Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-20
Opposition Charges President with
Packing Convention.
DENIAL IS ENTERED
Mr.. Lewis DefendS His Actions in
Most Vigorous Language.
DIRECTORS WIN ONE POINT
OrRaniEers Who Are Delegates will
Not Draw Pay from General
Treasury During the
Convention.


INDIANAPOLIS. Ind, Jan. l9.-The most
powerful unified labor organization In the
wofld, the United Mine Workers OF North
America, played politics bitterly all OF to-
day in its convention 10 this city and finally
rebuffed its International administration.
The "filibusterers," so called by President
Thomas Lewis, succeeded In carrying by
large majority to suspend during the COM
vention the salaries OF the international
organizers who are I'm attendance as rep
resentatives OF local unions, and to put
upon the unions the expense of their sup
port as delegates.
The delegates divided in the debate on the
motion. The leaders Of the insurrectionists
we're Frank j, Hayes, who probably has
been elected international vice president
and who now is secretary of the Illinois
district of ths union; William Green OF
Ohio, Lewis opponent in the election for
president: John H. Walker, president elect
of the Illinois miners and Lewis defeated
rival for the international presidency last
year; Duncan Mcdonald, now the president
OF the Illinois district and Francis Fee
han, president of the Pittsburg district
The anti-administration speakers charged
that international organizers, being under
the control of President Lewis had been
called into the convention in the expecta-
tion that they could further the interests
o fthe administration; that some of them
had solicited delegates credentials from
local unions supposed to be unable to send
delegates, and that they should have re-
mained in their districts attending to the
| duties for which they were paid.
| dangerous Capitalization OF power re-
suited, 1t was maintained, which threat
ened the rights Of the individual districts
Lewis Defends Acts.
] After his opponentshad plead their causes
President Lewis made statement flatly
denying that he had asked international
organizers to help him forward his policies
In the convention or that he had ever
I caucused the organizers. He had called
some of them to the convention. he said,
so that the delegates might have first
hand Information of the progress of organi-
cation in non-union coal mining fields.
Continuing, Lewis said:
| But II is OF the International organizers
that are botherng these men. In their in
tense desire to protect the flnancer Of the
workers in the Mines what have some
of them done? Read the scurrIlous crcu-
lars that have been issued assalling my
character and my work Ever since the
miners of this country placed a gavel In
my hands my enemies have done all in
their power to discredlt my administration
The have sowed the seeds of malice and
disruption In the organization'
In defense of the integrity and devotion
of the international organizers President
Lewis declaredi IF you would know the
perils that beset these men go into the
fields of Alabama, Hopkins county, Ken-
lucky; Elhart Ridge, West Virginia; the
mountains OF Tennessee and parts of the
fields of Pennsylvania, Missouri and more
L you
pccted OF being an organizer you will give
good account of yourself you will be
escorted out b. armed men, and IL you
resist you will stay there crippled"
After President Lewis had closed his
speech there was further argument until a
motion to end the debate was carried by
a vote of 53S ayes and 467 noes. The
original motion then was put and carried
The reports of President Lewis. Secre.
tary Treasurer Edwin Perry and Vice
President Mccullough we're read and the
convention adjourned for the day.
Report of PRESIDENT.
"The application of common sense
should be the basis OF the new method Of
promoting industrial peace In the mining
regions" according TO the annual report
of President Thomas L. Lewis.
President Lewis declared that an inn
portant problem before the organization
was how to organize the mine workers in
the nonunion mining district He said:
! South and east Of the Ohio river in the
states Of Maryland, West Virginia, Ken
! lucky, Tennessee and Alabama, nearly
Z 10000 mine workers are employed. OF this
?. number, but small per cent OF the total
J. are organized, and what is true Of the
u states named also applies to a large Sec
u ton of the bituminous and anthracite dis
tricts of Pennsylvania well as Colorado
Costly and unsuccessful efforts have beer
n made to organize these districts through
) the medium OF strikes The amount spent
's for aid alone In support OF strikes in the
/ states of Maryland. West Virginia, Ken.
e lucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Colorado
l. since the year 1900 amounts to nearly
/ $S,OOOOOO. and to this large sum should b'
L added the amount OF money spent TO main
tain a number OF organizers in those dis
g tricts"
Is In denying a widespread belief that tn,
III mine workers seek to organize in tn,
III states named to curtail the shipment o
AZ coal west, President Lewis said: wv
should declare in the most emphatic man
ner that II is not our purpose TO organic
X the nonunion mining districts 10 curtai
l. their coal production. We must convlnc
ne the operators OF those states that we ar
a. sincere in our position We Will then hav
iy removed the greatest obstacle in the wa,
on OF organizing West Virginia and the othe
Of states named"
The report states that the anthract
en- coal region OF Pennsylvania employs l74CO
nj mine workers. about 5000 Of whom er
s organized and explained the condition b,
i'd saying, IAN investigation and study Of tn
at anthracite situation convlnoes me tina
lR the Inactivity and the failure OF the min
e. workers to be better organized is du
principally to their own Indifference"
OF Mr.. Lewis declared that the wage agree
Mt ment now in effect In the anthracite regio
e. does not provide a proper standard O
- vaRes and A moi what The rnlnn ,Norl1er