The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-06-16
TO-DAY's CONVENTION.
Sentiment of Delegates from Daviess
md Sullivan Counties.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
TERRE HAUTE, Ind, June 15.-Ten dele
gates to the miners State convention ar
rived tonight. They are from Daviess and
Sullivan counties, and represent the lodges
in the localities where the militia have been
on duty. Without exception they are op-
posed to the Columbus settlement A dele
gate form Washington, Daviess county,
said that the four lodges between Washing
ton and Cannelburg voted against accept
ing the present scale. At one meeting,
where $50 votes were cast, every was
against the action of the miners officials
The ten delegates thought every man in the
convention tomorrow would vote not to
return to work.
Does that mean you will favor the con-
tinuance of the strike all summer" one of
the delegates was asked.
Yes, and for all time, so far as / am
concerned. 1 will quit digging coal first,
and / think that is the sentiment OF most
of the men. What's the use working at a
trade when you can't make a living?'
When asked if the men demand the resig-
nation Of the officials he evaded answering
yes or no. but said "You will learn about
that in due time. The men are very much
disappointed in their officials
1t is expected there will be no less than
fifty delegates in the convention more than
ever before were in an Indiana convention.
When the strike began the membership of
the United Mine Workers increased rapidly
and there are fifteen or twenty more local
assemblies than two months ago.
When the ten delegates arrived this even
ing they went to a hotel whose office is in
a saloon. After supper the men held con-
ference on a street corner, and the motion
was put that they find another stopping
place. You know how it is.' said one
speaker IF we are seen about a saloon
there will be talk, and We don't want any,
thing said to reflect on our conduct" The
motion was carried. and they went in
search of another hotel.
There is little or no prospect for the men
gaining anything in addition to the terms
of the Columbus agreement, but that is not
the way they, in their evaporation, view
the outlook. They feel that they have done
their part in reducing the supply of mined
coal, that the operators have had harvest,
now have a better market and that the
men are entitled at least to last year s
scale OF wages. There is likely to be con-
siderable disorder, and it will be in a diff
ferent direction from that OF the past two
months. Up to this time there has been
cOlluSlOn between miners ana operators,
and the operators property has been un-
disturbed. From now on the effort will be
made to resume operations. and the men
who resist will direct their destructive ef-
forts toward the mining property, If they
| conclude that that Is necessary to prevent
| the resumption of mining. There is no
| doubt In the minds Of those best entitled
| to forecast the future that when the men
| are finally starved into the acceptance of
| the Columbus scale they will return TO work
| with the determination to go a strike
| in September.
| The friends of the miners cause who are
! intimately acquainted with all the facts re-
| gret the dilemma in which Mcbride is
| placed. because he may lose the capacity
/ for usefulness which time and again he has
| demonstrated. Thousands of miners will be-
| lieve until their dying day that he was act
| uated by a corrupt motive In declaring the
strike off. Leading men among Indiana
miners and operators do not doubt Nc.
| Brides integrity. When the strike was in.
/ augurated the chief object was TO force ths
/ Pittsburg and central and southern Illinois
/ districts TO enter the Interstate agreement
| That some Ohio and Pittsburg operator.
| and dealers had an ulterior purpose. thai
| of selling at high price the vast quantity
| OF stored coal, there is no doubt. but nc
! one believes that Mcbride looked upon thi: