El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-01-20
STRIKE HAS NOT
PROVED SUCCESS
President Lewis of the Mine
Workers Would Elm
mate Injunction.

Indianapolis, Ind, Jan. 19.-"The ap-
plication of commonsense should be the
basis of the new method of promoting
industrial peace in the mining regions, .
according to the annual report of pres
ident Thomas L. Lewis, Of the United
Mine Workers of America, at the con-
vention of the miners organization.
With this as a keynote, the report
continued, Mr.. Lewis saying:
The strike as a method Of organic
ing has not proved a success. The
enormous expenditure of funds and the
tremendous waste of energy incident
TO Industrial strife should be avoided.
Our right to strike can never be sur
rendered, but it should be the very last
resource and every other means ex-
hausted before a suspension of work
is ordered or takes place
Operators Fear Results.
"A large number of the miners are
anxious and ready to organize, but
lack of confidence in our ability to
succeed causes them to be indiffer-
ent. Many of the operators are really
not opposed to the organization, out
are skeptical of our object, and fear
the result. Let US appeal to the in
telligence Of the operator and miner in
the nonunion mining districts.
Perfect frankness in stating our po-
sition. and sincerity in carrying into
effect our declarations, will do much
10 establish that confidence necessary
TO success
Right to Organize.
Touching the right of mine workers
to organize, president Lewis said:
sIt has been stated and repeated
many times that labor UNIONS are here
to stay. Let US put ourselves on rec
ord in the most positive manner, that
so long as one employer insists on the
right to combine with other employers
to develop industry, accumulate wealth
and buy labor at the cheapest possible
rate, just that long will the mine
worker insist on the right to organize
with his fellow mine worker to dictate
the terms upon which we will sell our
labor.
Notwithstanding the tremendous
impulse given to every movement
through unity of purpose, there are
some men among employers of labor
and controllers of finance, who would
deny that unity of action among Ia
boring people that they, themselves,
exercise in their everyday affairs.
They cry down organized effort among
the saboring people, under the false
alarm of encroachment on individual
uaerty.' They arrogate to themselves
to organize capital under the sacred
Game of vested rights
Men Must Triumph.
1.-The time is at hand to bring forcl-
bly, to the attention of this class or
people that in an era of concerted eff
fort, such as we have, there is no
such thing as individual liberty among
working people, if we are denied the
right to cooperate with each other 10
better our condition and secure
brighter future Capital and labor
should cooperate and work together;
but if there must be a struggle be
tween dollars and men, then men
should and must be triumphant
Pennsylvania Miners.
The report stated that the anthra-
cite coal region of Pennsylvania en-
ploys 174,0O0 mine workers, about 3d.
900 of whom are organized, and eX-
planned the condition by saying: An
investigation and study of the anthra-
cite situation convinces me that the
inactivity and the failure of the mine
workers to be better organized is due
principally to their own indifference
The same condition applies to many
of the bituminous mining districts.
Would Eliminate Injunction
On the legislative features of min
ing interests, president Lewis spoke
strongly in favor of a law to eliminate
the Injunction evil in labor disputes,
and for the enactment of q general en-
pIoyers' liability law, and recommend
ed the legalization of labor unions
On the wage contract feature of the
workers activity, president Lewis
spoke in favor Of the joint conference
method of negotiating wage contracts,
which. he said, has done much to es-
fablish peace in the mining industry.
On the termination Of contracts, he
said. s.You are aware that our wage
agreements in nearly every bituminous
district of the country terminate on
March 81 of this year. Let me make
If clear that there will be no reduc-
ton in wages. and as many improve
ments in the agreement as can be Sc
cured"
Wants Authority Defined.
President Lewis deprecated what he
termed 2 growing disposition to ignore
the authority of the international Or
ganization and officers, and recon-
mended that the convention define in
exact terms the authority of the inter
national organization and its subordi-
nate branches. He denounced as the
most dangerous enemy to the organ
! ization those within it who seek to
disrlIpt the institution.