this is essential e
give employment 10 the many.
Tho testimony clearly shows thai
the wages now paid are fair wages;
that they compare most tayo BIS
with the general wages of the oorr
try
The fact that there is an excess
Of labo- IN the anthracite regions con
arms our theory that the wages ar
already high as compared with the
general wage scale Of the country, be
ranse every one knows that laho' Il
attracted To the place where wass'
are hig-.est
If the weges are again advanced
thea. instead of diminishing the exist
4 ing excess Of workmen. it viii be IL
creased by new workmen coming t
this field Something has been sl'
ABOUT the operators Importing Tor
eigners. / never heard of It before
A higher rate of wages will tens
b stil further reduce the output o
the mines. There is always a pei
centage of men who are not thrifty
and care only to earn enough none
to meet present wants. This. perhaps
is a small percentage, but few men