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Ancient Landmarks Masonic Lodge No. 319 F&AM
Indianapolis, Indiana
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Public Broadcasting System, Spring 2000 |
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Coal Miners' Hero |
Few public speakers generated more controversy than the head of the United Mine Workers, John L. Lewis. His grandiloquent oratory led to an effectiveness in leadership rarely attained in modern politics. In 1943, Lewis led over half-a-million mine workers on strike, demanding wage increases. The government called the strike illegal and ordered the miners back to work. Only 15,000 workers returned. The strike closed down steel mills for two weeks during the height of World War II; power shortages threatened to cripple the war effort. Lewis was vilified. Outside of his home in Alexandria, Virginia, students burned his effigy, and rocks were hurled through his window. Yet to miners, Lewis was a hero. "If John L. Lewis told us to go on strike tomorrow, we would go out, even if it meant going to prison for 20 years," a mine worker told The New York Times. In March of 1947, the United Mine Workers began new wage negotiations. Six days before the labor contract was set to expire, an explosion in Centralia, Illinois killed 111 miners. The union called a six-day strike to honor the dead. They also called for the ouster of Secretary of Interior J.A. Krug, whose office was responsible for inspecting the conditions of mines, and they looked to John L. Lewis to make their case to the nation.
On April 3, 1947, Lewis testified before Congress. He spoke
for five hours. Trained in the days before megaphones and electronic
amplification, Lewis never tired. |
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Union leader John L. Lewis pounds his fist on the table before pointing
an accusatory finger at members of Congress, 1947.
Head of the United Mine Workers, John L. Lewis, testifies before
Congress, defending coal miners right to strike, Apr. 3, 1947. |
In early 2000 AD, PBS aired a series of television programs titled Great American Speeches , 80 years of Public Oratory. John L. Lewis was one orators featured in this series by Arthur Schlessinger. The information and pictures on this page are copied directly from the Web Site of the Public Broadcasting System in order to preserve the information should PBS decide to delete it at some future date. Links to orginal pages given below. Links to PBS Website
PBS Great American Speeches front page
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