Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-09-20
FIGHT ON THE MARKLE MINES.
Strikers Determined to Close Them If L
Can Possibly BE Done.

! Strikers Determined to Close Them If II
Can Possibly BE Done.
The committee OF the MarkIe en-
/ ployes which presented the grievances
of the men 10 the firm last week called
a meeting for p. m. yesterday in
front of the village school house at
| Jeddo for the purpose of hearing what
Markle had TO say i'll regard to the
grievances. The United Mine Work
ers' officials also announced meeting
of the Markle mine workers for D.
IN. at the same place, but for some rea-
son not known it was not called to
order until O'Clock. The chairman of
the grievance committee called the l.
600 people gathered there to order,
after which Patrick Gallagher. a min
er was elected chairman. The griev-
ance committee was asked to make a
report, and failing to present one a
miner in the crowd moved that the
men in the Markle mines strike. \
viva Voce vote was taken and there
was great roar of yes
President Mitchell was in the crowd,
and was invited to speak. As he
walked up the steps of theSchool house
John Markle. Alvin Markle and Cen
eral Superintendent Smith. of the
firms mines, came along the railroad
track and the trio stood on the cinder
embankment of the road and listened
90 the strike leader eXhort his hearers
All around them, sitting on the en-
bankment, We're the wives, mothers.
sisters and SweetheartS of the men,
while the school children gazed from
the windows of the one-stOry build
ing and the SchoolmaSter stood at the
door.
Mitchell said in brief that he regret
ted that the men of the Markle mines
We're divided. but was glad that those
who opposed the strike were in the
minority. He said the eyes of 13S,000
miners were looking toward them and
that if they all stopped work the vic
tory would be won; but on the other
hand if a few went to work it would
injure the interests of all the men.
John Markle then made his way to-
ward the crowd of miners and ad-
dressed the men. Markle was unable
to speak for awhile because of inter
ruptionS by many in the crowd. Sew
eral United Mine Workers officials
attempted to get the crowd to disperse
and not to listen to Markle. The lat
ter, however won over the gathering.
He told them the company stood ready
to arbitrate any differences with the
men and proposed that the company
select one arbitrator and the men
choose one. If the two fail TO agree
these two men could invite a third man
to join them in considering The matters
before them. He said the company
has such an agreement of long stand
ing with the men. and that he would
live up to it and expected the men 10
do the same.
Mitchell then got on the steps, and
standing beside Marklr told the crowd
that the United Mine Workers would
not accept arbitration on that basis. 1t
must he the whole region and not
part of it. Markle again addressed the
men and said he would accept Arch
bishop Ryan. Of Philadelphia. as ar
bitrator. TO which Mitchell replied that
he would accept the archbishop on the
basis that the United Mine Workers
Observation-Disclosures for the whole
region at one and the same time.
Father Philips was called upon and
he delivered Il speech favOring arbi-
tration. He told the men that here
was a chance to arbitrat their honest
differences. and If they did not seize
the opportunity they would be giving
organized labor the hardest blow it
has ever been dealt and that all the
men who refused the offer deserved all
the hardship that the operators could
put upon them in a hundred years.
Mitchell and Markle again spoke and
Benjamin James also addressed the
men, but their remarks were largely
of a personal nature.