The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-02-15
MINER DOLAN TALKS
PLAINLY OF HIS ACT
Refused TO Vote as Instructed
to Avoid Ridiculous
Situation.
HANDFUL G CONTROL
1reposterous to Permit Small Distric,
Determine What 100000 Miners
Should Do-Present Con-
ditions Outlined.

- ~SSe - - Ny
pf the anthracite miners scale com.
,nittee We're hurriedly called together
today, but for what purpose is not
given out.
On Saturday it was stated the COM
mittee had finished it's business and
would not meet again prior to the con-
ference betWeenthe miners officials and
the coal operators in New York on
Thursday. Today's secret session, how
ever, leads to the belief some import
unit question arose which required the
Immediate attention of the committee.
None of the officers would discuss the
neetinS.
Pittsburg, Pa, Feb. 14.-President
Patrick Dolan, of the local district OF
the United Win Workers of America,
whose resignation was demanded last
week at the convention Of delegates
from the local union in the district be-
cause he voted with the operators at
indianapolis to maintain the present
wage scale, last night issued a state
Inent in which he gives his reasons for
SO voting. In the statement President
Dolan says:
AS soon as the miners officials of the
state of Illinois saw that they could
not get an agreement on local issues
in their own state, Secretary Treas
urer W. ID. Ryan, of the Illinois mr.
liners, presented a resolution in the min
ers' convention declaring that no dis
trict in the United States would be
permitted to make g settlement unless
they all settled at II time. Then this
resolution was passed. I voted against
it and tried to talk against it, but was
Missed and hooted down.
This resolution DutS the miners OF
this country in q ridiculous position.
One litt!? district in Michigan, British
Columbia or some other obscure place,
can bring a strife and hunger on 600, 600
miners, just because these little dis
tricts have some local differences they
cannot adjust. John Mitchell is going
down to New York to ask the anthra-
cite operators for a contract, which
he has not the power to enter into, as
the national convention has tied him
hand and foot. With these facts IN
mind, when the joint convention as
sembled and the operators offered to re-
affirm the present scale, / voted for
it openly and honestly, and so con-
WINGED was l of the Justice of my opin-
ion that l refused to retract in the
face of jeers and revilings and threats
of bodily harm. I knew in the face of
the resolution to tie all districts until
all nave settled, nothing but a miracle
or a complete backdoWn upon the part
of the miners would avert a tremen-
dous strike, the end of which none a
f~oresee, but which threatens us and
Me country with terrible loss.
Others Of Same View.
F. I was alone in my vote, but I wa,
not alone in my opinion. At the con-
vention Of the American Federation of
Labor in Pittsburg in November, I on
suited President Mitchell and W. D.
Ryan. and they both told me they
would be satisfied with a renewal OF
the present agreement, but that we
ought to demand an advance as q
matter Of policy.
Later I consulted President Has
kins Of the Ohio miners; he told me
the same thing. After Haskins had
been defeated for reelection and was
relieved of all responsibility, he advo-
Gated a demand of 10 per cent. increase
in wages in his annual address, but
the convention Of Ohio miners refused
to irdorse his position. Is this fact
not significant?
Let US be honest about these things.
Our wages have been increased more
than 100 per cent, and our hours of
labor have decreased from ten to eight
hours since 1897. Is it right under
this Ryan resolution to jeopardize all
these things? And let me tell you, the
miners of this country lave never won
Il prominent soft coal strike under the
direction of President Mitchell. Mark
Hanna settled the first strike for US
and President Roosevelt settled the
second. Nobody has settled our big
soft Goal strikes. because we have lost
them. President Mitchell's big soft
coal strike was in the southwest. 1t
lasted eighteen months and ended In
utter failure. Hundreds Of good men
were victimized. The second big soft
coal strike was in Maryland, where
our people Of the entire state We're ut
fnrJr f1nPna tod His nthn,, on,r.
soft coal strike was in Kentucky, where
'ur people were beaten.
Union Wiped Out.
In Colorado, where the organization
spent over $500, 900, our union was
wiped off the face of the earth; in
West Virginia central district we were
defeated: in the Cabin Creek district
in West Virginia, where the organiza-
tor spent $500. 900, we lost; in the
Meyersdale region we spent $500, 900
and were defeated.
At the present time we have a strike
Of 5000 miners in Alabama, which has
been on for nineteen months. They are
striking against n 10 per cent. reduc-
ton. Under the Ryan resolution, which
says all districts must get 1919 per
cent. advance over the present scale,
the Alabama operators will have to
withdraw their demand for a 10 Der
cent. reduction and give the 1914 Der
! SSiAN' III 49, ~ ~ ill Cllte "
22a per cent. before any other dis
trict in the country can settle. How is
this to be brought about?
The Pittsburg district has been crit
!ciscd because it has not more than
28, 900 members. President Mitchell is
as much at fault as my living man. He
refuses to help us. He came into the
nOn-lnion Irwin district at the very
height of his popularity and widely ad-
vertiScd two meetings. At one he ha2
fifteen men, and at the other we ad-
iOurued because there was not ANY,
body there. When Mitchell cant get
q meeting. what ear a fellow like me
do?
/ have been in the trades union
movement for ihirty-liVe years in
Scotland Il America. l have sat at
the fact of the greatest labor leaders
the world has ever known, including
the great Alexander Mcdonald. From
boyhood | learned that it is a leaders,
duty to tell his people. not what they
would like to hear. but what they
should know. They must be old when