Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-02-18
OOLAN- SCORES
JOHN MITCHELL
SAYS MINERS PRESIDENT
SHlRKS RESPONSIBILITY
"6ig Head" Is Labor Leaders Failing,
According to the District Presl-
dent, Who in Letter Flags
Chief
BY Associated Press.


PITTSBURG, Feb. 1S.-In a state
ment he made public tonight President
Dolan of the local district, United Mine
Workers of America, scores the meth
DDS Of John Mitchell. national president
of the National Mine Workers. and
charges him with trying to shirk the
responsibility for the position in which
the mine workers are in at present.
Dolan also accuses Mitchell with
playing to the galleries" by threaten
ing the operators with NATIONAL
strike, but that "the operators called
the bluff"
Mitchell is further charged with
| sending operators into the local field to
| defeat Dolan and that money belong
| ing to the organization was being used
| The statement says:
president Mitchell is trying to shirk
the responsibility of the mess he has
got the miners of this country into by
| saying that II am evidently trying 20
divide the miners forces. 1 am not
1 am trying to save the miners from
| the dangers which threaten them be-
cause of Mitchell's lack of courage.
Mitchell. and Mitchell alone, is re-
sponsible for the serious situation
which confronts the miners. He gotl
| SldIlt NIOllS III l0G JOlllL convention
and did not have the courage and COM
mon sense to make temporary re-
| treat when he was worsted and should
| have taken up the fight along other
| lines.
Demande Advance
HE led the argument for the miners
| by demanding an advance in wages on
the claim that prices of coal were high
er at that time than they were two
years ago. The operators Immediately
| took him at his word and offered ito
bring in the books of all the COM
panies in the country, large and small,
and have them examined, if the miners
would agree to takte a reduction if the
price were shown to be lower; the OPP
orators to pay an advance If the price
was shown to be higher.
"F. l.. Robbins asked Mitchell tol
accept the offer. Mitchell never let on
he heard the question. Robbins re-
peated it a half dozen times and
Mitchell sat staring into space. Rob
bins appealed to the chair and the chair
ruled that Mitchell ought to answer the
question. Mitchell then arose and said:
II decline to answer
From that time on our cake was
dough. Mitchell may say 1 am not
smart enough to write an intelligent
statement, but man does not have to |
have college education to know when
he is whipped, and the operators had
us whipped from that moment.
when Mitchell saw what a mess he |
was in he tried to scare the operators
from following up their advantage by
making radical statements and playing
to the galleries. He thought he would |
scare the operators by the threat of a |
national strike, but the operators
called our bluff.
After the Blunder
after this blunder of Mitchell's we
were in nice shape to ask the public
to allow us to shut off their coal, shut
down the railroads and stop the mills
and factories and then have the news
papers make public sentiment for us
by telling everybody how just our
cause Is.
From the time Mitchell made that
first blunder he went from bad to worse
until the Ryan resolution made our sit
uation hopeless and we came on with
out any agreement Mitchell has al
ways lacked courage. He is more
careful of his own reputation as a sue
cessful leader than he is of the inter-
ests of his people.
"Never in his career has he fought
against the popular tide no matter
whether it was it was right or wrong.
1.-TWO years ago. when the operators
nj
he disappeared from the convention
with an attack of what he called 'ner-
vous prostration,' and after he got out
of Turkish bath he made all the min
ers leaders fight to have the delegates
accept the reduction before he would
do so.
Alleged Animus
Mitchell says 1 have always been
unfriendly to his administration. 1 have
not, although he has always fought me.
l had the gall to be candidate for
national vice president against him in
1888 and he never forgave me.
II have letters in my desk to prove
that he sent organizers into this field
and Issued orders to spare no expense
to have me defeated for district presi-
dent in my own field and it was the
unions money and not his own that
he was willing to be so lavish with to
vent a personal spite.
1T has been evident for years to
everybody connected with the labor
movement that Mitchell is suffering
from common ordinary dose of big
head He is working all the time
toward one-man power, and the truth
of the matter Is that he is not in touch
with his own people or with the min
ing situation. Circumstances have
made him. The tide has always been
in his favor until lately and now he
does not measure up to his Job.
1T takes something beside a Prince
Albert coat and carnation in the but
ton hole to make a real labor leader.
1t takes common sense and courage,
and the man who lacks either ought to
hire somebody to tell him of his short
comings and retire from his Job