Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-02
National Miners Leader
is Declared to be Afraid
of the Illinois Vote.
MEDDLING RESENTED
Walker, State Head, Claims
Result of Poll Will Show
Reputation of Chief.

Springfield. ILL.,. Aug. I'm
tional President T. L. Lewis that the
defeat of the proposed strike COM
promise in Illinois is due to the ef-
forts put forth by John H. Walker.
president of the Illinois miners, Wal
ker denounces Lewis as a demogogue.
a czar, and accuses him of alliance
with the operators.
He sums up the situation by de-
claring that the real reason Presi-
dent Lewis has refused to count the
vote cast by the Illinois miners at his
behest is because he wishes to avoid
seeing how strongly the miners of
this state have repudiated him and
his interference in the affairs of this
state.
Lewis In a statement published
yesterday morning declared that the
vote of the miners in the Illinois dis
trict would not be counted and gave
as his reason charges of irregulari-
ties and claimed that Walker had
used his influence against it. He
charged Walker with wishing to
boost himself only.
81 have no comment TO make on
President Lewis attack on me-" said
Mr.. Walker, "other than to say that
that is President Lewis policy with
every man who does not bend the
knee in humble submission TO him
and worship him as a czar.
"If, on the other hand, those OFF,
GERS honestly believe that the men
are justified in making certain de-
mands. and the time is opportune to
fight for them-the operators refuse
to concede them and a strike ensues
then he insinuates demagoguery,
hypocrisy and selfish desire TO serve
personal interests and does all he
can to defeat them in their struggle
and discredit those officers.
Allied with Operators.
"In the light of recent events, /
have the right to believe he allies
himself with the operators to do it,
He has proved his absolute incom-
potency, and worse, the short time
he has been in Office. He went into
Office with a solid and united organ
ization, and nearly $1,OOO.O00 in the
treasury. He spent most of the
money on strikes thousands Of miles
away, to break up existing miners
unions, where it practically did not
affect our wages or conditions,
whether they were organized or not.
and where the men had not paid any
thing into our treasury. and for or
ganizers who have been working
mostly among organized men and in
a very large number of instances
their jobs, and on whose sufferance
and praise the man who gave them
their jobs, an don whose sufferance
they held them, and to discredit the
district officers, and practically no
assistance can now be gotten for the
men who built up the organization
and paid money into the treasury
and who are in a death struggle for
conditions which he himself acknowl-
edges they are entitled to.
I'm less than three years he has
brought about this condition, where
by there is dissension, strife and di-
vision, lack of confidence. suspicious
and distrust, bankruptcy and indebt-
edness.
"AIIied with Coal Operators"
"The miners OF Illinois are right
in their contention and they are de-
termined to continue this contest un.
til they win and the yawpings of
cheap, disgruntled and disgraced
demagogue (would-be czar) who has
openly betrayed them and allied him
self with the coal operators to defeat
them and made things harder for
them. will not deter them from fight
ing this battle through. The men
have made a most magnificent fight
and will continue to do so to the end.
I'm my opinion his real reason for
not counting the vote is to avoid hav-
ing the rank and file of our organiza-
tion know how badly the Illinois
miners repudiate dhim and his inter-
ference in their affairs in the manner
NOV ha dfd