The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-03
Mitchell outspoken.

John Mitchell, leader of the coal min CTS of the country, is becoming more out spoken, and his utterances are having more or less marked effect It would ap- pear that MT. Mitchell has succeeded in organizing his forces and will make de- mands on the anthracite producers which will at least command respect. Mir. Mitchell is not only a good labor organ izer, but he is a leader and a diplomat
 He is getting ready to go against the trust with a case which will appeal strongly to the public. The anthracite coal roads are making money at & pro- 'digfous rate--they are making mora money than ever before in their history
 Their properties are soaring sky high. and In this very fact lies the danger of the mine workers. It is more than bare- ly possible that the insiders have eff fected distribution of their stock at high figures and that they will encourage strike in order to break the stock mar ket, make Wall street coup, and get back their stock at low prices. This is an old trick of high finance. There has been an extraordinary manipulative ad- vance in all the anthracite stocks during the last six months, accompanied by the widest possible advertisement of enor- nous earnings. This has excited tha cupidfty Of the mine workers and was the inspiration of Mir. MitchelPs move ment for demand TOT higher wages and shorter hours. There may be no stock jobbing scheme in view, but if there was the game could not be better framed for its success. On the Wall street tips which have been sowed broadcast the public has been invited to buy the stocks of the anthracite railroads and 1t must be that the play has accomplished it's purpose, for beyond the question of A doubt there has been heavy distribution of inside holdings on the big rise. Natu- rally there would be every incentive for inside manipulation for a break.
 Mir. Mitchell is clever in his way but 1t Is quite possible that in his innocent Japanese way he is playing into the hands of his friends the enemy He may only be paw in the hands of the sharks of Wall street. If he can be in
 duced to pull off strike and thereby break the stock market. particularly the anthracite coal stocks, he may unwit- tlngly be acting as a mere agent for A Wall street combination Two and a half years ago the anthracite coal stocks advanced during the entire progress of the strike. At that time a sinister ru- nor was afioat that the employers could pull off the strike whenever they got good and ready to do so. This was a se- rious renection on MT. Mitchell. yet when the market was in a proper state tho strike was called off. The finish was an- parently triumph for the labor leader and discomforture for the insiders. Wall street laughed at the public's construc- tion placed on the denoument. The tape never lied for minute throughout the entire programme of the performance It had steadily told the story from begin ming to end. MT. Mltchelrs integrity ia not under discussion. No proof was ever produced that he turned any kind of trick to his own advantage two and a half years ago, although many covert charges were afloat to that effect. In A paramount degree he is the ablest leader unskilled labor has had in a great many years and if he can impress the employ
 ing class that 1t is to their advantase to keep him in the foreground he will very likely be able to get more for his followers than anybody else could.