The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-02-16


Patrick Dolan, OF the local district OF
the United Mine 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
ment in which he gives his reasons 1or
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. d. Ryan, of h Illinois NM
liners, presented a resolution In the NM
ers' convention declaring that no as
trict in the United States would be
permitted to max G settlement unless
they all settled at n time. Then this
resolution vas passed. I voted against
1t and tried to talk against 1t, but was
hissed and hooted down..
This resolution puts the miners OF
his country in a ridiculous position.
One littH.c district in Michigan, British
Columbia or some other obscure place.
can bring q strife and hunger on eoV.0VV
miners, just because these little dis
tricts have some local differences q
cannot adjust. John Mitchell ts 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 MIN
hand and foot. With these facts In
mind. when the Joint convention as
sembled ana the operators offered to re-
affirm the present scale. I voted Tor
it openly and honestly, and 30 con-
WINGED was I OF the Justice of my opin-
ion thatfI refused to retract IN the
face Of jeers n revilings and threats
OF bodily harm. / knew In the face Of
the resolution to tie all districts until
all have settled. nothing but a miracle
or a complete backdown upon the part
Of the miners would avert a tremen-
dous strike. h end Of which nom q
Ne country with terrible loss.
Others Of Same View.
1 was alone in my vote, but l wa
not alone in my opinion. At the con-
yention Of the American Federation OF
Labor in Pittsburg in November. I con-
suited President Mitchell and w. D.
Ryan. and they both old me they
would be satisfied with a renewal OF
the present agreement. but that we
ought to demand an advance AS a
matter of policy.
Later ! consulted President Has
the same thing. After Haskins a
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 indorse his position. Is this fact
not significant?
Let US be homes 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
thess. things? And let me tell YOU. the
miners of this country have never won
a 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 coal 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 were ut
terly defeated. His other disastrous
soft coal strike was in Kentucky, where
+, ,ur people We're beaten.
Union Wiped Out.
In Colorado, where the organization
wiped off the face OF h earth: in
West Virginia central district we were
defeated; Il the Cabin Creek district
in West Virginia, where the organiza-
ton spent $3UO.OUV, We lOSt, IN the
Meyersdale region we spent $500, 600
and were defeated.
At the present time we have a strike
of 5000 miner in Alabama, which has
been on for nineteen months. They are
striking against a 10 per cent. reduc-
! ,tion. Under the Ryan resolution, which
says all districts must get 1242 per
cent. advance over the present scale,
the Alabama operators will have to
withdraw their demand for a 70 per
cent. reduction and give the l2k per
cent. advance, OF a total difference Of
pm per cent. before any other dis
trict in the country can. settle. How. il
this to be brought about?
Tho Pittsburg district has been crit
lcised because 1t has not more than
49, 900 members. President Mitchell Is
as much at fault as any living a He
refuses to help us. He came into the
%non-union Irwin district at the very
height OF his popularity and widely adj
vertised two meetings. At n he had
fifteen men, and at the other we adj
tourned because there was not any,
body there. When Mitchell can't get
a meeting, what car a fellow like me
10?
l have been in the trades union
movement for t%hirty-five years in
Scotland and America. i have sat at
the feet Of the greatest labor leaders
the world has ever known. including
the great Alexander Mcdonald. From
boyhood l learned that it is a leaders
duty to tell his people, not what they
would like to near, but what they