The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-08
President of Mine Workers Makes Address at EnSley
SOME PERSONAL ALLUSlONS
Mir. Mitchell Refers to Judge Jones and President Bacon of Tennessee Co.,, But Indulges In No Harsh
 Words.

uenL JOnn Mllcnell or the Dnlteu Mine
 Workers addressed a mass meeting, held
 under the auspices of the Pratt City and | Wylam locals, at the Ensley opera house this morning. Fully 20O0 people were present, and all the available space in the opera house was filled, many being turn
 ed away unable to obtain standing room. | Mir Mitchell was introduced by National | Committeeman Fairley in twenty min
 utes speech. MT. Fairley reviewed the present mine situation in Alabama, as- serting that the miners had stood to- gether as firm as a brick wall during
 the strike. He sounded a note of warn l ing to the colored portion of the miners | organization. and declared that if this | fight was lost the colored miner would I fall back to the old system in vogue
 few years ago. when he was compelled to do the work for which some one else re- ceived pay. MT. Fairley paid a tribute to MT. Mitchell, declaring that he had
 done more for the United Mine Workers
 of America and for labor than any other | man.
 Greeted With Warm Applause. President Mitchell was greeted by pro | longed applause. and during his address l he was frequently interrupted by cheer | ing and words of encouragement and ap- probation. He spoke with intense earnest ] ness and rarely made a gesture Occa- sionally, to emphasize point in his speech, he would use his right hand. His entire speech was delivered in a | m nd 10 ha pf n man. He did. however, in the course of his address, enter a strong protest against the issuance of injunctions as practiced by certain federal judges. He referred to Judge Jones. of Alabama, particular | ly, and contended that persons enjoined should have the right as soon as the in- | junction was issued, to a caring in which privileges should be allowed them to state why the injunction should be dissolved. This hearing" he said. should not be postponed for five or more
 months for one reason or another" If MT Bacon should be enJoined" said Mir Mitchell, The should be given an inn
 mediate hearing" Some of the audience misunderstanding the motive of Mir
 Mitehelrs utterance yelled That's right
 give it to them" The speaker turning in the direction from whence the remark
 came, said in the way of rebulSe: 1T
 am not here today for the purpose of ! censuring CT hearing abuse uron any
 one. This is not the way to attain the
 end for which we are striving. We must discuss these matters in cool and pas sionless manner"
 In discussing the United Mine Workers
 strike in this district Mir. Mitchell said | in part:
 "It is with great pleasure that I meet ] the mine workers of Alabama. and I
 am very sorry that I could not reach | you sooner. 1 have taken great interest | in the strike since it was inaugurated. ] and watched every move with great so-
 licitude. I knew every day what you were doing. and kept an eye on Alabama with the keenest attention. l will not ! by oratorical effort, attempt to make you 1 believe that l know more about your 1 business than you do yourself. l wish | to speak to you In our own coal digging ] styles. You who have watched my poli- l cy are aware that l am opposed to strikes
 think that striking is barbarous man
 ner of obtaining justice. When. however. | the operators refuse to give justice, when l there are more questions than those in volved in dollars and cents to be settled,
 say strike and strike as long as you
 are able. This Is my position and l be- lieve that it is n good one.
 The Operators and the Union. "The operators argue the inalienable | rights of every man to work, when he | pleases. where he pleases. and under what | conditions. They deny the other proposi-
 ton, however, mans inalenable rights not | to work when he pleases, where ne pleases | and under what conditions. We have not said word about the non-unon mil
 ner working in the mines of Alabama. We | have simply stated that if he works in | them, we will not Our union wants him | to have a better method of employment. 1 Let us see if he has legal right to work | wherever he pleases. No. A man has no l legal right to work in America where | he pleases A man cannot sell himself | for life You cannot sell yourself slave. | You cannot work in the mines unless | there is a certain amount of air, and un- | less the machinery was armed with cer- | tain safety valves man cannot even | kill himself without the law interfer- | ing I feel sorry for our non-union | friends who have neither moral nor legal right to work They have no right
 to take our jobs. for the motto of all trade unions is that you shall not take | your brothers job.
 | Recent Suits Filed.
 | "I want to say one .rd relative to
 the suits that I learn have been filed for l the enormous sum of $l47.000. I under stand the suits of the non-union miners | is based on the fact that unonists lost | them their jobs. The union miners went | to the operators and told them that they would not work with the non-unionsts. The operators decided to keep the union
 miners, the best miners. l understand that was seven months ago. One hundred 1 and forty-seven thousand dollars would l have paid them well, even fin Alabama.
 Prospects Bright.
 "It seems from observations and inves- | poets for winning this strike are exceed
 ingly bright. I would not hold out to | you false hopes. l would prefer to see you fail. doggedly fighting honorably, than 1 to win by some false step, false word or
 action on my part or on yours. hon estly believe that we will succeed be- cause I know it costs the operators more to dig coal under the present regime than | when they worked the union miners.
 "The question Is far greater than
 merely dollars and cents. But shall you 1 maintain your right to belong to your
 union? Shall you keep sacred the right | to spend wherever you please your | money. hall you be the only miners in Alabama working ten hours per day?" Several loud cries of "No."
 I Why do they want the men they are | to work to sign the contract that they will not join a union or the United Mine | Workers of America? What is the open
 shop basis? This is merly boshl When Judge Gray was here he found that many, not one or two, but many, were accept ing checks for their work. which meant | raofieaI reduction of 20 per cent.