The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-30
Negro Factor I11 Labor
 Conditions In The South
Who Is Responsble? lewis To Find Out and Tell Us-Witticisnl On 4he Word Mutual Ilustra-
 tive of Its Meaning
BY FRANK V. EVANS.

the south are quite different from those that exist in the north and west. Here the negro Is an important factor in all Industrial departments. Naturally the ne- gro has no socialistic anarchistic ten dencies. He constitutes a real part of the south, was born and reared here reared under the guiding and correcting hand of the southern white man, and imbued with the idea that he must be submissive to law. So firmly fixed is the black race in the customs and traditions of the south, so acclimated, so indiginous to this soil that he can never be led or driven away from this section When the mines were opened to the ex-slave he became free miner, for he possessed the proper qualifications-activ and muscle. Naturally initiative he was not slow to become a master of the pick and beneficiary of the reward for profitable industry.
 White men from the north may lead him astray for time, as they did 40 years ago, but not permanently.
 Different Up North.
 In the west and in the north there is another element in the mining industry. It is a white foreign element, with an admixture of northern forces. It Is also mixed with an unfixed migratory ele- ment that cares not for place and needs not the mastership of duty. Much of it is sensitive and at enmity with capital, and glories in agitation. It feasts upon strife and fears not the majesty of law. It is a willing contributor to the cause of disruption and lawlessness; and can always be relied upon to strike at one point, and, failing to win, move to an- other.
 I say, if President Lewis has not learned that labor conditions in the south thus differ from those in the north it is high time for him to learn it; for know ing 1t to be true, he will no doubt dis cover the futility of his effort to win suc- cess for his union in this section by the methods he has used in the north and west.
 "Let Us Alone"
 The question has been asked, why is it that the operators do not seem to be taking a hand in settling this difficulty, while the governor of the state. citizens in mass meeting and in conferences are try ing to bring about adjustments and res- toration of the peace?
 As an answer to this I have been told that the operators have no appeals to make except to be let alone by strikers and protected by law enforced by popular sentiment. They have been asked to recognize the union," which they say they cannot and will not do That is their ultimatum. They say that if left alone they will reopen their mines with all the men they need-old employees and new ones; and yet some people are say ing there should be mutual agreement between operators and miners.
 That Word Mutual.
 This word mutual should be well considered and defined. At the fifth an- nual conference of coal miners and oper- ators of Illinois,. Indiana, Ohio and Penn sylvania, held in Indianapolis January and February 1902, MT. Lewis referred to this word mutual in the following witticism Said he
 We have arrived at the point where we can put a new construction on what mutual means. l don't consider it a mu- tual agreement at all where one party was compelled to accept the terms of the other. If I approached a man and asked him to do something and he re- fused to do 1t, and if I got a good big club and hit him over the head with it and knocked him down and he finally, after some effort, got on his feet. and I asked him again to do as l wished and he did it, I wouldn't consider that mu- tual I would consider that he did 1t because he was afraid I would give him another rap with it.
 An Application.
 Excellent Mir Lewis, and worthy in- deed of application at this time. Some wears ago the officials of the United Mine Workers of America asked all the l mine operators of Alabama. in fact de- manded of them, that they should recog- nize the union. They declined to do SO.