The age-herald., 1897-09-09
IN THE BALANCE
 HANGS THE STRIKE Miners Delegates Now in Convention at
 Columbus, Ohio. VOTE ON THE PROPOSITION Of the OpeT $ May Bs Reached at To-
 Slay'S Session. ITS Ac' TANcE MUCH IN DOUBT Indiana Folds the Key to the Situation ae ssssaejection Is Expected d-Leaders sDoing Active Work Among the Delegates.
VOTE ON THE PROPOSITION
Ts Acf $ TANcE MUCH IN DOUBT

Columbus, O., Sept. s.-The interstate l miners convention adjourned this even- ing until tomorrow morning without having taken a vote on the question of | accepting or rejecting the proposed 1 settlement of the strike. The prospects for acceptance are somewhat doubtful, but an actual canvass shows a majority of the voters, unless some changes be
 brought out, will be cast against it. The greater rart of the afternoon ses- sion was devoted to speeches from Ma tional President Ratchford and Stato Presidents Farms, of Ohio; Knight, of Indiana; Carson, of Illinois, and DoIan, of Pittsburg. All of these officials, with favor of the acceptance of the Pitts burg operators proposition.
 They told the delegates pretty plainly that if the proposition was rejected the strike would fail utterly; that the con- test could not be continued, as all re- sources had been exhausted. They ad- vised that inasmuch as the strike had been precipitated in the Pittsburg dis- trict it was very proper that 1t should be settled there.
 President Carson, of Illinois, told the delegates just as plainly why he could not support the proposition for a set- tlemsnt. He said the Illinois miners we're practically ignored by it. The opt orators of his state had notified him that they would not abide by any setI clement made with the Pittsburg operl ators. Should the Pittsburg and Ohio and Indiana miners resume operationy the Illinois operators would be conn pelled to open their mines also and the only resource of the miners of the state would be local strike, for which th=y were unprepared. The best they could do would be to accept the operators terms and that would eventually force a reduction again in the other states.
 The most important action of the con- venltion today was in determining the basis of representation. Some of the delegates wanted rule that no delsgaI ton should be allowed to cast more than six votes. This, if adopted, it is claimed, wolud have settled the ques- ton of the acceptance of the strike set clement quickly It was the sentiment of the convention, however, that repre- sentation should be fixed so that all miners should have voice in th5 set- tlemehlt. Accordingly, it was decided that one vote should be cast for every 100 miners represented. This makes the votss to be cast by each state about as follows:
 Western Pennsylvania, 230; Ohio, 2S0; West Virginia, Il; Indiana, 60; Illinois, 200 The Illinois vote, which will be- cast against the acceptance of the op- orators proposition, wll1 about offset the vote of West Pennsylvania (the Pitts burg distrloD. The voce of Ohio is about equally divided on the propoA- tfon, as Is also the West Virginia vote, which practically leaves the balance of power in the hands of the Indiana del- egates. If they should vote win Illi- nois, as some of the delegates say they have been instructed to do, by inference. if. not by direct language. the settle ment proposition will undoubtedly be . defeated.
 It developes tonight that the vote of the PfUtsburg district will not be unani- mous in the settlement of the strike, as some of the delegates have stated openly tha;s they have no vote for 1t.
 The leaders are doing some quiet mis- siorary work tonight and have hopes that they will be able 10 turn the tide in favor of settlement
 Tomorrow the members of the ra- tfonal executive beard will be heard by the convention, as they all strongly in- dorse the settlement, their Views may cop,Vfd q ralbla weiellt with the dRlega tes, The convention is one of the largest del- egates' gatherings the miners have ever had, there being 1S0 delegats on the ground, and more expected to arrive during the night and morning.