You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes. -Mother Jones
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Tuesday January 24, 1905 Indianapolis, Indiana - John Mitchell Accused of Betraying Colorado Coal Strike
John Mitchell ``````````
On Thursday January 19th, Delegate John Randall (also Randell) made a long speech at the Convention of the United Mine Workers of America in which he addressed Mitchell directly and blamed him for the defeat of the strike in the southern Colorado coalfields. In his address, Randell also blamed Mitchell for driving Mother Jones out of the organization which she had "labored so faithfully to upbuild." Randall quoted from the Denver Post of November 16, 1903, which described the prominent part played by Mr. Reams who was sent by Mitchell to force a separate agreement in the northern Colorado Coalfields:
Officials of the Northern Coal and Coke Company were appraised of the presence and activity of the influence [of Mother Jones and local union officers] Saturday morning and acted upon the information. They at once intercepted John F. Reams, one of Mr. Mitchell’s men, who was enroute to Trinidad, and induced him to go back to the northern field and try to offset the effect of the powers working to defeat the settlement.
Randall continued:
This was twice Mr. Mitchell had endeavored to force the northern miners to return to work; each time they had refused, and we supposed that you would be satisfied with the result. But you were not. The deal had been arranged and you were determined to force it upon us. Your next step was to order Mr. Reams to visit the different locals in Northern Colorado, and endeavor to induce them one at a time to go on record as favoring a settlement—a thing they had refused to do in a body. An act and a policy that no one but an autocrat can approve of; an act that was the work of disruption and not of true unionism. Our District President, Mr. Howells, having heard of such underhand work, called a mass meeting at Louisville. Nearly every miner in the northern field was present at the, mass meeting, and all day we heard the question of returning to work argued by Mr. Reams, District President Howells and Mother Jones. Mr. Reams strongly urged us to return to work, and read a telegram from Mitchell, Lewis and Wilson advising us to go back to work. President Howells, who, through his long experience in the Colorado coal fields, perfectly understood the situation, urged us not to return to work, saying that if we did so we would discourage and defeat the southern miners.
Mother Jones told us to use our own judgment and decide for ourselves what was best for all, but she said that the organization had led the unorganized miners of southern Colorado to believe, that if they would only quit work and strike, the union miners of Northern Colorado would stand by them until a victory for all was won. For going against your orders and refusing to become a party in the betrayal of the southern miners is one of the reasons why you, Mr. Mitchell, have forced Mother Jones from the organization she has labored so faithfully to upbuild. Mr. Mitchell, Mother Jones' white haired head will soon be laid at rest; her voice so eloquent to plead the cause of the oppressed will soon be hushed; her heart that heat so warmly in sympathy for suffering humanity will stilled in death. But when she is laid-forever in the grave, no one can say that she ever betrayed, that she ever played false, the toiling and disinherited masses who are fighting the battle for labor’s emancipation The mass meeting voted two to one to remain on strike. This made the third time, not counting Mr. Reams’ abortive attempt, they had refused to betray the southern miners at your orders. We supposed that you would now be satisfied with these three votes, Mr. Mitchell, but again you were determined to carry out the deal. [photograph and emphasis added]
The Indianapolis News gave an account of the days events:
An element of the Socialist party that has been trying to strike John Mitchell as a labor leader, dealt a blow at him to-day in the United Mine Workers' national convention and the result was one of the most sensational and dramatic scenes that have ever been witnessed in the miners' conventions.... A delegate named Robert Randall, representing a local union at Dietz, Wyo., gained the floor just after the convention was called to order and made a violent personal attack on Mitchell. He got up on the stand next to Mitchell, and, addressing him direct, charged him with having sold out the Colorado strike to the enemies of the miners, including the coal companies, the Parry organization and Governor Peabody's law and order organization. He took an hour in his vituperation which often reflected his socialistic beliefs. Several times the delegates showed a disposition to jeer him down, but Mitchell kept order and demanded that his accuser have a hearing.... Randall's speech had an effect similar to throwing a lighted match into a keg of powder. There were may speeches, principal among them being a statement by John Mitchell, who was visibly affected. He spoke for an hour, giving the inside story of the Colorado strike...
In his address, Mitchell denied the charges made against him by Randall and went on to charge District 15 President William H. Howell and ex-national board member J. L. Gear with crookedness. He denied that he had forced Mother Jones from her employment with the United Mine Workers organization, stating:
Mother Jones and I worked hand in hand through some of the most stirring strikes this country has ever seen. For several years Mother Jones has been paid a salary by this organization. It is true that when Mother Jones went to Northern Colorado she disregarded the advice given her, and it is true that I said she should not do it again, and that if she expected to be employed by us she must carry out the orders of the National Board and the national convention...[and she] would be in the employ of the organization now if she wanted to be.
The following day, Robert Randall was expelled from the convention and and from his union, the U. M. W. of A. The Indianapolis News describes the proceedings:
Robert Randall, who threw the United Mine Workers' convention into confusion by making the sensational charges that John Mitchell had sold out the Colorado strike to the coal companies, the [Peabodyiteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hamilton_Peabody] and the [Parryiteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens%27_Alliance], was expelled from the convention and from the organization to-day. The resolution expelling him was introduced by [John Walkerhttp://www.illinoislaborhistory.org/hall-of-honor/318-2008-hall-of-honor.html], floor leader of the Socialists, who made an emphatic speech denying that the action and charges of Randall should be charged to the Socialist movement as a whole. The resolution and the practically unanimous vote of the convention, came as a climax to scenes almost as dramatic as those of the previous day, and followed a statement by President John Mitchell that either he (Mitchell) or delegate Randall should not be in the convention. By the resolution an opportunity was given Randall to make a public retraction to the convention, and by thus doing to remain in the convention and the organization. He refused to do this, making a short speech from the balcony where he sat, and, turning, he left Tomlinson Hall.
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SOURCEs John Mitchell exposed: his autocratic and traitorous conduct in the Colorado-Utah strike, and his nefarious connection with the National Civic Federation laid bare: Robert Randell's charges against the Mine Workers' president at the 1905 Indianapolis Convention with his reply to Mitchell's answer. -by John Randell Henry Kuhn; Socialist Labor Party, 1905 http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31175035182362;view=1up;seq=1 Indianapolis News (Indianapolis, Indiana) -Jan 19, 1905 http://www.newspapers.com/image/40156561/ -Jan 20, 1905 http://www.newspapers.com/image/40156589/ Mother Jones, The Miners' Angel -by Dale Fetherling So IL U Press, 1974 See also: "Colorado Coalfield Strike of 1903-04" http://www.dailykos.com/news/Colorado%20Coalfield%20Strike%20of%201903-04 IMAGES John Mitchell http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Mitchell_cph.3b35049.jpg Mother Jones, Miners' Angel http://www.greatthoughtstreasury.com/author/mother-jones-referring-mary-harris-jones John Walker and Robert Randell, drawing http://www.newspapers.com/image/40156681/?terms=randall+united+mine+workers ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` [The Death of Mother Jones-Gene Autryhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDVqPxqW0KA] [O'er the hills and through the valley In ev'ry mining town; Mother Jones was ready to help them, She never turned them down. On front with the striking miners She always could be found; And received a hearty welcome In ev'ry mining town. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDVqPxqW0KA] ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````