The age-herald., 1900-10-13
Other Concessions Will Probably
 be Asked.
NON-UNI0N MEN ARE REPRESENTED
President Mitchell Addressed the Meet ing, But Gave No Direction to the Body Adjourned Over With
 out Taking Action

Scranton, Pa., october 12.-Eight hundred and ifty-seven miners, who held in their hands the power to end or continue the an- thracte coal miners strike, met in con- vention here today for the purpose of con- sidering the ten per cent net increase in wages offered by the operators, and ad- journed until tomorrow without taking any action on the employers proposition.
 It was gathered that the ten per cent proposition has very little chance of be- ing accepted. The delegates seem to be all most unanimous that the operators should first make concessions in the other griev- ances. Much stress was laid on the neces- sity of abolshing the sliding scale and sub- stituting therefore tonnage basis. The proposition of having the operators guar antee fixed time for paying the advance was also thoroughly discussed, while not a few delegates said they would be satisfied with nothing but more liberal increase in wages.
 That the present convention will not reach definite conclusion is the general opinion tonight Some of the delegates think that the whole subject should be left in the hands of the national officers.
 Mitcheils address
 President Mitchell called the convention to order at 1O:9O o'clock, and almost im- mediately commenced reading his address.
 He said
 "Gentlemen: In opening this convention, I desire to briefly outline the purpose which prompted us to call you here, to point out, if I can, the course you should pursue in de- terminng the questions which so vitally af- feet not only yourselves and the vast con- sttuency which you represent, but also the millions of people in the eastern and New England States and In the anthracite re- gion not directly connected with the coal industry.
 Before doing so, however, permit me to congratulate you upon the growth of your organization as evidenced by the large num- Der of delegates assembled here. This is without exception the largest labor conven- tion which has taken place in the indus trial history of our nation. The causes which forced you to engage In the contest which has preceded this convention are from years of suffering, so indelibly im- printed upon memories, that it would be waste of words to recite them here. The story of your wrongs has been truth fully depicted by your officers, 1t has been portrayed in all It's hdeousness by the rep resentatives of the press, men sent here to seek out the truth and report the conditions as they really exist, and with exceptional unanimity the public has declared that your cause is just and that the responsibility for this unfortunate strike rests solely upon the shoulders of those who employed you.
 Conduct Has on Respect
 "Your own conduct during the strike. even under the most trying circumstances, has won for you and your cause the re- spect and commendation of all justice-lov ing, patriotic people. Violations of the law have been few in number, and then under circumstances in which the miners were not wholly at fault. In fact, it has been shown that more overt acts have been committed by those whose duty 1t Is to enforce the law than by the mine workers. who have been so erroneously pictured as men entirely devoid of respect for law and order. For this you deserve much credit. Labor organizations have no greater ene- mics than the thoughtless strikers who violate the law or permit themselves to be provoked into the commission Of crimes. IL frequently occurs In time of strikes that employers provoke strikers into violations of the law, with the hope and expectation that public sentiment will be arrayed against the strike, and the military arm of tn State can be secured to curb the men and defeat the objects for which the strike was inaugurated Whatever may be your decision here today, whether you end or continue the strike 1t Is my earnest hope that every man may regard 1t as his duty not only to obey, but assist in enforcing the law.
 Miners Must Decide
 ''When this strike was put into effect we declared that it would not end unless a majority of the delegates representing the anthracite miners agreed to its termina- ton. We repeatedly announced that we would not undertake to decide the future happiness or misery the veal or woe of the five hundred thousand persons dependent upon the anthracite coal industry for a Livelihood We believe that the men who mine coal; that the men who work in the colieries; that the boys who work in the {. breakers should all be consulted before the officers of your union declare the strike at an end.
 Learning that operators had posted mo- tices at their mines offering advance of 1O per cent. on wages formerly paid, we deemed it our duty to call a convention and permit the miners to pass judgment on the question of it's acceptance or rejection.
 Tn considering the proposition of oper- ators I want the delegates attending this convention to be calm and dispassionate, to consider the question in all its phases, to measure carefully the chances of suc- cess and the possibilities of defeat should the strike be continued. You must not reach conclusions hastily; you must not overestimate your strength, and, on the ether hand, you must take every precau- ton to protect yourselves against the avaroiousness of your employers, who,- I regret to say, have shown no disposition to treat you fairly in the past and have