Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-01-17

| der martial law. WDtn our convention
met on the following day. the delegates
| in attendance and TIL. mircrs in gcner-
| al many hun lrcdS Of whom were then
| residing in the city of Tri,.;dad- were
| 50 ncenScd at the unWaTranted and
| uncallcd for action Of the governor that
irstead of calmly considering the status
OF the strike and declaring it off, as
| they would undoubtedly have done ha
| the troops not been there. they decided
| that while the civil laws he'd been sus-
pended. rcs'lm ItiOn of work would
| be regarded not as a cognition of
| their defeat. by the coal companies, but
| as a cowardly sGrre lder to Peabody.
| The action of the convention in decid
| ing to continue the strike under the cir
| cumstances then existing. having re-
| cci\ ed my full and unqualified endorse
ment."
Mr. Mitchell then said that when it
| began to be evident later on that the
miners could not win the strike. the
| executive committee Of the National
Mine Workers. at a meeting in Indian
apoliS. April -. decided t. take steps to
| end the Colorado strike. A district con-
vcntion to meet in Pueblo, June 20. was
| called, but this convention, contrary to
| the advice Of the national officers, de-
rided TO continue the strike.
Financial assistance from the nation
| al body was Withdrawn after a contri-
| button of $1,000, July |. and the mid
| die Of October the strike collapsed.
| Commenting on the failure of the
strike. Mr.. Mitchell said:
1T is needless 20 say that the fail
Of f,.il Ia, n a
sorrow and ken disappointment, and
| in spite of the fact that it had already
| cost Us approximately one half mil
lion dollars. had tnA"e been any rea-
sonable hope Of success We should have
advised its continuance even though
| this course would have exhausted our
natio al treasury: but when we arc
convinced beyond pa:adventure that a
strike cannot be won. it becomes our
solemn duty. regardless OF criticism or
condemnation II recognize the newt
able and declare that SD far as we ar.
concerned the strike should be brought
to IL close.
Mr.. Mitchell then reviewed other
strikes Of the year. some of which have
been settled ana some Of mich are still
on. He also told of the efforts 10 pre-
vent there crui;ing Of nOn-uniOnists by
the shipment Of men from Eastern
points.
Touching upon injunctions NJ. Mitch
eli said:
Every year emphasizes more strong
| ly the iniuuity Of the federal injunction
as applied in labor disputes. During the
last year injuncIions have been issued
| in every coal field in Which strike has
| been iDaUgura:aI and members of our
| association have been confined in jail
| because Of alleged disregard of these
| iniunctiGns. not withEtald:ng the fact
that after our people mad remained in
| prison for a FRA bic time the very
| judges issuing tfekl junction haze re-
| versed their own action and declared
that when the injunction was issued
| the court was without jurisdiction in
| the case. 1t is apparent to everyone
who is acquainted with the facts, that
many Of these injunction judges are
totally unfit to perforaI the functions
Of their sacred Office. IN numerous in
| stances members Of our union when
| brought before these judges have been
treated with in.lisnitv
| "Anothcr line Of attack has been
| adopted by hostile corporations against
| the organizations of labor one which.
| if successful. will do more to destroy
| the usefulness Of trade Gl,iCnS than all
| the agencies combined, heretofore re-
| sorted to. / refer to III &t;. ,,pt to mulct
| our organization in damages because
| of losses sustained through the refusal
of men to work under conditions re-
puSnant to them"
| As instances of these damage suits Mr..
| Mitchell cited the suit for S.. ,sp damages
| brought by the Victor Fuel Co. in Col
| orado. against officials of the United Mine
| Workers of America on the charge that
| said officials lad caused great loss to the
plaintiff company by causing its employees
| to quit work and by intimdating others
who tried Ia take their places. Mr.. Mitch
ell also cited other instances.
| As to the Western Federation Of Miners
| Mr. Mitchell said:
| notwithstanding the efforts of our rep
reSentativcs to promot" better feeling and
| To cement a closer unity, the interests
! of the Western Federation Of Miners and
the United Mine Workers of America, the
| Western Federation instead of reciprocat-
| ing these fratcrnal overtur,S amended
| their constitution in such a manner as to
provide for the membership of a coal min
or upon this executive board. No other
| construction can be placed upon This
| tion than that il is an invitation for coal
miners to become members of the West
ern Federation. and it indicates a deter
minatinn upon the part Of the Western
Federation 70 organize classes of work
men over which exercise jurisdiction.
| II the Western Federation OF Miners per-
! sistS in pursuing this hostile policy w
shall I've JUSTIFIED in extending our juris-
diction and opening our doors to the
meta lliicrouS miners
Mr.. Mitchell then referred TO the aw-
tai and cvor-incrcasirg loss Of life ana
limb in coal Mines and said THAI these
c,idcnts could be materially reduced by
the enactment of wise laws or even by the
rigid enforcement of those now on our
statute books"
The lack of uniformity in the various
state laws regarding the employment of
boys in coal mines is a matter that should
receive attention. he said
lie added. 1T may rot be amiSS at
this time to call Your attention TO the fact
that one wear from next April our Joint