Terre Haute, Ind., June 24, 1904.
_To the S. D. Herald_:
Some time ago I said that John Mitchell, president of the United Mine
Workers, and Francis L. Robbins, president of the Pittsburg Coal
Company, understood each other perfectly in reference to the settlement
of the threatened coal strike which reduced the miners’ wages; and that
Mr. Robbins and the operators had the assistance of Mr. Mitchell in
enforcing the reduction and were able to predict it with accuracy long
before it was finally agreed to by the rank and file of the miners. Mr.
Mitchell denied this over his signature and Mr. Robbins, according to
the Pittsburg _Labor World_, said it was a “contemptible lie.”
The Pittsburg _Dispatch_ of June 7 has an extended account of an
incident that may not be corroborative but it is certainly significant,
and, like the proverbial straw, shows which way the wind blows.
Mr. Mitchell has gone to Europe and it is not my purpose to attack him
in his absence but simply to put this incident on record for future
reference.
The article in question is headed with a five-column cut of an elaborate
banquet scene, the guests consisting of mine owners, mine workers and
capitalist politicians. At the table of honor are Mr. Mitchell and Mr.
Robbins, with Patrick Dolan, district president, between them as the
central figure and toastmaster of the evening.
Mr. Dolan’s boast is that he has never read a book on economics and he
proves it daily in his works. In a recent action for libel brought
against a local paper by a couple of organizers for the Socialist Labor
Party, Mr. Dolan testified for the defendant. In answer to a question he
said that Socialism and anarchy were one and the same thing. Asked how
that was he said: “They are both against the flag.” If the rearmost
straggler in the rank and file were as far advanced as Mr. Dolan, his
leader, the darkness would be complete and the cause of labor all but
hopeless.
Such a leader is conclusive evidence that there are vast stretches
between his followers and daylight.
What Mr. Dolan does not know about labor makes him hate Socialism and
fits him to preside at a banquet where workers are used as dummies to
renew allegiance to the reign of their masters.
The _Dispatch_ article has the following double-column headlines:
“MINERS START A BOOM FOR COMBINE LEADER”—“F. L. ROBBINS APPROVED FOR
UNITED STATES SENATOR AT DINNER IN HONOR OF LABOR OFFICIALS”—“THEIR
GRACEFUL COMPLIMENT.”
The account in part follows:
“In the presence of the recipient of the honor, coal operators and
organized coal miners of western Pennsylvania formally proposed Francis
L. Robbins, president of the Pittsburg Coal Company, for the United
States senate at a banquet last night at the Henry Hotel. The banquet
was in honor of John Mitchell, president of the United Mine Workers, and
District Secretary William Dodds to wish the two godspeed on a European
tour they are about to make in the interest of their organization. Even
Mitchell joined in the tribute to Robbins, which was taken up by
others.”
“Although hailed as the next senator from Pennsylvania, Mr. Robbins
confined his remarks to an eulogy of Mitchell and Dodds.”
* * * * *
“Mitchell and Dodds were presented with diamond mementoes of the esteem
of the operators and miners.”
“Secretary Dodds started the Robbins movement. Dodds is secretary of a
district of 37,000 organized miners. He formally proposed Mr. Robbins
for United States senator. The coal president was cheered for several
minutes. He said he attended the banquet to do honor to two friends.”
“The presence of operators and miners,” said Mr. Robbins, “defines the
proper relation between capital and labor, employer and employed. One
thing has led up to the present state of affairs: _Miners recognize that
conservative men must be placed at the head of their organization_.” * *
*
“If the future shows a change it will be because labor does not continue
to put conservative men at the head of their organization.”
“THE ONLY MENACE TO ORGANIZED LABOR NOW IS SOCIALISM, AND SOCIALISM MUST
BE RELEGATED TO THE REAR.”
“Mr. Mitchell then spoke and among other things is reported as saying
that:
“He believes harmonious relations between organized capital and
organized labor can be obtained without labor surrendering any of its
rights or capitalism surrendering its rights.”
The foregoing appeals strongly for comment, especially the statement of
Mr. Robbins, coal baron and labor leader, that Socialism is a menace to
organized labor, but I will only say that Mr. Robbins knows quite well
that Socialism is a menace only to the class suggested by his name and
that this prompts him to assail it while he places diamond decorations
upon the “conservative” leaders of his coal-digging wage-slaves.
The fact that Mr. John Mitchell, labor leader, sees nothing wrong in
accepting a diamond badge from the rich and designing exploiters of his
poor and pilfered followers; that he evidently has not the least
conception of what such a testimonial really symbolizes, may serve
sufficiently in mitigation to shield him from merited contempt and
condemnation.