Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-20

United Mine Workers of America. |
should refuse to render assistance di-
rect TO districts where the officers and
members had put forth no special eff
fort 10 help themselves"
Eaps ward Boss Methods.
Secretary Ryan protested against
the electioneering methods, which he
said were adopted in the last cam
paign within the organization. off
GERS and candidates." he said can
certainly use their time and talent to
better effect by devising ways and
means to build UP the organization.
rather than descending TO the level of
ward politicians by, securing the as
;sistance pfnhestionabie newspaperssin
laying bare each others faults
Mr.. Ryan recommended that the
Buck Stove & Range company should
be taken off the unfair list and that
the individual members should be
permitted to use their own judgment"
In this connection he said that eX-
President John Mitchell had been SEN
fenced to Jail by Judge Wright for an
act committed while Mr. Mitchell was
presiding at the last convention of the
organization and that the present con-
vention should thoroughly consider the
case. He read letter from Mr. Mitch
ell, in which he said that the resolu-
ton passed by the convention, which
had brought upon him his Jail SEN
haI u &c
knowledge and without his participa-
ton, and he felt therefore that a great
injustice had been done him.
Speaks of Penalty Clauses.
1T is worthy of our attention. said
President Lewis in his report, that in
our joint conferences there is a grow
ing disposition on the part of the. OPP
orators to have penalty clauses insert
ed in the wage agreements. The prin-
cipal reason assigned is that if con-
tracts are of any practical use. there
should be no strikes during the life of
the contract. We should adopt some
method that demonstrates that we are
sincere in our desire TO respect the
terms Of contract
AT no time in the history of the
country has there been so many idle
miners as during the past year. I'm
der those circumstances. it is matter
of some satisfaction TO be able to re-
port that per capita tax was received
at the national Office for the month of
December, 1905, on 294,746 members
You know that the award of the
strike commission expires April i of
this year, and the delegates to this
convention should carefully consider
such plans as will best protect the in
terests of the anthracite mine work
ers.
1T is evident from the decision rem
dered by Judge Wright in the alleged
contempt case of Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation
of Labor, and his associates, that the
injunction question is now 10 be set
tied by the highest courts of the land
The Injunction question is not a new
one. 1t is older than the government
of the United States. 1t is a part of
English common law. 1t. is good and
bad, like many other things, depend
ing upon its application
| In the last two orsthree decades it
has been made an instrument of evil
in its application to organized labor.
| in view of the many misleading re-
ports circulated during the past year
with reference to my official work,
you will pardon me for calling your
attention to the fact that my official
i acts are subject to the most rigid in
vestigation, and I challenge any one
to prove that any official or personal
act of mine has brought discredit to
I the United Mine Workers. organIza-
tion.'