The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-02-19
MITCHELL'S METHODS
 | BITTERLY ARRAIGNED
ATTACK LAUNCHED BY PRESI- DENT DOLAN OF THE PITTS
 BURG DISTRICT.

Find Themselyes-Playing to the
 Galleries by Threatening Operators
 With National Strike-Latter Have
 Called the Bluff.
 Pittsburg, Feb. 1S-In a statement made public tonight President Dolan, of the local district of the United Mine Workers of America, scores the meth ods of John Mitchell. national president of the Mine Workers, and charges him with trying to shirk the responsibility for the position in which the mine workers are at present. Dolan also ac- cuses Mitchell of playing to the gal leries" by threatening the operators with a national strike, but that the op- orators called the bluff" Mitchell is further charged with sending organiz- CTS into the local field to defeat Dolan, and it is charged that money belonging to the organization was used. The statement says:
 President Mitchell is trying to shirk the responsibility for the mess he has got the miners of this country into by saying that I am evidently trying to divide the miners forces. I am not. l am trying to save the miners from the dangers which threaten them because of Mitchell's lack of courage Mitchell, and Mitchell alone, Is responsible for the serious situation which now con fronts the miners. He got started wrong in the joint convention and did not have the courage and common sense to make a temporary retreat when he saw he was worsted and should take up the fight along other lines.
 He led the argument for the miners 1 by demanding an advance in wages on the claim that prices of coal were high CT at that time than they were two years ago. The operators immediately 1 took him at his word and offered to bring in the books of all the companies in the country, large and small, and have them examined, if the miners would agree to take a reduction if the price were shown to be lower, the oper- ators to pay an advance if the price were shown to be higher.
 "F. L. Robbins asked Mitchell to ac- cept that offer. Mitchell never let on he heard the question: Robbins repeat ca the question half dozen times and Mitchell sat staring into space Rob- bins appealed to the chair, and the chair ruled that Mitchell ought to2an- swer the question. Mitchell then arose and said, I decline to answer From that time on our cake was dough Mitchell may say I am not smart enough to write an intelligent state ment, but man does not have to have a college education to know when he is whipped, and the operators had us whipped from that moment.
 When Mitchell saw what mess ht 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 { national strike but the operators called our bluff. After this blunder of Mitch. els we were in nice shape to ask tht public to allow us to shut off their coal shut down the railroads and stop thC mills and factories, and then have tht newspapers make public sentiment fol us by telling everybody how just oul cause It.
 From the time Mitchell made tha first blunder he went from bad to worst until the Ryan resolution made our sit uation hopeless and we came on with out an agreement. Mitchell has alwayI lacked courage. He is more careful O his own reputation as a successful lead CT than he is of the interests of hi people, Never in his career has h. fought against the popular tide, nt matter whether it was right or wrong Two years ago, when the operator whipped him into line for a reduction he disappeared from the convention with an attack of what he called 'nerv ous prostratlon,' and after he got ou of the Turkish bath he made all tn , miners leaders fight to have the dele gates accept the reduction before h would do So.
 Mitchell says I have always beer unfriendly to his administration. have not, although he has alway fought me had the gall to be can didate for national vice-presiden against him in 1898, and he never for gave me. I have letters in my desk t prove tlrat he sent organizers into thi ! field and issued, orders to spare no ex
 pense to have me defeated for distric president in my own field. And it wa the unions money, and not his owr that he was willing to be so lavish wit
 to vent a personal spite.
 Tt has been evident for years past t , everybody connected with the labo ,, movement that Mitchell is sufferin
 from common, ordinary dose of 'bi
 head He is working all the time to
 ward one-man pore, and the truth c , the matter is that he is not in touc
 with his own people or with the minin
 situation. Circumstances have mad
 him. The tide has always been in hi A favor until lately, and now he does nc
 measure up to his job. It takes some f thing besides a Prince Albert coat an a carnation in the buttonhole to mak l real labor leader. It takes commo t sense and courage, and the man wh 3 lacks either ought to hire somebody
 tell him of his shortcomings and retir
 from his job."