The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-01
Probably Be Al ,pted.

Making due allowance for what the
diplomatic exigencles demand In the
way of bold front" 1t can be safely
prophesied that the proffer of the oper-
ators Is going to be accepted by the
strikers. One side Is quite as glad to
let go as the other. Some men In the
ranks will be heard to say they'll never
go back till they get this. that or the
other thing, but when the time comes
for choosing between prolonging the
strike and accepting a pretty liberal
offer the conservative element Will as
sert itself and the offer will be ac-
cepted
President Mitchell Is speaking very
guardedly these days. but he has not
as yet said that he was not disposed
to have the miners accept the bare 20
per cent. advance, and In several in
stances left 1t to be inferred that IL the
increase was insured by being figured
on fixed basis that 1t would be, as
he put it, "a great victory"
With the additional concession of an
offer of arbitration of all other griev-
ances, 1t is pretty safe guess that
President Mitchell will not long hesi-
tate to advise his men to forego the
1t resolves itself into this:
The men want that the arbitration
should be general.
The operators refuse to be dragged
into any general pow-wow, feeling
positive that it is impractlcable, be-
cause of the diverse conditions that
prevail, when the region is considered
as a whole, and resenting the propo-
sition that outsiders should interfere
between them and their employees.
The miners are satisfied to deal with
their respective employers, but claim
that whenever they have ATTEMPTED
this they were told that their demand
could not be acceded to, because other
| operators We're not making similar ac-
cessions.
Agrees to Arbitrate.
Now that difficulty Is removed. Every
operator agrees to arbtrate with his
employees. The operators won't meet
all the employees of all the companies
in a general conference, but they place
no bar to the employees Of all the COM
panies meeting together, If they want
to, and agreeing on uniform action.
That the operators expect the miners
| to do this is not improbable.
1t is now up to the miners. All de-
pends on them as to how soon the
strike will be ended, and the commun-
ity rescued from the business blight
| under which it Is now prostrate. If
they do not make demands that the
operators can not reasonably be ex-
pected to grant, the strike is as good
as settled.
Yesterdays dispatches had 1t that
| convention of the United Mine
| Workers was likely to be held tomor-
| row in WilkesBarre to discuss the
| proposition that was expected would
come today from the operators. AS
no proposition will come from the
| opera tors as a body, and as the propo-
| sitiOn that is to come from them in
| dividual!y to their respective en-
ployes will not be posted till tomor-
row, the likelihood of the Wilkes
| Barre convention tomorrow is small,
unless the Mine Workers officials will
take cognizance of the newspaper re-
ports and anticipate the notice.
There will, however, be a big rally
of strikers in Wilkes Barre tomorrow,
| in which all the men of the upper
Luzerne region will participate. Rev.
Thomas Ducey. of New York. has
been invited to be the principal speak
er Organizer Fred Dilcher, William
Farley and Benjamin James are the
others expected to make addresses,
and there is possibility that Presi-
dent Mitchell will attend.
The question of opening a direct
campaign against the washeres was
discussed at Saturdays meeting of
| the district executive board. but no
denite action taken. The impending
settlement of the strike and the fall
ure OF Organizer Dilcher to be pres
ent to lend his counsel, occasioned
| this