Arbitration, Industrial

Text of Rev. Minot J. Savage’s speech, “The Ethics of the Coal Strike.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-06

Argues that the continuation of the Anthracite Coal Strike is the fault of the operators for not agreeing to any concessions or submitting to arbitration while insisting on the unconditional surrender by the miners. The strike cannot be considered a simple business matter as lack of coal is creating widespread suffering. Coal is a necessity and should be treated as such, i.e. like food.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-02

Mayor Low encourages a settlement of the Anthracite Coal Strike and believes that the welfare of the country demands the immediate resumption of anthracite coal mining.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-02

Senator Hanna believes Secretary Shaw’s policy to end the Anthracite Coal Strike will clear the situation and guarantee prosperity. He hopes for success.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-02

Mayor Low encloses a telegram that he hopes will strengthen President Roosevelt’s hand in the Anthracite Coal Strike negotiations. Low believes that coal is a “necessity of life” and if an agreement cannot be reached then an agreement should be forced by Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-02

Two tramps sit on railroad ties. One is reading the newspaper, and there is a pot heating on a campfire. Two railroad cars, a coal car and a box car, stand in the background. Caption: Agitating Abe — I tell yer, if us fellers wants t’ be reckernized, we got t’ form a union. / Plugcut Peters — Dat’s what! Den, if de grub dey give us ain’t up to de American standard of livin’, we kin force dem ter arbitrate!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1903-01-07

A female figure labeled “Arbitration” stands between a soldier labeled “Law & Order” and a laborer labeled “Strike” who is holding a bomb and about to throw a brick, with the words “Riot” and “Arson” appearing in the smoke billowing from a fire behind him.

comments and context

Comments and Context

This cartoon reflected the growing incidents of labor strife, some of them violent, as organized labor attempted to assert itself as a bargaining force in the American economy. Specifically the cartoon foreshadows a major confrontation that occurred later in the year, known as the U. S. Steel Recognition Strike. As J. P. Morgan consolidated his steel and tin holdings under the new trust, the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel, and Tin Workers (The AA) feared that their bargaining positions would be diminished or denied (as it turns, out, they were, by secret vote of the U. S. Steel board). The AA had tenuous agreements with one of the few surviving independent steel makers, Sheet Steel, but lost ground as it suffered from competition by Morgan. In 1903 it was swallowed by U. S. Steel, and Morgan’s corporation asserted itself as a closed shop that did not allow union organization.

Cartoon shows President Roosevelt riding a reindeer as Santa Claus sits atop a sleigh full of coal. Caption reads, “We’ll Make a Hit This Year, Santy.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-11-09

President Roosevelt is shown dragging out representatives of the coal miners and operators onto a board between two cliffs.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-02

Uncle Sam speaks to a destitute miner’s family as President Roosevelt can be seen lecturing John Mitchell and mine operators through the window.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-03

Cartoon depicts President Roosevelt pouring in oil of mediation to the turbulent waters of the coal strikers and operators. Item is regarding the presidential conference on the coal strike. Label: Strike Passion.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-06

Cartoon depicts a large dancing coal pail as Uncle Sam tosses his hat next to President Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-16

Cartoon depicts George F. Baer, representing the coal trust, as a giant bear trampling over the people and the miners as President Roosevelt stands against him.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-14

Cartoon depicts President Roosevelt signing the coal strike settlement. He is crowned with laurel just like the statues of Washington and Lincoln in the background. A quote from the Foreign Press is included: The American people are clearly going to trust Roosevelt as they trusted Washington and Lincoln and their trust will not be misplaced.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-19

President Roosevelt is pictured as a hunter hunched next to a large, dead animal labeled “The Coal Strike.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-15

President Roosevelt is shown holding a dove with an olive branch in its beak as well as a salt shaker labeled Arbitration. A coal operator and a coal miner walk towards him holding a birdcage between them.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-17

President Roosevelt is shown banging a gong labeled Coal Strike with a hammer labeled Settlement of Arbitration. A reporter looks startled in the building labeled Political Theater.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-14

Cartoon depicts several scenes of the coal strike as if they were played out on the football field.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-19

President Roosevelt is seen leaving a stage carrying a wreath of flowers given to him from the American People for settling the coal strike. A bouquet of flowers from the coal miners is waiting for him backstage. A shadowy figure, David B. Hill, lurks behind the curtain holding a hat labeled Socialistic Coal Mine Plank. Caption: Tragedian Hill – “Hang it; he’s winning all the applause and getting all the bouquets.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-20

Cartoon depicts President Roosevelt in Roman dress wrangling two horses representing the coal miners and operators, as Uncle Sam tosses a wreath of laurels his way. A note at the bottom says the sender of the cartoon did not want Roosevelt to miss seeing it.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902