The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-12
GOING HAND IN HAND.
The Coal Famine and the Demand
for Arbitration.
LATEST PHASE OF MINERS STRIKE.

President Mckinley Invited to Appoint a
Commission 10 Arbitrate the Difticulty
Action Taken by the Conference of La
Dor Leaders-Plan of Strike Leaders To
Appeal to Railroad Men To Refuse To
Handle Coal Until Strike Is Settled.
Chicago, July 12.-The coal famine
and the demand for arbitration are ad-
vancing hand i'm hand toward the center
of the stage whereon the great strike
of the soft coal miners is being enact
ed. Cleveland, o., is the first to cry
quit That city has but a three days
supply Of coal and is reported to be on
the verge of losing both street railway
and water works service as a result. 1t
is barely possible that President Nc
Kinley may be induced TO appoint a
commission to arbitrate in the diff
Guilty The New York Journal has in
vited him to step into the breach, and
| he is considering the proposition. 1t
has added weight from the fact that the
| officers Of the United Mine Workers
union directly deputized The Journal to
obtain arbitration and pledged the un-
| ion to abide by the decision of the arbi-
traitors.
President Mckinley must first be as
| sured Of the Willingness of the mine
owners to abide by the decision of Il
| board Of arbitration before he will con-
sent to make any appointments. AS
the presidents Warwick and best friend,
| Mark Hanna, is closely allied with the
mine owners, it can be seen readily that
| ~ e tha nrnGidnnt whose
sympathies undoubtedly are always
with the toiers, is a most delicate one.
| Conference of Labor Leaders.
More tangible, If less sensational in
interest, is the action taken by the con-
ference of labor leaders In Pittsburg.
When the meeting was adjourned at an
early hour Saturday morning, its press
committee, Messrs. Gompers, Ratchford
| and Counahan, gave out the following
( statement, i'm which was Incorporated
they said, ell that was done at the con-
I ference. The manifesto follows:
After all informal discussion reports
were made by Messrs. Ratchford, Dolan
| and Warner in regard to the situation
Of the movement, and ii was demon
| strated that the suspension was practi-
cally general in the competitive btu
minous coal district, extending also tC
Kentucky and Tennessee, excepting 6
! few points i'm West Virginia. 1t wa!
realized that the situation in West Vr
ginia required attention in order tina
the suspension should become absolute
| " general and success assured. VIII
| that object in view, action was recon-
| mended by President GOmpers OF th'
! American Federation of Labor and i
| was determined to overcome this feat
! ure Of the contest 1t was also deter
mined that every effort be made on tn
part of those present to secure the co
| operation and practical aid OF organ
I lied labor for the struggling miners
All the circumstances warranted th'
/ firm conviction that the miners will ul
timately achieve victory and to thi
end the aid Of labor and the sympa
thetic public is invoked.
Not Opposed to Arbitration.
Conscious Of the great interest whlcl
the public has in contest so Wide
spread as that of the miners, 1t gives u
great satisfaction to know that Tn
miners have not been and are not nov
opposed to arbitration. We therefor
urge and advise that a conference b
held by representatives of the miner
and operators. with the view OF arriV
ing at a settlement Of the present sus
| pension"
Notwithstanding the positive an
nouncement by the committee that IN
statement furnished the press covere
all the proceedings of the conference
IL is known that an organized efoi
to secure a general suspension or min
ing i'm West Virginia was decided upoi
After a thorough canvass OF the STU
alton it was unanimously agreed tina
the West Virginia miners hold the Ike
TO the situation, and without their uni
: ed support the success of the gener'
: | movement would be greatly jeopardlze'
7 Meantime dispatches indicate that u
strike is hourly becoming more con
i plete.