Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-10-31
Acting President Lewis Brands
Action of President and His
Cabinet as Unprecedented
and UnWarranted,"
STATEMENT CLASSED AS
"A PARTISAN DOCUMENT"
Chief Magistrate and His Ad-
~. ,iSerS Have Aligned Them
IS With ''SiniSter Finan-
y itereStS,n He Says,

Indianapolis, Oct 30.--A direct at
| tack upon President Wilson's course
in the coal strike situation as the
climax of long series of attempted
usurpations of executive power" was
made today by John h. Lewis, acting
| president, and the executive board Of
the United Mine Workers of America.
| The attack came in a long telegram
to Secretary of Lal or Wilson, replying
| to a message from him delivered to
the conference here yesterday of some
score officials and leaders of the
| union.
The kilograms constituted the first
exchange of views etween the admin
| istration and the union. While the
| telegram from Secretary Wilson
reached here yesterday, the reply was
not completed until today when 1t was
Submitted to the executive board by
President Lewis 1t was announced
that the reply was approved by unani-
nous vote. Union headquarters r9-
| fused to give out The secretary's mea-
sage saying that its publication was
something for the sender To approve.
| The reply indicated that the secre-
tary offered to call conference Of
the miners and employers which Of
fer was accepted in the following
languages
"We shall hold ourselves in readi-
ness to attend any joint conference
which may be arranged by YOU upo1
fair basis and stand ready to recon-
vene the International convention OF
cur organization whenever our scale
committee has received m honorable
proposition for presentation to such
convention"
Lewis Statement In Full.
The telegram 10 Secretary Wilson
follows
"Your telegram Of 29th instant was
read by me to assembled conferences
of members Of our international eX.
leCutive board, scaie committee OF cen
uHi oompethiys fleld and presidents
Of our various districts yesterday, o..
! behalf OF conference am Juthori.' Il
| to make this reply:
"Scale committee representing Unit
ed Mine Workers convened with
operators of central comp ititive 'leld
at Buffalo, September 25, and pre-
sented to operators the wage de-
mands as formulated by our interna-
tional convention which was thor
oughly Representative of tho views ot
cur membership. Operators declined
tc consider the merits of our demands
and refused to negotiate en- a basis
which would be productive of
any results After one week adiourIr-
ment was taken TO recohSene in Phil
Gdelphia October g. and Joint seS-
slons of three days was held In that
city. Miners representatives Llade
every effort to negotiate agreement,
but were met by uncompromising re-
fusal Of coal oparal1rs to er
merits of our position.
Operators Blamed for Strike.
cat that time no strik" order was in
effect and none would have baer is
sued had there been any cons'' .ctive
suggestions of a compctcut nature Of
fered by the coal operators. Miners
left Philadelphia conference with
deepest reluctance and heavy hearts.
Later on when we were called into
conference by yourself at Washington,
day by day we reiterated we were
anxious and willing to go into join-
negotiations without reservations,
having in mind only interests Of our
people, for purpose of negotiating
wage agreement which would avert
strike in bituminous industry.
"Our position remains the same to-
day. We shall hold ourselves in
readiness to attend any Joint confer
euce which may be arranged by yoi
upon fair basis and stand ready to re-
convene International convention OF
our organization whenever our scale
committee has received an honorable
proposition for presentation to such
convention.
Permit me to say to you, sir, tho
unprecedented and unwarranted
action of cabinet and president of the
Tptf at t,, kvutt sta Nat nF
Saturday last has done more to pre-
vent satisfactory settlement of i'm
pending strike and working out OF
wage agreement than any other ele-
ment which has entered into situation.
The presidents statement Is a fierCely
partisan document because 1t attacks
the intention of the mine workers
without even suggesting that mine
operators may have brought about
this unhappy situation, and further
because threat is made to exercise
full force of government to prevent
stoppage of work without any cor
responding threat to exert full forcn
of government to enforce fair work
ing conditions and a living wage.
Not Crime 10 Walk Ont.
ut is indeed a sad commentary upon
principles of square dealing, when the
president OF the United States and his
cabinet by unanimous vote to ally
themselves with sinister financial in
terests which seek 10 deny justice to
labor and precipitate our country into
industrial turmoil. The president
states: The mine workers. projected
strike is not only unjustifiable but
He states further: 1T is
wrong both morally and legally In
nj f-
crime for the miners TO strike and
threatens punishment for the crime.
May | point out to you that under
laws of the United States beyond any
presidential amendment or abrogation.
1t is not a crime to strike; 1t cannot
be made a crime to strike, and that
an individual cannot be punished for
as for the commission of a
crime.
THE president of the United States
IS the servant and not the master of
n.