The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-02-06


Mine Workers of America Oh April
lSt.
From breaker boy to President
of the largest organization in the
world, is big jump, but such is
the experience of Tom l.. Lewis. OF
Bridgeport, Ohio, who has accom-
pl1shed this elevation, as shown by
the announcement of the of1icia
returns of the vote by the tellers to
the National convention at Indian.
apolis, Oh Monday.
Lewis defeated VIM. b. Wilson.
present Secretary Treasurer and
member of Congress from a Penn.
sylvania district, by the narrow
margin of 2,OS14 votes. The total
vote for Lewis was "a, 5534; for
Wilson, 62,472. The result showed
the vote to be much closer than
had been anticipated by Mr.. Lew
IS friends, but they were over
Joyed at the announcement of his
victory.
On April L John Mitchell will
relinquish his position to Lewis:
the latter's present position, that
OF Vice President will be turned
over to John p. White, now Presi.
dent OF the Iowa miners, Wilson
will yield as Secretary Treasurer to
w, ID. Ryan, of Illinois. Ryan
was elected over John Fahy, ofthe
anthracite districts, by a major ty
of Al ,423.
Tom Lewis, the new leader of the
miners, has served the miners in
many official capacities with credit
to himself and the miners. He
has been National Vice President
for several years, and has filled
that position to the satisfaction Of
all concerned, and has been a hard
worker for the cause. and tirelesS
III his efforts for the upbuilding of
the organization. He has attend
ed all the joint conventions held in
West Virginia and during his nu-
merouS visits to this state has made
hosts of friends who stood nobly
Dy him in the recent election. His
election means much for the miners
OF this state, as it is believed with
his knowledge of the conditions
here, and his vast personal expert
ence acquired during his official
visits, he will be able to bring
about a thorough organization OF
the miners in the state.
MIR. Lewis was born in Pennsyl-
yania, but he has resided at
Bridgeport for several years He
attended night school and read law
while he worked in the mines. He
lS >1,I
chew tobacco, drink or swear
Mr.. Lewis, in accepting the office
said:
IL desire to set at rest any fears
that may exist. | desire to say to
the American people that if 1 am
a radical l hope to be always SO.
for L will stand and defend the
just rights of those whom 1 have
The honor to represent. L hope to
be so conservative that we may be
able to decide when to accept the
thing sthat we believe justly ours as
laborlng men of the country. am
not at this time going to attempt to
sayawhat the policy of the United
Mine Workers will be, but so far
as am able l hope to advance the
r1ghttul demands of our people. |
shall not lose sight of the fact that
the interests of the American peo-
pie must always be kept in mind
when we are demanding those
things to which we. as laboring
people, believe we are justly enti-
tled.'
w. D. Ryan, the new Secretary
Treasurer, has been the leader of
the Illinois miners for years. and
under his management their state
organization has accumulated a
fund of nearly 81 100000.
President Mitchell. in his clos
ing address to the miners, said in
part as follows:
''Gentl"men: If unconScien cely
or inadvertently | have done aught
to wound any of you L ask you to
forgive me just as now, as l pass
from the hnelight into the shad
ow, I forgive any that may have
done wrong to me. l ask that if
any man may charge me with
wrong doing when L am no longer
here, that you, in my defense, will