The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-20
THERE WILL BE ARB1rn ALTON

! THERE WILL BE ARBITR ALTON
Rev. Father Phillips, of Hazelton,
Penn, has become prominent through
| his efforts to prevent the strike Of the
coal miners and to secure justice for the
people under his pastoral charge. To
this end he made a trip to New York to
talk over the situation with the chief
owners of the mines. Returning home,
he gave out the following statement:
MY conference yesterday in New York
with the executive officers of the big
coal companies has convinced me that if
there be prolonged conflict it will be
a battle to the death, with but one re-
suit, which is easy to foretell The OPP
/ orators will never recognize the United
Mine Workers. The miners themselves,
! eventually seeing this, must sue for
! peace by unconditional surrender, and
! then their last state will be worse than
! the first. But as l have feared the con-
fllct, SO fear the result, and If the min
! ers regret 1t, as l believe they will, they
must share the responsibilities of widS-
! spread misery and the useless sacrifice of
| the cause of labor"
The good man dispaired in advance,
end so far as the immediate result of the
present strike is concerned he may be
| fully warranted in the judgment formed
But The G o b Q has already pointed
| out that the men hold a rather favor
able position in public sentiment because
| of their repeated efforts to secure arbI-
tration, as well as their reluctance to
strike. The miners have stated their
case concisely and In detail until the
reading public are we'll acquainted with
the grievances. Leaving the question of
wages out of review as being something
for experts to pass upon, there remain
certain conditions surrounding the mi
ners which can be considered and es-
timated from standpoints OF common
| rights and common humanity, not to
mention common decency. OF the exist
ence of these conditions there has been
no denial from the operators. Indeed,
the only reply given by the latter has
been, in effect that the conditions would
not be changed or improved, and that the
miners could submit or starve. What
was told Father Phillips in New York
had previously been told to various news
papers by several of the sleek and well
fed owners Of the mines
This is the situation as the public
views it at the commencement of the
strike If the struggle shall be prolong-
ed, its evil effects will be felt by MIL
lions. and when these undertake, as they
will, to place the blame, It will be a sort
Of arbitration which either side OF the
contest might well wish to be decided in
its favor. To the striking miners, par
| ticularly, the sympathy of a public, itself
suffering more or less inconvenience and
expense from the trouble. would prove
| valuable. and to all present appearances
the only way such sympathy can be for
feited is through departure from the
| peaceful and dignified course that has
characterized the strike so far Self-re-
straint may be difficult for the idle and
| hungry laborers, but it is impossible to
get away from the hard fact that violence
against persons and property during the
progress Of strikes in the past has invari-
ably injured the cause of the strikers and
weakened the force of their claims. Tho
employers have been the only ones to
profit from lawlessness, so far as public
sentiment is concerned, for, In the end,
and as a direct result of violence, no ad-
equate pressure has been brought to bear
upon them to introduce humane and truly
American methods into their dealings
with the employees. In short, the coal
operators have never yet felt the full
force of the powerful public sentiment
that Is capable Of being aroused.
To the we'll Informed it is plain that
some other influence than that of the
miners themselves will have to be exerted
If the occupation Of coal mining is ever
to be placed on the same rational and
satisfactory basis as obtains in other
lines of industry, SO far as the relations
between capital and labor are concerned
Complaints from working people and their
resort to the strike ara generally brief
and occasional in other directions but In
coal mining they seem to be deplorably
chronic. Inc SITUATION II not at all de-
sirable from any popular standpoint. and
If the strike is not radical enough to es-
feet reform, as has been the case here
tofore, the only hope must lie in q de-
mand from the country, as q whole, for
changes necessary to improve the condi-
ton of the miners and make them more
contented with their work. II 1t is true,
involved have more to do with questions