The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-10-07
JOHN MITCHELL TELLS MINERS n :
TO PREPARE FOR HARD STRuGGlf
bors Great Chefan Hopes for Peace but Is Prepared for
the Worst. New Contract with Miners Union to
Be Insisted Upon by Mitchell. - ~
Hopes Enter into Joint Bargain with Coal Trust That
Strike Bay Be Avoided and Industrial Peace Pro-
claimed in Great Anthracite Coal District.


Workers , addressed several thousand
Of his followers and an tho forceful-
ness Of President Mitchell is 80 well
known to our readers, wo take pleas
uYe in reproducing from the United
Mime Workers journal q verbatim
copy Of President M1tchelrs address:
Ladies and Gentlen1en-May pre-
face my address by expressing the
hope that you viii keep rs quiet an
you can7 My throat as the result
Of continued speaking in the open air,
is in very bad condition.
you are, Of course, aware that
have been in the anthracite region tor
the past three months, assisting your
district officers and our national rep
resentatives in the work Of perfecting
tho union and making preparations for
any contingency that may arise upon
tho expiration OF the award Of tho an
thractte coal strike coraznispion. Dur
ing these months I have addressed
flfty-three meetings in various parts Of
the anthracite field. at which I have
pie. It Is a pleasure to report that,
largely as result Of these meetings,
the organization has increased In num-
bers and the prospects are that be-
fore the close Of the year our member
ship will be greater than ever at any
previous time in the history Of coal
mining in the anthracite regions.
1T is. Of course, q source Of keen re-
gret to me, az know It is to every
loyal and consistent member Of the
union, that 80 many Of our fellow
workers who sacrificed and suffered
uncomplaining1y during the long,
weary strike Of 1902, should at its ter
mination, when victory had been
achieved, disconnect themselves from
their organization and abandon the
movement which had done so much
to. raise to decent standard Of life
the multitudes Of people dependent up
ON the coal industry.
Il have sought In every manner pos
sible to ascertain the cause which
prompted the wholesale desertions
that followed the strike and continued
up to the middle OF this year, but g
Tar. have beens:utterly unable to .hnd,
man who could give good reasons
for his actions; and, indeed, very few
offered any defense at all.
Il have tried constantly to inculcate
the world-widely accepted principle
enunciated by the immortal Washing
ton, that ITO be prepared for war is
the most efrectual means Of preserv-
Ing peace" and in the elucidation Of
&1,lo T
ed my earnest desire to see such
relationship established between the
worknen and their employers as would
insure peace and tranquility In these
anthracite fields. But have discov-
cred that owing to misconstruction of
the arguments I have presented, the
press Of the country has interpreted
| my language to mean that an ultima
tum was delivered, and that we would
refuse to maintain peace except upon
terms dictated by ourselves.
II have no hesitancy in saying that
those who are familiar with my views,
or those who know the policies advo-
cate, have given little credence to the
! erroneouA reports sent broadcast
| through the country by the public
press. I am now-as I always have
been-unalterably opposed to the issu-
ance of an ultimatum until every rea-
sonable effort has been made to reach
an agreement and to adjust relations
by conference, Cancellation or other
honorable and peaceful means.
| 1T Is true that have presented tho
conditions upon which believe a per-
manent peace to be possible. I have
said that, In my Judgment, permanent
industrial tranquility could not. be
maintained until the union is recog-
nized as a contracting party with the
employers and until an eight-hour
work. day is established in these fields.
I repeat and reiterate these views
now; but by no fair construction Of
language could these Views and express
sions be interpreted to mean that an
ultimatum az to our position has been
delivered. Both Of these principles arc
fundamental to trade unionism; they
are not exclusively the desires Of thee
men In the mines: they are the de-
mands Of the workers Of the entire
civilized world. And SO far as am
concerned, shall continue to advo-
cate their adoption 80 long as I am
connected with thu. United Mine Work.
ers of America.
II, Of course recognize the fact that
we can not hope in few short years
to remove all the wrongs and correct
all the abuses that have accumulated
during the past half century: but I
hope that we shall be able to present
such arguments to our employers when
we meet them again as will convince
them Of thej ustice and equity Of our
position.
Tn some Of my addresses have
called attention to the fact that labor
is practically the only commodity on
the market upon which the purchaser
names the price. In drawing the an
alogy between labor and other COM
podities, have used this illustrator:
II man went to Mr.. Baer and said
to him, 'Mr. Baer. desire to purchase
q hundred (or a thousand or a rnillionl
tons Of coal. Mr.. Baer. would very
courteously say, All right. The, price
is $4.6 0a ton on the 1st day Of April: