The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-04-01
MITCHELL IS OUT
EXECUTIVE HEAD OF UNITED
NINE WORKERS OF AMERI-
CA RETIRES.
THE FOREMOST LEADER
Under the Leadership of Mitchell
the Miners Union Has Become
One of the Strongest Labor
Organizations.

After a decade spent in active work
as the executive head of the United
Mine Workers of America, during
which time he has attained a repu-
tation as the nations foremost la
Dor leader, John Mitchell today
stepped down and out and was sue
ceeded by Thomas l.. Lewis of Ohio.
During the time that he has been
president of the miners union, that
organization has grown from small
and insignificant body to one of the
strongest labor unions in the world
with total membership of $50 900.
Mitchells retirement was wholly
voluntarily, and was due to i'll
health. If he had wished, he could
probably have retained his position
throughout his life time, so popu-
lar is he with the members of the
union.
The greatest event of Mitchell S
career as a labor leader was the
strike in the anthracite district in
1908, the most memorable the coun-
try ever saw. 1t was inaugurated by
President Mitchell, the demands be-
ing an eight-hour day, higher wages
and union mines.
1t lasted from April until Novem-
Der, when President Roosevelt APP
pointed his famous arbitration COM
mission and settlement was effec-
ted, to last three years. At the ex-
piration of the three years, the con
tract was renewed and now expires
next year The settlement was con
sidered favorable to the miners.
Many rumors are in circulation as
to Mitchell's future. He has beer
mentioned as a possible democratic
candidate for governor of Illinois
his home being in Spring Valley
! HI. 1t has also been stated that Mr.
| Mitchell would be asked by Presi
+, dent Roosevelt to go to Panama ant
make report on labor conditions il
| the canal zone. The retired LABOR
! leader will be one of the delegates tc
! the conference on the conservation
of the natural resources of the coun.
try, called by President Roosevelt.
John P. White, of Iowa, is the new
vice-president. He has been presi-
dent of the Iowa miners.
w. d. Ryan, of Illinois, long con-
nected with the state organization
of miners is the new secretary
tary-treasurer. Ryan is Mitchell
man as is White.
Lewis, the new president, is con
sidered a brainy man. He studied law
and came up from the mines like
! Mitchell. He has some elaborate plan
| for making the organization bigger
and stronger and his ambition is to
! gain the confidence of the public in
! the way Mitchell has held it.
! Lewis Las been spoken of as a
! fierce radical and some surprise has
/ been expressed that radical could
be elected to such an important po-
sition by men who have had the
services for years of 50 conservative
a leader as John Mitchell. AS a mat
1 ter of fact Thomas Lewis IS not {
radical in the usually accepted
sense of the word He is perhaps
quicker to decide than the much
loved Mitchell, whom he has, OF
numerous occasions, opposed, anC
/ his manner of handling the variou!
questions which confront labor lead
ers is perhaps somewhat less con
, ciliatory toward opponents; he alst
! is very strong willed, but his repu
tation as a Fighter is due more tt
his work for what he thought righ
within the organization, than TO,
any disregard of the proprieties il
his relations with employers. Lewis
lives at Bridgeport, Ohio, and ha
been vice-president of the min'
| workers since the election of Iohl
Mitchell to the presidency. He the re
fore is not unfamiliar with the worl
he has been called to. In a speecl
made to the recent convention o
miners at Indianapolis, after thu
tellers had announced his victor.
over William B. Wilson, Lewis said
Il desire to set at rest any fear
that may exist. l desire to say to tn,
American people that if | am a rad
ical I hope to be always so, for
will stand and defend the just right
/ of those whom l have the honor t.
represent. | hope to be so conserva
tive that we may be able to decid,
when to accept the things that w,
believe justly ours as laboring mel
Of tba country -