Peace and Confusion

The second and final week of the Convention of the United Mine Workers at Indianapolis was marked by drama and commotion. The one matter in which the public was most interested, the question of what wage demands the bituminous miners would make, and whether they would force a strike on April 1 when their wage contract expires, was settled with nothing stronger than argument and the ballot.

The insurgents and radicals demanded wage increases of 10% to 25%, a six-hour day and a five-day week. The Scale Committee reported a resolution favoring a four-year contract, and giving the committee, which will negotiate with the operators at Jacksonville on Feb. 11, authority "to secure the best agreement obtainable . . . on the basis of no reduction in wages."

With about 1,800 votes favoring the report of the Scale Committee to 100 against it, the program was adopted.

Other incidents:

P: A delegate objected to President Lewis' rulings from the Chair. Said Lewis: "I do not propose to be insulted from the floor. If there are any delegates who feel inclined to insult the Chairman, let them step up here on the platform and try it."

P: Resolutions were passed denouncing William Z. Foster, communist, against the use of injunctions in labor disputes, demanding immediate evacuation of the Rhineland by the Allies, favoring the classification of "miner's asthma" as an occupational disease under the Workmen's Compensation law.

P: Mrs. Thomas J. Mooney, wife of the labor leader, convicted of complicity in the Preparedness Day bombing in San Francisco in 1916, addressed the meeting. A subscription of $1,000 was voted to help ob- tain a pardon for Mooney.

P: A resolution to make May 1 a labor holiday as in Europe (where it is the occasion of annual communistic bombings) was defeated.

P: The delegates stood for one minute in silent tribute to miners recently killed in disasters at Shankton, Pa., and at Johnston City, Ill.

P: An attempt was made by the radicals, assisted by the Ku Klux Klan element, to deprive President Lewis of his power to appoint union organizers, with the purpose of having the offices made elective. They argued that this patronage power made Lewis an autocrat. A standing vote was taken and Lewis lost, but a roll call was forced, which took the greater part of a day and Lewis' appointive power was sustained by a majority of 157 votes.

P: Secretary of Labor James J. Davis appeared to address the meeting. Booes and hisses rose from the radicals. Others applauded vigorously. President Lewis shouted from the platform: "The honor of your organization is at stake. You are on trial before the country. Those who don't want to hear can leave the hall." Nobody left.

Mr. Davis: "Hissing never advanced the trade union movement in America."

A Voice: "And it never will."

Mr. Davis: "The man with the snake mentality hisses."

Mr. Davis went on to suggest a five-year period of peace in the coal industry, and pleaded for more safety measures in mines, and declared himself in favor of restricted immigration. He was given a rising vote of thanks.

P: On the earnest demand of the Ku Klux Klan element a resolution was reported favoring a repeal of that section of the union's constitution, enacted two years ago, which prohibits members of the Klan from belonging to the union. The committee reporting the resolution declared itself opposed to the Klan, but believed that a change was expedient. A storm of opposition broke on the floor, and the resolution in favor of Klansmen was defeated, 1,876 to 150. The radicals whom the Klansmen had joined in voting against President Lewis' appointive powers, voted against the Klan.

P: Thomas Myerscough of Pittsburgh, Secretary of the Progressive International Committee of the United Mine Workers (a communist organization attempting to "bore from within" the union) applied for reinstatement in the union. The Committee on Appeals and Grievances denied his request because he had organized a "dual" union (political and industrial).

P: A similar appeal from Alexander Howat was the last business before the convention. In the Spring of 1920, Howat--as President of District 14 (Pittsburgh, Kan.) and vicinity--was temporarily restrained from calling a strike, but 2,000 miners struck "volun-tarily," according to Howat. He and other officials were ordered to appear before the District court, but refused, saying: "We do not recognize the court's authority or existence. Judges do not know the coal mining business. We refuse to answer questions." He was jailed for contempt of court. Given permission by the sheriff to speak from the balcony of jail, he called Governor Allen of Kansas "a skunk of a Governor."

Meanwhile he had got into trouble with the United Mine Workers. He was suspended from the national organization and his district deprived of its charter for insubordination, for refusing to comply with a request for an accounting of the Kansas district's funds, and refusing to turn over its property to the national organization. He made a fight for reinstatement two years ago and was defeated. The Committee on Appeals and Grievances ruled again against Howat's appeal on the old grounds and because he had organized a "dual" union.

Thereupon Howat rose from his seat in the rear of the hall, and proceeded toward the platform.

President Lewis: "For what purpose does the gentleman arise?"

Howat: "I rise to ask justice from the coal miners in this convention and for an opportunity to debate this question."

Cries of "fair play," "be brave," from the radicals. Cries of "sit down" from Lewis' followers. The gavel pounded on the President's desk.

Howat walked slowly up the aisle, mounted the platform, walked to the speaker's desk, and poured out a glass of water.

More pandemonium.

Lewis pounded for order and announced that by the Committee ruling Howat was not privileged to speak before the Convention.

"Give him a chance," cried the radicals.

As Howat was about to speak the Sergeant-at-Arms removed him bodily, struggling, from the platform to the floor.

Hisses, jeers and shouts from the radicals. They rushed forward and tried to shove Howat back on the platform. "Shooter" Smith, a gray-bearded mountaineer from Tennessee, William Blizzard of West Virginia and their followers repulsed the assault. More jeers and booes as Howat retired defeated.

The resolution denying Howat's reinstatement was passed by a show of hands, with a considerable majority. More howls and hisses. "Bang! Bang!" went Mr. Lewis' gavel: "The Convention is adjourned."

P: Afterwards Mr. Lewis issued a statement: "The United Mine Workers has been made the target by these gray wolves of a pernicious philisophy. The master minds of radicalism in America have been hovering around the Indianapolis convention and nightly they assembled in their dens to lay their plans for stampeding the convention on the following day.

"Gathered here were Foster, Meyerscough, Howat, Dunne, Hamilton and others of their ilk, with ample funds at their disposal to carry out their preconceived plans for the destruction of the largest unit of American Labor. As they have failed now, they will fail again, but it behooves our citizenship to recognize the menace of such sinister influences and to place the heel of their disapproval upon its serpent head."