The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-01-09
FLAYS CAPITAL.
PRAISES HOWAT!
Jake Sheppard In Defense OF Mine Strike
Before Legislature Accept Court
Bill Without Penalty Clause.

as a paid attorney. He said Walsh
donated his services to the labor cause.
Frank Walsh saw this thing from an
honest heart" said Sheppard, land
gave his service and time"
II came here not to tell you strikes
are not to end. They are to end
and they are ending-but not thru
legislation.
He Defends Howat.
1.-THE thing that brought you here
was largely your own fault" said
were honestly aroused over the coal
strickland you should have been.
You were aroused against Alexander
Howat But there is not a more gen.
erous, big hearted man in the state
than Alexander Howat. But 1 also
want you to know that Governor AL
len did what he should have done in
the coal strike and I want to uphold
him Further 1 believe that had our
president not been on a sick bed, he
would have taken different course" ?"
Sheppard forecast taking over
mines by the government. He said
miners struck largely thru force and
ignorance.
But if you want solution of these
problems, why haven't you men given
it to these men?"
He urged that the entire legislature
go thru the Pittsburg mining camps to
learn actual conditions.
Don't send a committee-go your
self and be your own Judge Don't
think of expense. This is no time to
think of money. Your trip will change
your hearts and put a new aspect on
this bill.
Governor Allen Right.
Governor Allen was right in his ac-
tion. And any man who does not ap-
prove his action is not true friend of
labor Men. women and children
that these miners have for years lived
like dogs. You have turned your
backs on them session after session.
Society put out its fangs against these
men. Why shouldn't they put out
their fangs against the public?'
"NaturaI to Hate Howat."
You came here hating Alexander
Howat, and 1t was natural that you
should hate him."
Then Sheppard reviewed Howat's
life and went into the famous Keith
case at Kansas City. He praised How
at for earnest endeavor in behalf of
the mine workers
"Howat fought for his men thru the
strike because he knew no better way.
And you haven't given these men any
better way. I know strikes must stop
that the old tooth and claw method
must end. But your bill puts the
tooth and claw in the law against the
working man.
Your bill says to the men that no
force may be used by you. But you
use force against them. For Gods
sake put some love and heart into
this bill and take the tooth and claw
out of it.
I'VE are all going wrong. All the
world is trying to get as much as it
can grab, and labor has learned the
game"
Sheppard appealed to the labor
leaders in the galleries to refrain from
denominations. Several times his
speech was interrupted by hand clap
ping of gallery visitors.
Conditions Stop Strikes.
1.-THE way to stop strikes is for labor
to have n better chance to give then
better working conditions. If you
pass this law, you do it because of the
coal strike-because you hate Alex
ander Howat. Do you wonder that
under conditions his men endure that
some of them became Socialists and
Bolshevists?
when there was no longer a
chance to win the strike as they set
out to win it, Alexander Howat went
to Governor Allen and said: we will
go to work for you And they did &c
to work and they dug coal"
Tribute was paid to the miners for
their loyalty. He was loud in praise
of Howat for service for the govern
ment during the war.
Sheppard indorsed the demands of
the miners for a thirty-hour week.
He urged that the new plan would
keep mines open constantly and pro-
vide more coal.
Judge Anderson did his duty as he
saw it." said Sheppard in commenting
on the indianapolis strike order. But
he could have done differently and
not have strengthened labor's belief
that courts are against them
Urges Share in Profits.
Sheppard urged the right of the
workers to a share in the profits and
the business. He eulogized the Ford
plan.
I('ontfnued ON PAGE TWo