JOHN MITCHELL 321 men, and each wishes, at times, more than his fair share. Yet, broadly considered, the interest of one is the interest of the other/* It was the attempt to make both parties see this, the at- tempt to make both sides realize that this great principle of mutual interest must after all triumph if even minor differ- ences were to be compromised, that formed the center of the Mitchell leadership in those troublous times. He felt that as a labor leader he must make the men realize that they were men, men of honor, ready to carry out a fair contract to the utmost. He felt also that it was necessary for the capitalist to realize that labor was a commodity, that in dealing with a labor union the capitalist was simply buying labor wholesale instead of retail, and that buying labor in this way had all the advantages of wholesale dealing. It was the realization of his larger knowledge of the situation that gave him the power of self-control which he showed in the historic meeting with the mine owners in the conference called by President Boose- velt, in October, 1902. A reporter who was present declares that of all the men who came at the call of the president, John Mitchell was the only one who kept his head. He as weU as the miners' organization was bitterly attacked. Mitchell replied with calm and effective argument. He believed that there was little to fight about if both sides could only under- stand. There were things to compromise, but in the interest of mutual advancement, not in the interest of party triumph for either side. It will be remembered that the strike terminated in arbitra- tion through which the miners were granted almost all they had asked. It would naturally be supposed that the leader of such a vast and successful labor movement would have found extraordinary honor in the eyes of the laboring masses. Such was not the case. Though the miners continued for a num- ber of years to keep Mitchell in the office of president of the United Mine Workers there was a growing feeling of dis- trust. This was due, without doubt, to the feeling that Mitch- ell was too conservative for a leader of labor. Before the anthracite strike was settled Mitchell had been compelled to y
