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Show THE ACID TEST. Acting President Lewis ull along has contended that the striking miners are law-abiding and loyal, and that the controversy con-troversy between the miners aud the operators touched no olher issue than the claim of the diggers to wages sufficient suf-ficient to meet changed social and economic eco-nomic conditions. Mr. Lewis has stout-, ly resented the suggestion that the strikers desued to violate the law or flout government authority. The federal court has declared that the coal strike is not only unlawiul, but, in Ihe opinion of Judge Audcrsou, bor- ders perilously close on open rebellion. The mine union officials have been given until tomorrow to rescind the strike order. The strike and the strike call are under legal ban as obstructive to government policy and in violation of law, so that t li o issue is clear enough. And presently it will bo determined whether Mr. Lewis speaks with knowledge knowl-edge when he says that the miners huve no purpose to violate the law or fly in the face of the governnieiu 's purposes. pur-poses. It remains to be seen whether Mr. Lewis aud his subordinates intend accepting the court's ruling or defying it. Whatever Lewis' purpose is, that of some of his subordinates is uiuuifesj:. i For instance, Howat, of the Kansas district, dis-trict, declares that, "regardless of injunctions, in-junctions, prisons and judges," his Course is not to be altered, "it is putting put-ting things to a show down," he adds, I' and 1 am going to fight." Other district leaders intimate a purpose pur-pose to ignore ihe order, while si ill others declare that the miners themselves them-selves are not likely to obey a command to relurn to work. A pretty distinct inclination to challenge the power of the government is disclosed by these Ottcrances. It is safe to venture I hat the strike Order will be recalled by the heads of the unions. The mere rescinding of tlae order, of course, will not pat the men back into the mines, but tire injunction against concorlcd restriction of tiie coal output stands ami the subordinate offi- c i:i I who encourages a continuance of the struggle puts himself in Ihe grip of the law. f the minors are guided by wisdom they will reeogni.c that tho Courts are more powerful than the'JIow-Ats the'JIow-Ats and their kind. |