United labor bulletin., 1914-03-07
MITCHELL REPLIES
TO MOYER CRITICS
Never Advocates Violence or
Unlawful Acts
Western Federation of Miners Has
Jurisdiction by Right Over En-
tire Metalliferous Field

John Mitchell, former president of the
United Mine Workers and vice president
OF the American Federation OF Labor,
has written reply to criticisms made
of President Charles d. Meyer and the
Western Federation Of Miners, and to
copper mine owners in Michigan who
have said it was '.Moyer and his union"
who stood in the way of settlement OF
the Michigan labor trouble.
Mitchell was asked by an Eastern peri
odical TO give his Judgment as to wheth-
er the Western Federation OF Miners is
the particular branch of the American
Federation of Labor that rightly has
jurisdiction over the Michigan miners;
whether it stands or does not stand for
L w. W. methods and for crime; wheth-
er Meyer personally stands for crime:
whether any other recognized union
could be introduced in place of the West
ern Federation, and in general whether
the Western Federation ought to be
trusted. In his reply Mitchell says in
part:
''The jurisdiction OF the Western Fed
Grafton of Miners, as defined by the
American Federation of labor, covers
the whole field of metalliferous min
ing; that is to say, all men engaged as
silver, copper, zinc lead, iron and other
metals eligible to membership in the
Western Federation of Miners.
"The American Federation OF Labor
will not charter any other organization
in this field. nor will it recognize any
other organization whose membership Is
composed OF men employed in the metal
liferous mining industry. Therefore, the
Western Federation OF Miners is the
bona fide recognized union having juris-
dietion in this industry.
SO far as I know the Western Fed
Grafton OF Miners stands fundamentally
for the same principles and pursues pre-
cisely the same policies a. other inter-
national trade unions. although, like the
United Mine Workers of America. like
the United Brewery Workmen, it is an
industrial union; that is to say. it ad-
mits to membership and exercises juris-
diction over all the different craftsmen
employed in the industry over which it
las luIleu4CNloH- nueIt1s many. even
most, International unions confine their
jurisdiction TO men following given
trade.
Il have never known Meyer person.
ally or the Western Federation of Min
ers to advocate violence or the COM
mission of unlawful acts; on the con.
trary. so far as the Michigan strike is
concerned, the proposition made by
Meyer and his associates to accept the
decision of board of arbitration upon
which no member of the Western Fed
Grafton OF Miners should sit is one of
the most conservative propositions
have ever known to be made by rep
resentative of trade union for the set
tlement of an industrial dispute.
III Meyer were the unreasonable
extremist he is often represented to be
he surely would not be willing and would
rot have proposed to refer all questions
in dispute in TIE Calumet district TO the
arbitrament of board appointed by the
governor of the state or by the presi-
dent of the United States"
Mitchell says that the Western Fed.
Grafton does not indorse l. w. w. meth
DDS, but quite the reverse. He explains
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