The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1912-04-08
JOHN MITCHELL.
President In center)
BY PETER POWER.
MAY uAYEl
(MAX HAYES.l


When John Siney, an Ohio
man, organized and BECAME presi-
dent of the first national union OF
miners about 40 years ego, he
dreamed that some day the child
of his brain and tireless labors
would become sufficiently power
full to exercise an influence in
sharing the working conditions
of the men who were COM
PEELED to spend nearly one-half
of their lives in the stygian dark
ness of the earth's bowels, and
perhaps ultimately dominate the
mining industry as a whole.
The first union started out
with less than $4,000 men en-
rolled, and when the Knights OF
Labor became a power in the
COS they organized what became
known as national trades assem-
bly, No. 1876, the mining division.
When the X. of l.. began to dis
integrate after the great south
west strike and other disastrous
contests, and the famous Rich
mond convention, an agitation de-
veloped among the miners to
combine Assembly No. 1876 and
the National Progressive union,
which occurred In January, 1890,
when John McRae of Ohio was
chosen president OF fine United
Mine Workers of America.
But owing to unsuccessful local
strikes, loose methods of organi-
cation, business depression and
other industrial ills the miners
organization was no stronger two
years later than when Siney
formed the first national union.
The real growth of the U. M.
w. began about Is years ago,
after NJ. d. Ratehford of Ohio as
sumed the leadership, although it
was slow progress. John Mitchell
followed Ratchford and, aided by
Mother Jones, w. B. Wilson snow
congressman from Pennsylvania
Tom Lewis and w. D. Ryan. and
the younger men who are now at
the helm-John. P. While, Frank
Hayes, John Walker and Others
the organization grew in leaps
and bounds, until today over
100000 men are enrolled.
The winning of the big strike
in Illinois a dozen years ago-in
which the issue was clearly de-
fined as to unionism probably had
more to do than any other single
incident to guarantee the growth
of the U. M. w.
The greatest strike in the or
ganization's history occurred two
years ago, when about 800, 200
men walked out of the bituminous
mines. The strike was for more
wages and was settled by dis
tricts favorably to the men, Iowa
and Michigan leading off after a
few weeks shutdown, with 9TH
er states falling in line, Illinois
being the last to yield after nearly
six months of battling.
The anthracite strike of 1902
brought out 100000 men, nearly
all of whom remained idle for a
period of over five months. The
Roosevelt anthracite strike COM
mission awarded the miners the
nine-hour day and 10 per cent
more wages, but enforced the
open shop. This latter provision
in the award has proven a serious
handicap to the U. M. w. Dffic-
ials claim that hundreds of active
unionists have been blacklisted,
resulting in thousands of others
being inundated and forced to
desert the organization.
Baer, Truesdale and other oper-
ators claim that White really
doesn't represent more than U.s.
900 organized anthracite men, or
about Is per cent, in the, three
districts. This is doubtless true,
thanks to the effectiveness of
their coercive methods. But John
Mitchell represented less than
10000 men when the strike was
called ten years ago. In the big
Illinois strike only 1900 men
were in the union when the fight
began and $4,000 were enrolled
when it ended. When 10000
miners quit work in the West
moreland field three years ago
and battled over one year only a