The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-27

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W. NHFHf4Ff tHbtV " befNF WV WV w
lWs wWlte ~ ptesalsNt n ~ teug
4lNsFr tNgs9 tNe tAguH tlss sss
esefea ~ tsss " Aemetssals
fsnfsstrotfs Ma, n ms persistent
rcpast lhas pfeahtrnt fohn MschriI N the
t'nltsi Nlne Workers ~ taegira hes detaT.
organization " cSffotrfaerd NY Vafhpua
recent ~d-vetoprsenta n q mt tAilsved
that ahr dshnils plan has hem fyFfned
fpr ths future. and Mitchell hiasaef does
MT hnos J,pt when he slll fstlF~, b,a thera
seems ~ BE- M dcuht that NJ has apriously
coHaldefra me stspNand has iahen couna-l
~ aomr - ha friends IN The matter.
II h ~ aecret that Mitchell has ensfnies
In the miners organization, and AIMS
~ uen have bsen ahlr 10 thVart hla plana
and have brought aiott cohdltlone which
he thinks uufavornble ~ the further EFowth
~ the 81 eahlNatlon-lf lndred, they are not
tending 10 destroy n.
Chief among tho leadera who ara open
In their antaRoniam 10 him h vice.Preei-
dent Tom lewis. lie Il one % the moat
popular men In the organization and notori-
ously asplrcs g. succced Mitchell o. the
president.
lie and Mitchell have been hostile 10 each
other for three years. Lewis reoelved
morn votes for vice-presldent al the last
election Of officers than Mitchell reoeived
for preside Mt. This caused tho latter n
great deal Of annoyance, for his enemies
commented on it as an evidence Of his wan
ing infiuence.
There Il q bitter controversy over the
NnaexNnafAtIsNy, T.. IL. ,as.- Ht.-- - II
good IN Pennsylvania, end Mitchell In said
to believe that his enemies In the organiza-
ton purposely tied his hands In the anthra-
cite strike and forced him into q position
where he was compelled to accept the opera
tors terms. 10 Ia charged that the men
who did this have been secretly working
among the miners, who are disappointed
at the outcome, and are telling them that
Mitchell failed them at the most critical
juncture in their affairs.
The movement against Mitchell dates back
to Mitchell's efforts to get all the miners
Of Pennsylvania into the organization.
In his speeches he held out the hope that a
large increase In the organization would
give a return in increased wages, ard hun
dreds Joined the organization with this
exnectation in view.
Inc seCvhu sVep vi mitcnel In preparing
for a strike was to get the national con-
~vention, which met here In January. 10
authorize an assessment Of 81 a week az
a strike fund. The joint conference fol-
lowing the convention failed to reach a
scale agreement, and Mitchell assumed
would be levied at once. especially as there
was then only $3.50 900, in the national
treasury.
There were $4,000 miners at work. and
as six weeks remained before April /, when
counting on the special fund being in.
CREASED to at least 81. 900, 900, not including
the $4,000 a week from regular assess
ments.
The executive board was called together
at once, but several OF the members OBJ
jeoted to levying the special assessment. !
Others Questioned its propriety and ad-
vised delay, and Mitchell was the ONLY
man on the executive board save Secretary
Treasurer Wilson, who insisted that the
assessment be levied and the organization
put in fighting condition.
At the expiration Of two weeks the board
was called together again, but still refused
to levy the assessment. Then came the
second convention, and when that failed
to reach a scale agreement the LIST Of April
~s si a q nand x snd sns n ob1;ssd we're tG Idle. Idle;
the negotiations with the anthracite OPP
orators without any money to speak of
In the national treasury, and from the
start he recognized that this handicap
would force him to accept any terms that
was the organization by the lack Of funds
that it Is said that it would have gone to
pieces in Pennsylvania in q month If a
had not been reached, as it
would have been impossible to support the
would have returned to work.
Word now comes to the national head
quarters from Pennsylvania that there has
been q marked revulsion Of feeling In re-
,p5ct to the issue between Mitchell and
Patrick Dolan, and It is said that Mitchelfs
,nemies are industriously, though secretly,
the issue and giving the impression
hat after all Dolan acted in good faith and
With the understanding with Mitchell that
he miners would be willing to accept the
scale in force in january rather than 70
INTO q strike for which the operators were
prepared and the miners were not.
As proof OF this 1t is pointed Out that
accepted the old anthracite scale
Without change and that but for President
aobbins Of the Pittsburg Coal Company
, ,e would have. ACCEPTED t TIE pbttpnihoas
,red the scale OF 1908 there was no alterna-
i've but to close with him and make the
light for the same increase in Ohio, Indiana
md Illinois.
Mitchell is said to believe that dianteera-
avn Wa cp6AA ot nv ~ tu6 AuJlIaClI0
ields and continue no one knows how long
n to what extent. The miners expected an
in wages and improvement In
conditions and got nothing.
The additions to the union were made,
rot because the organization had become
but because 1t was expected to
'esult in advantages to its members. Since
10 advantage was secured, he regards his
ummer's work as lost. Therefore, the new
members and many Of tho older ones will
fall away. The cause, according to
i'm, hes in the failure TO make the special
assessment.
His friends say that he Ia not the a
was when he came out Of the 1909 strike.
lie is represented M being greatly dis
at times N apparently con-
inced that there are To- - at work AGAINST
i'm which he cannot .dciliate and that
onditions will grow worse instead Of better
his leadership.
He o that the only measure OF merit
mong the great body Of laboring men is
uocess and that effort counts Tor little
Mess II succeeds, and he recognizes that
Q has met defeat In the anthracite field
nd has taken bis first downward step as a
lbor leader. 1t is predicted that he will
etire as soon as the present trouble In the
fields is adjusted.
HE n~IvxDIIyNH crnTnEn nxce