The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-08-11
THOUSANDS HEAR ABLE ADDRESSES Roosevelt Mitchell and Cardi- nal Gibbons at WiIktsbarrt PRESIDENT WARMLY GREETED Cardinal Gibbons Words on ssnctlty of Manual Labor Are Notable.
 Mitchell Introduces the
 President.
PRESIDENT WARMLY GREETED

l Wilkesbarre, Pa. August 1O.-From l every section of the anthracite region miners and temperance workers came here l today, thousands arriving on the early l trains and before daylight crowds of peo- l pie with lunch boxes and umbrellas had
 camped out In advantageous spots to await the arrival of President Roose- l welt.
 Mayor Klrkendall said he expected thera | would be 25O,00O visitors in this ct,y. Ice l men, milk men, groeers and butchers
 yesterday delivered two days supplies.
 and are not on the streets today. All the
 mines are closed many of the mills and
 stores have suspended business Cor sne
 day and most of the trades union men will
 quit work at noon.
 Great Crowd About Station.
 The crowd about the station was so
 great that the police had much difficulty
 in keeping the enthusiastic multitude be-
 hind the ropes that had been stretched
 about the station. The President was met
 by the local reception committee, which included Father Curran and John Mitchell.
 Introductions over, the entire party
 walked through the station and took car
 riages for the drive to the speakers stand l on the common.
 The streets along the route from the
 station to the susquehanna river, where the speakers stand was erected, were
 lined with a solid mass of people. The 1 Presidents reception as he was rapidly driven over the route was a tremendous
 one. Hats were thrown in the air by the
 mine workers, so enthusiastic were they
 in their greeting. The crowd at the
 speakers stand was greater than that which greeted MT. Roosevelt at the sta | ton. and the demonstration was so noisy l that 1t took several minutes to quiet the l enthusiasm and permit the exercises to | begin. Those who spoke were President l Roosevelt Cardinal Gibbons, President 1 Mitchell. Mayor Kirkendall and Father 1 Curran. President Mitchell said:
 President Mitchell Speaks.
 Ladies and Gentlemen: Speaking for the anthracite coal mine workers, l take great pleasure in supplementing and em- | phasizlng the greeting and welcome tended to the President of the United
 States on behalf of temperance soce-
 ties and the municipal government of | Wilkesbarre It Is not often that tho l chief executive of a great nation has l found the time or yielded to the inclin- | aL1On 10 honor Dy ms presence ana tO l participate in meeting under the aus plces of men who earn their living by l the performance of manual labor.
 "The visit of President Roosevelt to the coal fields of Pennsylvania as the
 guest of the temperance societies and
 the United Mine Workers of America marks an episode in the civic, social and | international industrial history of this | commonwealth. This occasion is one of l peculiar significance to the men for whom l have the honor to speak. It is one that 1 will be long remembered by them. Im- 1 printed indeliby upon the hearts of the | miners Is the recollection of the long con-
 test they made, and the great hard ships they endured in the year 1902; | contest brought to happy termination l through the intervention and mediation | of our distinguished guest. It is a pleas l ure to say that largely as a result of his efforts and mainly as a consequence l of his action the conditions of life and I labor among the anthracite coal mine l workers have been materially improved and the entire people of this community l have enjoyed unprecedented of prosperity. It is equally important to say that many of the bitter antagonisms and 1 prejudiees Of former years, both between
 the miners and their employers and even | among the mine workers themselves, have l been slowly but surely dissipated and the | prospect of permanent and honorable in- 1 dustral peace grows brighter day by day.
 Bond Between All Glasses. Tt Is of course natural to suppose that where community is so dependent upon one industry as are the people of this region upon coal mining, there would | be a close bond of sympathy between i all classes of citizens and that q move- | ment which reflects the aspirations and represents the hope of the great army of toiers would find friendship and en- couragement from all worthy men, re- gardless of their staIon in life 1t is to be regretted that there are many. who failing to understand the Fundamental principles and the lofty ideals of trades unionism, condemn without investigation the motives and policies of those whose sole desire is to alleviate suffering, re- dress wrongs, and raise to higher stan dard a class of people handicapped in the race of life, and who, if acting in their individual capacity, are as help less and as defenseiess as a rudderless ship in an ocean storm.
 Justifles It's Existence.
 Tn the pursuit of its ideals, trades unionisn has justified it's existence good works and high purposes Slowly and gradually 1t has progressed toward the fulfllment of It's mission It has elevated the standard of living of the American workman and conferred upon him higher wages and more leisure. It has increased efficiency, diminished ac- cidents, averted disease, kept the chil- dren in school and improved the rea- tons between employers and employed. In so doing 1t has stood upon the broad ground of justice and humanity. II, has defended the weak against the strong the exploited against the ex- ploi.er. II has stood for efficiency rather thar cheapness. for the producer rather than production, for the man rather than the dollar II has voiced the claims of the unborn as of the living and has stayed the hand of that ruthless. near sighted, proft-seeking which would des- troy future generations as men wanton,z cut down forests. It has aided cduca- tonally the newly arrived immigrant. protected the toll of women and chi- dren. and fought the battle of the poor in attic-breaker and sweat-shop. It has