Show at pa aug 10 the president arrived here at p m air mitchell said speaking for the anthracites coal mine workers I 1 tako great pleasure in supplementing and the greeting fan d wel come extended to the president of the united states on behalf ot the temperance societies and the municipal government of it Is not often that the chief executive of a great nation has found the time or yielded to the inclination to honor by his presence and to participate in a meeting under the auspices of men who are living by the performance of manual labor the visit of president roosevelt to the coal fields of pennsylvania as the guest of the temperance societies and the united mine workers of america marks an epoch in the civic social and industrial history of this commonwealth occasion is one of particular significance to the men for whom I 1 have the honor to speak it is one that will be long remembered by them imprinted indelibly upon the hearts of the miners Is the recollection of the long contest they had and the great hardships they endured in the year 1902 a contest brought to a happy termination through the intervention and mediation of our distinguished guest it Is a pleasure to say that largely as a result of his efforts and mainly as a consequence of his action the conditions 0 life and labor among the anthracite th coal mine workers have been materially improved and the entire people of this community have enjoyed an era of prosperity unprecedented in the history of the hard coal regions it Is equally important to say that many of the bitter antagonisms and prejudices of former years both between the miners and their employers and even among the mine workers themselves have been slowly but surely dissipated and the prospect of permanent and honorable industrial peace grows brighter day by day in the pursuit of ita ideals trades unionism has justified its existence by good works and high purposes slowly and gradually it has progressed toward the fulfillment of its mission it has elevated the standard of living of the american borkman vor kman and conferred upon him higher wages and more leisure it has increased efficiency diminished mini shed accidents averted disease kept the children in school and improved the relations between employer and employed emp loye it has conferred benefits made sacrifices and unfortunately committed errors we believe it not unreasonable to aa that we be judged not by our faults but rather by our virtues to find justification for our existence or tor the policies we pursue we do not rely upon the claims we ourselves make abraham in a speech delivered at hartford conn in while addressing the striking shoe workers said thank god we have a system of labor where there can be a strike whatever the pressure there is a point where the workmen may stop wendell phillips is quoted as having said rejoice in every effort workmen make to organize I 1 hall the labor movement it is my only hope for democracy organize and stand together let the nation hear a united demand from the laboring voice william C gladstone said trade unions are the bulwarks bulwa of modern democracies and so wo might go on with endless endorsements from the great men of the world choso whoso hearts beat in sympathy with their struggling fellow men but we need not depend alone upon the utterances of the immortal dead we have with us as our honored guest this day a man name and deeds will livo as long as the republic shall endure ona who has on innumerable occasions spoken in no uncertain terms in defense of the right of the workmen to organize and has so subscribed to the constitution and principles of modern trade unions as himself to accept honorary membership in one 0 them and now mr president may I 1 again bid you welcome may I 1 express the hope that your visit among us may prove as pleasant to you as it Is appreciated by us |