The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-20
BITTER ATTACK
ON MITCHELL
Delegate From Wyoming Un-
burdens His Mind.
REPLY EQUALLY POINTED
QUARREL OVER COAL STRIKE IN
COLORADO.

Indianapolis, Jan. 19.-The manage
ment Of the Colorado strike was bitterly
argued today on the floor of the ma
4ional convention of the United Mine
workers. Delegate Robert Randall of
wyoming took the floor and spoke for
an hour. He charged that President
Mitchell had sold out the miners or
ganiZatiOn in the recent Colorado strike
and attacked the financial integrity of
the president. His speech was filled
with personal abuse OF President Nit
chen and was directed al him. as Ran
dali took the platform and faced Mr..
Mitchell while he made the charges.
The delegates tried to silence Randall
several times. but Mitchell raped for
order and insisted that Randall be
heard.
MitchelTs Reply.
When Randall was through, Presi-
dent Mitchell took the floor. He re-
viewed the conduct of the Colorado
strike and said il was true he had ad-
Vised settlement. and would do so
again under the same circumstances.
He said early in the strike President
HOWellS of the district asked for $780,
coo with which TO carry on the strike,
which had been refused, as President
Mitchell said he did not want 10 trust
Howells with that amount President
Mitchell made the charge that ex-Na-
tirnal Board Member J. L. Gears had
been in collision with others in connec-
lion with the stock market. that the
miners had refused to put up tents sent
them unless paid for it, that the miners
had demanded a per diem wage while
on strike and that finally, after over
$4,000 had been poured into the field,
the strike had been irretrieva bly, lost
and he had advised settlement. Vice
President Lewis, Secretary Wilson, Pat
Dolan of Pittsburg and w. r. Farley
Of Alabama. who had charge of the
strike for President Mitchell, also spoke
vigorously. defending the president
Socialism Passed Up.
When the mine workers met today
the socialistic question came up. but
the convention again refused to allow
the organization to be committed to So
cialism- The anti-Socialist faction was
led by Patrick Dolan of Pittsburg. John
Walker of Illinois, who has been the
floor leader of the socialists, also took
the position that the miners should not
engage in politics as an organization
President Mitchell then took the floor
and defended the leaders of the civic
federation, when Delegate Randall from
Wyoming shouted that the leaders were
Grover Cleveland, whom every Iaboring
man detests; Frank Robbins of Pitts
burg, Who had made millions by beat
ing down his miners. and Andrew Car
negie, whose hands are red with the
blood Of the Homestead strikers.
Mitchell Was Angry.
President Mitchell showed his anger.
and said: Il have heard Of this man
Randall before. He is a delegate who.
in the local union at Dietz. Wyo. got
up and said that John Mitchell had sold
cut to the operators in the Colorado
strike I had intended to call him to
account in this convention for that
statement, and do intend to make him
prove his assertions"
Mitchell was interrupted by cries:
Hes a liar" referring to Randall.
Didn't Like Cleveland.
Continuing. Mr.. Mitchell said: 'I do
not stand here to defend Andrew Carne-
gle, Frank Robbins or Grover CIeve-
land. But who in America ever made a
speech so favorable to organized labor
as Andrew Carnegie, who, in that ban
Quet. said il his men went out on strike
ne would shut down his plant and
wait for them to come back and would
not employ 'scab.' 1t was a business
proposition, he said. for the old men
the strikers, were the best Il was a
favorable statement. AS for Grover
Cleveland. do not like him. He is not a
leading light. as charged, in the feder-
alton. He never even looked in on that
meeting The leading lights of the fed
eratioE-if you do not know who they
are. 1 can tell you. They are men like
FRANK L. Robbins, who employs only
union men, and the leaders of the union
movement in this country