The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-09-16
PARRYITfS TIP THEIR NIT IN PRESENT
ANTICIPATED CRISIS IN MINING CIRCLES
Official Organ Of Citizens Alliance Attempts to Analyze
Position Of John Mitchell in Unsettled Condition in
Anthracite Mining Circles.
Intimate That Mitchell Is 1nsncere When He Declares That
There Will Be No Strike Because of the Fact That
He Is Completely Organizing Miners.

Organizing Miners.
people where the other president, the
Mine Workers has been teaching just
the opposite-whether for his own pur-
poses or not makes no matter, since
the fact Is true.
We have submitted that President
Roosevelt would hardly be likely to in
terfere for the arbitration Of ap other
coal strike, even though John Mitchell
had brought it on. Since the celebrated
arbitration of the Coal Strike Commis-
sion the Chief Executive has doubtless
declined in dozens of cases to provide
the means Of arbitrating industrial dis
putes. It is probable that the Presi-
dent looks back upon his great triumph
of 1902 as one Of the most satisfying
incidents of his official career. On the
other hand, If Mr.. Mitchell calls an
other strike, this will not prove. that
futile; nor would 1t prove that 1t real
~ settled anything permanently. Per-
haps it did settle this permanently,
however; that the open shop is correct
in principle in the coal: mines. as else
where, In free country; and this. by
the way, is another reason, possibly,
why the President of the United States
may not be 80 much inclined, at least,
to arbitrate a strike which could only
Of the union; that is to say, for the
closed shop. There are indeed many
reasons why the President of the Un-
tied States is probably looking forward
hopefully to some more convenient
means by which another great struggle
can be avoided; and it is also very like
ly that the president Of the United
means by which his views may be made
TO prevail without the necessity of
striking-against the coal operators this
time, as before, but without the help Of
Mr.. Roosevelt. but, on the contrary,
with the opposition of small but
powerful group Of employees, who
would now know much better than
before how to protect themselves: and
it Is not certain that they need to do
that possibly preferring, when the
time comes, that consumers should see
how 1t is themselves again. The mine
workers. it is true, have a great and
heavy war chest. No adequate explain
alton has yet been given of the charge
made by reputable newspapers that out
Of the three million dollars and more
raised by assessments or donations for
the support Of the anthracite strikers
in 1902, Mr.. Mitchell and his treasury
advisers have retained something over
one million dollars for purposes not yet
fully: described. can hardly be for
ahyth3nes-exseptsofe e1neiNs 1RarfaEe;sYst;
all 81 t1iis money. whether properly.
diverted Or not, and more than this. will
doubtless be required to secure for the
United Mine Workers the recognition
Of their union and the closed shop by
the coal operators Of Eastern Pennsyl-
vania.
~ ~ t1a
best possible illustration in recent times
of the interest which the public has,
not in seeing q great strike settled,
but rather in seeing it settled right.
We hear It said that the people arc
''inconvenienced' In such an instance.
Their very freedom is outraged when:
by compromise or according to any OF
the other dictates of mere expediency
or downright cowardice. wrong In
principal is tolerated. for in that event
the public not only loses. in reference
to the particular case in point, the
right in principal without which 1t
ought not to be expected to get along,
but it loses by Just SO much the power
to resist the, entertainments Of those
who would regularly prey upon the
public by similar wrongful acts. The
public, we have no hesitation in saying,
does not want to be robbed of it's sup
ply Of coal simply in order that a min
ers' union may be recognized and upon
this very recognition esta blish itself in
such a way that the robbery can be
continued indefinitely and still more
outrageously. Nor does the public SYM
pathize altogether with the joint agree
ment, by which, possibly, a great in
dustrial union, through its leaders, and
group of capitalists join to cause
great groups of unionists to strike and
lose their wages and perhaps some of
their heads to no purpose, while at the
same time making the public pay not
merely the expenses of the strike, but
perhaps millions of dollars in addition.
The people rather want to see the
contending forces Of labor and capital
organized, if at all. we'll enough to
maintain the industrial equilibrium,
which has at least been partially re-
stored. This must be q free arrange
ment. working almost automatically,
with no chance for strike violence and
killings on the one hand, or for millions
Of unearned increment on the other.
Thus, there cannot be any element OF
coercion or monopoly about 1t. The
public may shiver somewhat or find
its eating arrangements interfered with
in the next coal strike which Mr.. Nit
chell is now developing, to use or not.
as he thinks it wisest; but that Is prac-
tically nothing. 1t is nothing at all
compared with the loss to the public
which is involved In permitting the
most precious liberties, protected by
single supreme, eternal principle, to 60
by default:
UNITED MECHANICS
ELECT OFFICERS