The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-05-16

CLEVELAND, o., May 15.-Tho situa.
tlon among tho miners and operators
just before tho conference mot to-day
was fully as complicated US at any time
sinco the first call for tho Cleveland con.
vention was madc. Indeed tho nearer
tho hour for tho opening Of tho meot-
ing approached tho greater tho compli.
cations appeared, and ns ono prominent
Pennsylvania operator put 1t: 'Thoy
have already brought up subjects suflic.
lent to keep the conference in session n
month" The corridors OF tho Weddcll
House we're througed with tho coal
operators during tho en,iro day until
tho conference was called to order. In.
numcrable caucuses and discussions
wcro held whilc the air was filled with
rumors OF every conceivable kind. Two
important meetings were held during
tho morning and Mt noon tho mem.
bers wero still In session. They wcrc
composed Of Pennsylvania operators,
some representing the river men cXclu.
sively aud others what are tcrmod tho
river and rail- operators. Ono Of the
many rumors that circulated about tho
Wcddell during the morning was that
John Mcbride Ind hold n conference
with the river men on tho subject OF a
compromise. Undoubtly some such
conference was had, but the result,
il indeed result there was, was kept
sealed within tho breasts OF the mem.
bers.
Tho principal topic OF interest during
tho morning was the probable attitude
oil the Pennsylvania operators.
Mr.. Alexander II. Dcmpster, OF Pitts.
burgh, who for many yoars has been
the president oil the big conferences be-
twocn operators and miners, and who is
regarded as one OF the clearest headed
and best posted men in the assemblagc,
was interviewed on this subject by Il
representative OF tho Associated Press.
Mr.. Dcmps,cr will not be tho prosi.
dent Of this convention, however, and
tina: fact is itself signitcant OF tho situa.
ton.
"Will the Pennsylvania men 90 into
tho convention? Mr.. Dcmpstcr was
asked.
"Ycs." was the reply.
"IIow lon: vii! thoy sLay7"
THAT can't sny."
"What is the attitude OF tho Pcunsyl.
vania men today on the convention"
"Their attitude is tho same IL has al
ways been. They have decided that
they will not treat with Mr.. Mcbride
on anything ike 4 national basis. Mr..
Mcbride has declared tina. he will not
abide bv decision on any other ground.
Now then. II is n question Of what he
will conccdc, If anything. lie must
conccde something or the convention
will iail from tho start"
EDO YOU know ANYTHING about Mr..
McBridc's conference with tho river
men2"
You will have to talk with Mr.. 7. J.
Wood about that"
"Dld you have any conference with
him?"
"No. sir"
THE N'ERlDE CONFERENCE.
Mr.. Wood refused 10 say anything
about tho Mcbride conference. Mr..
Osborne, OF tho Osborne Coal Company,
said: "Thcrc Is no chance, can sec,
Of anything like n settlement Of this
question within n day or two ut least
| In fact do not SEQ how they can ever
| reach settlement on 4 national basis.
"Thc Pennsylvania operators stand
ready to treat with the miners rs a state
ut any timo. They do not propose to
Allow Nevada miners or Ohio miners
or anybody olsc to fix n wage scale for
them, however, for they do not believe
it can be done"
a rumor that coal had iallon 50 cents
n ton in Chicago today and boats woro
bringing coal down tho lakes, caused
quite a stir among the operators at the
WcideIl. Ono West Virginia operator
from the Moundsvillc district declared
TINT it would he up dollar before it
fell a dollar, however.
| Ono curious thing about tho gather.
ing Mt tho Wcddoll was tho lac. that all
the Pittsburgh and Illinois men who
| had fought against Cleveland us tho
| place OF ccnfcrcncN now compose Il ma.
| jnrity OF those in attendance, while tho
West Virginia people, who. 1t is snid,
| Mcbride most desires to bring into line,
arc the men who are making all tho
money out OF tho situation.
TIE FIGHT rREcirIrATRp.
When the conference finally assem-
bled late in the afternoon, 1t took but n
abort tImo to prccipltato tho fight that
wNs brewing. An organization was Of
icctcd by tho election Of ]. b. Scorbe,
IN operator OF this city, as president.
and Patrick MciSrydc, OF tho miners
union, as secretary. with Frank Brooks.
an operator Of Columbus, Us his assist
ant.
| \ committee on credentials was M
| pointed and to them WAS referred the
credentials OF all tho miners and opera
tors who sough Mt cents in tho conference.
| The report OF tho committee aroused n
stormy discussion Mt once. They favor.
cd tho soatinG oi all tho miners and tho
operators from Ohio, lndinna and West
| Virginia, mud all OF those from Ponnsyl-
v0nln, who had expressed willingness
TO abide by tho decision OF tho confer.
cnCo. The report, however, was against
the seating OF tho ton Pittsburgh opcra.
tors who had declared that thcy would
not abide by tho decision of tho major
lty.
a. II. Dcmpatcr led tho fight In favor
OF giving the lsickcrs scntB. Ic aaid
tho call for tho conference had been
aont TO all operators and mlnors, and
they woro omitted to seats undor tho
call, John Mcbride, president, mud
NiGo President Pcnna. OF tho minurs
union. mnLlr tho nrlnCinnl annnchra