Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-09-10
COMPROMISE TO WIN
Ratchford Says the Miners viii
Adopt the Operators Scale
for Digging.
MUST LET OFF SOME ELoQUENoE

Before . Vote Is Reached, Which Latter,
However, He Claims Is Safe for Going to
WOrk-The Difficult Question Before the
Observation-Disclosures Continues to Lead
the Opposition-Two Reports on Resolu-
tions Coming.
Columbus, O., Sept. 10-The miners
convention remained in executive ses-
sion until late yesterday afternoon, adj
1ourning until this morning without hav-
ing taken a vote on the proposed set
Element. President Ratchford said to
press representative last night: You
may predict with every degree Of GER
tainty that settlement will be reached,
and that the action Of the national
board in recommending q settlement
will be Endorsed. The delegates are be-
ginning to see that the best thing they
can do is to accept the proposition Of the
operators and return to work at the
price offered. While the convention
should have finished it's business today
1t was impossible to do So Nearly every
delegate desired to say something re-
garding conditions in his own locality,
to have their say. When they have
finished the convention can get to
work" The arguments that have been
presented by the officials and members
Of the executive board In favor of a
settlement have had great weight with
the delegates who have come to the
convention uninstructed, and even solne
OF those with instructions have gone
So far as to communicate with their
constituents asking to be relieved of
instructions that they may be free to
vote as they deem best.
The Question That Is Difficult.
Should this drift of sentiment con-
tinue until a vote is taken the propo-
sition for a settlement will undoubtedly
be accepted. The question as to wheth-
er q settlement on the lines proposed
can be made general appears to be the
stumbling block at this time. If the
delegates from Illinois, Indiana, West
Virginia and portions of Ohio were as
sured that the settlement would be
beneficial to them as well as to the miu-
ers of the Pittsburg district they would
not hesitate to vote for a settlement.
The Illinois miners have not changed
their position, and positively decline t.
accept the terms of settlement pro-
posed by the national board. The Of
ficials have partially met the argument
OF the Illinois miners by saying that
| il the Illinois delegates will agree to d
settlement So that the miners of other
states can resume work the Illinois op-
orators will be forced to pay the price
by their competitors in other states
Should Illinois agree to this arrange.
| ment Indiana and West Virginia Will
fall into line without hesitating
Resolutions Committee Is Divided.
The committee on resolutions is about
| equally divided on the question of a
| settlement, and will probably present
two reports to the convention today
There were some fiery speeches in the
executive session of the convention yes.
terday by delegates from Ohio, Illinois
and West Virginia. Secretary r. l.
| Lewis, of the Ohio miners, said that NJ
matter what action the convention tool
1t would not settle the strike, and Or
ganizer Ray, who has been at work il
West Virginia, charged that the con
ditions in the state We're due largely t.
1t being overrun by non-union miners
from Ohio and the Pittsburg district
He said that if these two districts hat
been organized properly there would
have been no trouble in bringing tn,
West Virginia miners into line.
Stormy Discussion Over Delegates.
i A proposition to admit additional dele
gates from Pennsylvania caused .
stormy discussion. The Illinois delegate
objected on the ground that if one stat
was allowed this privilege it should b
accorded to all. The matter was O
material Importance, as to admit ney
!, delegates might change the vote, an,
the opposition was SO strong that tn
milton to admit the additional Penn
sylvania delegates was voted dowr
: An effort will be made by the officers t
bring the convention to a close toda.
provided the prospects of a favorabl
vote on the proposition for a settlement
are ripe.