Show TEXT OF 0 F MITCHELLS MITCHELL'S LETTER lEITER WASHINGTON Oct Following Is s the text of oC President Mitchell's Mitchells com com- Pa Oct l 16 Hi 1902 Hon Hon Theodore Roosevelt Pre President of the United States Washington D. D C. C C.- C. Dear Sir Sir I I am arn In receipt of your our telegram tele- tele ram gram of f October r which reads as l. l follows I I have appointed as UI commissioners John M. M Wilson n E. E W. W Parker Judge George Gcorge Gray E. E E. E Clark Thomas H. H Watkins and Bishop John L. L Spalding with Hon Carroll D D. Wright as recorder These Thet-e names are arp accepted b by the operators and I now most earnestly en ask and urge that the miners likewise accept this commission Jt It t Is a 1 matter of vital concern to tn all li II our people and especially to those thosa In our great creat cities who are least well ivell oft off that the mining of ot coal should be resumed without a a. days day's unnecessary delay Replying thereto I beg to Inform you ou that your our recommendations were wera 1 Submitted to the executive boards of districts 1 7 1 and 9 9 United MineWorkers Mine Mine- Workers of ot America and the they hll have unanimously agreed to call a a. dele delegate ate convention con to be held helt next net Monday ind anil will viii recommend to the convention that all alt men now on strIke return to the positions positions positions po po- po- po and working places formerly occupied by them and submit to the commission appointed b by you all questions questions questions ques ques- at Issue between the operators and Workers Mine of oC the anthracite coal fields In connection with this su subject sub sut- we wo are glad to know that the tie managers man man- agers of ot the coal companies have decided decided decided de de- de- de to recede from the untenable po position position po- po which they so 80 long occupied and to accept a modified mortified proposition for the arbitration of or the coal strike and to you full in the selection of ofa a commission It will be remembered that we we proposed on October 3rd t to place the tho whole matter In your hand hands und and to accept a verdict of a tribunal of ot your ur own selection It will also bo be remembered that the c company compan managers managers managers man man- man man- agers at that time refused to accept the th Continued on Pal Paso Page o G 6 MITCHELL GIVES LETTER LETIER 1 OF ACCEPTANCE TO PRESS Leader of the tile Miners Analyzes Operators' Operators Proposition r tion ton and Throws s Some Hot Shot Shot i j. j r Continued d from Page Pase 1 iA of or the thc President of th the th United St States State tes and preferred that of or the thc local o l Common Pleas Judges Judges We Vc proposed pro pro- posed o cd to leave eave lea e everything to you OU without without with with- wih- wih out condition or reservation having the utmost faith In your Impartiality and ond hood good judgment The Operators Operators' ors Open R Refusal In their thir reu refusal 1 to accept your our arbi arbi- the operators operator sought to hold you Jou in part accountable for the vencon very ven con conditions which which you ou were trin trying to remedy and ad to instruct you rou as to your duties dutes concerning them Eight days dars 1 later they again Appeared before you ou dropping dropping the Common Pleas Jud Judge e and ond proposing to abide by the verdict of a tribunal appointed by you you but but attemptIng attempting attempt attempt- ing to prescribe within fixed and narOW narrow narrow nar- nar row OW limits the character and vocation of oC I the men you were to name I Opposed to Proposition I To To this proposition as os the operators operator made It H we were unalterably opposed I First because our respect for tor you rou as a aman aman man and our Ideas as to what Is due to the dignity of oC your office demanded that i iw w we shou not be a party part to o a request I of ot you to accept this great responsibility 1 fly ity accompanied by detailed and impertinent impertinent imper imper- restrictions as to t the c 1 manner manner- a ner In which you ou should meet it It I. I second bee beus be- be ca us se e careful analysis of ot their proposItIon proposition proposition tion disclosed cd to us us as It I did to you ou and the public that the restrictions lons were too to narrow to enable you ou to secure un under under uner un- un der er them a well balanced wel-balanc wel and ald thoroughly thoroughly thor thor- Impartial tribunal But now that tha t you ou have hae hIe yourself removed remove these objections b by broadening and strength strength- the commission we feel confident convention will wi declare decare Its willingness will wm- to have all al questions IH between t een the employing employInG companies and the 03 3 per percent F cent of their employees who are members mem mem- hers bers of 0 our organization aton determined b by bythe bythe I the board of eminent and ami Impartial men chosen b by you ou We feel grateful to you ou our Mr r. r President 1 for the pa patriotic which you have ha e made to bring about an nn honorable settlement of the ef Corts C- C forts orts which you ou continued despite the remarkable spirit and conduct which you at first frt found In the company compan manag man man- ag agers rs Insult and False We e were in a position to sympathize with wih you Inasmuch as we wc had long IonS bee i beel forced to endure endl arro arrogance ance Insult Insul and false witness wIness from the same source source Defense Fro Prom From Slanders Our gratitude I is due to you ou and to the American people and the pre press s who have hac supported you ou and us In th the Ions Ions struggle which we hope is now about to close During all nl these long months month In which our motives have hn been impugned and our characters maliciously assailed we have ha retrained refrained d from saying a any word ord or taking an any action acton which would tend to render reconciliation more cult cull but bt It I now no becomes a dut duty to defend defend defend de de- de- de fend ourselves es from the slanders which have la e been heaped upon us and to proclaim proclaim pro pro- claim caim that we have ha e from the first favored fa ta- fa- fa voted ored practically the method which is isnow now employed to break the deadlock If I our proffer pf arbitration or Impartial In Investigation had been accepted six months a ago o Instead of or of now there need hae been no nb strife We e have hae b been en so 5 cae eager Mr to tn ll r respond pond to I the he peoples people's demand for coal coal th that t dl dirin rin the progress progress of the he striker r we e have m more rc than once offered arbitration but we wehe have he Inari invariably bly been met with wih the re replY reply reply re- re ply Wo Wl will 11 fl not permit outsiders to dl dictate to us in the management of our own wn affair We have n thinS to ar ar- ar- ar te Claimed Victory Clamed Now that the managers of or the c companies corn com m- m ha have v. v been compelled by you awl and anda a thoroughly aroused public conscience to recede from this position n wo we are aie proud prud that the firmness and amI the heroic oc endur endurance nce of ot our men and md women te in n support of their rights of a vital American Ameri Amen can principle have won the ictor victory The poor underpaid workers mine mine of those these coal regions regionS who 10 toll tol hard from ear early morning until late at night nl ht Tor or a livelihood nob nobly supported h by organized organized organized organ organ- labor in th this s and oth other r lands have taught these thee corporation managers a 3 s useful ful lesson in civic an and social dut duty Yve Ye exult over th these tributes to the dignity dignity dig dig- lg- lg nIt of labor because it I is the triumph o of rl right h and of good goa public policy poley We Wedo Wedo c cdo do not however er exult over our We Ye appeal to them now no noa a as we have from the first to turn their eyes to toWe life We future and to operate co-operate co with wih us In Inan inan an nn effort efort to establish better beter relations between employer and employee for tor the advantage of both I Rubs It I in on Barons aron We Ye Ve forgive them their arrogant re refusal refusal refusal re- re to deal with ith wih us ue and in this hour I when the they are forced to acknowledge their inability to operate their mines without our consent and operation co-operation co we hold out the right hand han of friendshIp friendship friendship friend friend- ship and ask them to Join with wih us In securing amicable relations and wh wholesome wholesome whole whole- le- le some Eme conditions In this region We Yc forgive forgive for for- give them even en the false e accusations which the they have made against t us They charged us with being criminals rioters rioters rioters riot riot- ers tand and anci anarchists and our organization tion ton they denounced denounce aa u lawless and ir Ir- Ir responsible They he know and did know that their their- charges were untrue and without foundation in fact they Im know w that every officer of the United MineWorkers MineWorkers Mine Mine- Workers of America Amelic from lom the president down own ha has constantly constanty urged d upon its is membership the Imperative need of or re- re the law that every ery man who commits a a deed of ot violence is an enemy to our cause has been our watchword Despite Despie these admonitions supported with wih all nI our influence there have been beena a n f few w crimes and n a number of misdemeanors misdemeanors chargeable to those on strike But Mr President nt we make the unqualified unqualified un un- un- un qualified declaration tha that thai the Imported Guardians of law and order the Companies Companies' companies companies' com corn panics panics' coal and iron police have ha commUted committed com corn mUted more unprovoked murders duning dun dur ur- ur ing this strike than can be charged to toI I the great ar army of men who have havo been in 16 Idleness for tor the past live five months We c have have repeatedly and in iii language not fu of ot misconstruction con con- tran transgressions of ot law on the part of ot those on strike we challenge chalEnce the coal companies to point to one public utterance on their part In which they h have r e even deprecated ted acts of ot violence c committed b by their hired guards for or Insults We declare that It was unfair and unmanly for tor or the the- coal road rond presidents to 10 Insult u us while we e were vero your guests and charge our organization with wih re responsibility re- re for acts ot of lawle lawlessness dur- dur ng the strike It I would be Just as logical logli logi- logi i cal el to charge the American army in the Philippines with an army of mur mur- derer torturers rs and robb robbers n because a aL L few tew crimes were committed by soldiers there Until the millennium there will wi te be te crimes in every community and human hu hu- hu- hu scan man nature is the same no better beter and ando TiO JO o worse among the half halt million peole people people peo peo- le dependent upon the coal coat fields nels as 5 It i 1 Js S everywhere In our country The pretense pretense pretense pre pre- tense of ot the operators operators- that they were vere ere unable to produce product coal because intimidation dation aton kept from work men who were willing villing- to work has as been proved fas false b by the fact fac that the protection which the they demanded has decreased rather than Increased the number numb r ot of men mining mi mi- mi- mi ning coal cOJI A hundred tho thousand troops not have enabled enable the tle operators to start start their mines mines for the simple reason that the men who work them tem are arc rc members member of or the United Workers Mine Workers of America men who were determined to stand to the last for their right to organize and through their organization tion to demand better beter wages and improved im Im- lm- lm ton proved conditions of oC employment Points to New Era Eia Er i D Deprivation misrepresentation ion and troops together were not sufficient to drive them Into surrender The They stood stood shoulder to shoulder to the last The operators decare declared that that they could have have nothing to do with wih the United MineWorkers MineWorkers Mine Mine- Ine- Ine Workers of ot America but they have h e found foune it J nece necessary sary to recognize the per power powen pow pow- p er en of the United Workers Mine Yorker of ot America through you OU Mr 11 President and to seek seck terms terms' termS of ot peace which will wi enable them to resume their business of ot mining mining- and selling coal coni The r recognition recognition cog cog- of or our strength thus forced upon the operators by stern necessity we exult exult ex ex- over oyer not in nn any n narrow spirit but because we believe beleve it marks a a. a forward step toward a a anew new era era Upon the foundations foundations fon foun foun- laid through war we are ready to join with wih them In building for better conditions and a long Jong and lasting peace The United Workers Mine of or America Americ since Its organization In the anthracite Is field feld has hns constantly constanty sought fair wages and Just conditions of o labor conditions just to both operators and Ind miners We have ha never ne made demands beyond the abit ability of the industry to pay on a basis bais baisor of or equitable e division of ot profits between labor and capital capital Invites Scrutiny Amicable Amiable relations between employers employ employ- ers and employees the latter lter speaking through their organization and their organizers and the companies In maintaining maintaining main main- taming dl discipline adjuring all al difficulties ties tes b by conciliatory methods averting local loal strikes and anti lockouts and securing stable and satisfactory conditions to the Industry Our org organization by the same sam methods which we have proposed has secured securer just such auth relations and just such stich results in the coal coni fields of the counti country Organization like Ikc an In Individual in- in f- f must stand upon what it has done and the life it has hat lived We Ve in invite In- In vite vito scrutiny and investigation o of our record and character In the soft coal coalfIelds coalfields fields Olds we have joint conferences w th the operators and with wih them ve we e adjust l differences we wc sign ln Joint agreements together we pre preserve ere dJ discipline settle disputes and maintain harmony harmon and anc stability In the trade We c have ha e asked d I the anthracite operators operator to inquire of or orthe the soft sor coal operators how ho well they are pleased with their business s r reja- reja la- la I lons with wih us whether or not we keep agreements and render satisfactory service r for wages paid to our members One business mui might thus learn from rom another what what is the character of our organization Many Iny soft coal operators oper open atols atol's have publicly declared that the they would not dispense se with our cooperation cooperation opera co tion ton and would deem it a a disaster if It compelled to get back to the chaotic conditions which existed when their labor was unorganized Upon our past record we are arc willing to stand or fall fal Met ret Constant R Rebuffs I We have time and time again In Invited Invited invited In- In the anthracite operators to adopt adopt these business methods and to deal with wih us on this basis bais Despite repeated rebuffs we persisted but they resented any attempt upon our part to organize their employees T They refused our overtures for amicable amiable discussion and possible satisfactory adjustment of ot wage wase differences in Joint conference Thc They refused to to- have hove an any d dealings with their |