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Show MITCHELL DEB ffl lEJfffilE Former President of United Mine Workers Issues Statement State-ment to Public. SAYS HIS ATTITUDE HAS BEEN MISREPRESENTED Merely Advises Every Workman to Study Issues and Vote Tor His Interests. INDIANA E'OLIS, Oct. 20. John Mitchell, former president of the United Alino Workers of America, today to-day furnished tho following statemout to the Associated Press: "During the past few days I bavo received numerous inquiries from secretaries sec-retaries of our local unions in reference-to reference-to a poster containing an enlarged likeness like-ness of myself, below which is printed what purports to bo an interview with me bearing on tho present political situation. sit-uation. Some of these letters aro written writ-ten in a spirit of criticism, while others are commendatory and request that additional posters bo mailed for distribution. "Jt is obvious that these posters havo been received by many, if not all, of the secretaries of our local unions; it is apparent that at least somo of our members believe that they were- 6ont nut bv inn :md I he nlisttiiintion is that I am 'attempting to dictate, or at least to inllueuco thr manner in which our members should vote. Posters Not Authorized. I "In order to remove any misunderstanding misunder-standing that mav exist J take this means of informing our members that I have not mailed qr authorized any onq olso to mail to auy member or officer ot our union, or to any ono else, tiny poster containing my likeness or giving expression ex-pression to my political views, except fo far as these views ure expressed m tho official circulars authorized by the oxecutive council of tho American ied-eration ied-eration of Labor. "Onlv a short time ago a weekly paper pa-per published in tho city of Buffalo printed what purported to bi a telegram tele-gram signed by mo, declaring tin-equivocally tin-equivocally for one of the 'presidential candidates and .with equal emphasis voicing opposition to another. That telegram, which has been given wido, circulation, was not written by mo nor by my authority. I never saw it nor heard of it until it appeared in the columns of tho publication referred to. "I. have borno patiently with this misrepresentation and havo hesitated to say anything by way of correction because 1 feared that to do so would furnish another opportunity for garb- ling what I said, and thus placo, mo in oven a more embarrassing position, and might convey tho impression that T was not in full sympathy with the Working people to socuro remeuiai legislation for tho wrongs ot which, they complain. Cannot Remain Silent, "lint matters have gouo so far tliat 1 cannot, in .instico t0 my own conscience, con-science, remain silent while others use my name in this unauthorized manner. I am abundantly able to speak for myself, my-self, and I object to tho unwarranted liberties being lakeu with my name. Therefore, I avail myself of this means of communicating to all who may bo interested in this expression of my views. "As T understand tho policy of tlio. American labor movement and. tho tuition tui-tion of tho United Mino "Workers of America, it is that the organizations of labor aro not committed to any political po-litical party; the workingmeu of America aro endeavoring, so far as lies in their power, and without regard to political atliliations, to elect to public ollico boua fide, members of trado unions or other candidates who aro known to bo in sympathy with the political and industrial reforms necessary neces-sary for the protection and preservation of tho interests of the wage-earners. "To this end I havo written letters of recommendation, and will write others urging our fellow workers to support trado unionists and friends of the trade union movement who havo been nominatod for oJlicial positions." M.r. .Mitchell horc mentioned several men whoso candidacy for the lower house of Congress ho favored, and continued con-tinued as follows: Labor's Representation. "It seems to me that, inasmucb as tho manufacturing, the mercantile, the personal, and, to a lesser extent, the agricultural and even the leisure classes, aro so well and so numerously represented represent-ed in our state and national legislature, the wage-earner should also be represented repre-sented by a group of strong men from tho ranks of labor whose training and experience aro such as to enable them to present in nn intelligent and forco-ful forco-ful manner tho needs and requirements of that great division of society which is least able to protect itself. When all factors arc thus represented we can oxpoct such general legislation as is essential to tho welfare of the whole nation, and such special laws as arc necessur- to protect tlio interests of each scparato division. "I inn sure that I shall not bo charged with partisanship when T advise ad-vise each man to examine carefully the principles and policies of thu candidates, candi-dates, to, consider seriously thu effect of the election upon the nation as a whole and upon that division of society in particular par-ticular to which hu belongs; and, having hav-ing done this, it is his duty to cast his ballot in accordance with his best, .judgment .judg-ment and with tho dictates of his conscience. con-science. "Over and above nil, trade unionists should ever keep in mind the necessity of preserving inviolate the strength and 1 integrity of tho unions. "When the election elec-tion is over and tho excitement and enthusiasm en-thusiasm incident to it have passed uway regardless of which pnrty has been victorious, regardless of who is elected to bo president tho organizations organiza-tions of labor, as heretofore, sind as never before, will bo to tho working-men working-men the bulwark of their liberties." |