The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-15

agreed upon In the negotiations which
preceded the posting OF the ten per
cent. Offer
Some More Conjectures.
The presence OF the mysterious M.
w. Gurnsey, of Harrisburg" In this
city. during the two days that the
out by some to be q corroboration or
the above story, but in the face of the
positive public denial by President
Mitchell that any political agent has
had any conference with him, and the
refusal of Mr.. Gurnsey to be inter-
viewed, the latter story must be taken
as conjecture.
There are some features to 1t, how
ever. which tend to give to 1t an air
of plausibllity. "Mr. Gurnsey' must
be somebody or President Mitchell of
the United Mine Workers would not
have spent four and a half hours in
secret conference with him In what
was probably the busiest twenty-four
hours of Mr.. Mitchelrs life. Yet the
Harrisburg directory contains no IN.
w. GurnSey," and u newspaper
man who asked Mr.. Gurnsey
to prove the directory liar
by furnishing his street and num-
Der that the newspaper men might
verify his claim that he came from
Harrisburg, was told Its none of your
concern" This would indicate that
Mr.. Gurnsey Is travelling under an as
sumed rame.
President Mitchell told q Tribune
man that "Mr. Gurnsey was personal
friend of his and that his calls at the
Valley House were purely of social
nature" Later he admitted that was
diplomatic evasion" and told that
Mr.. Gurnsey was an officer of rail-
road labor organization and was here
to confer about stopping soft coal from
coming into Scranton by way of Har-
risburg from the West Virginia fields.
EARLY Saturday afternoon Tribune
reporter was told that Mr.. Gurn-
sey' had telephoned during the morn
ing to a party in Chicago that the
day will be spent in talk at the con-
venton, but at 4.SO p. IN. an agree
ment will be reached" At 4.3O p. m.
the convention adjourned.
When "Mr. Gurnsey" was leaving
his hotel to go to "Harrisburg.'- Sat-
urday evening, he was asked by
prominent Scrantoniar, with whom he
had become quite friendly, If he knew
anything as to the truth or falsity OF
the story that the action of the con-
vention meant settlement of the
strike. "Mr Gurnsey" replied: "You
can bet your last dollar that the strike
is already settled"
It's Good Story, Anyhow.
Maybe it's true "Mr. Gurnsey" was
not here as an emissary of the medi-
ators between Mitchell and the opera
tors, but he pretty nearly sizes up as
a license for building a good story to
the effect that he was just such an
emissary. and that he came here to see
to it that Mitchell delivered the goods.
The following is part Of the type
written report of the convention pro-
ceedings furnished by the press COM
mttee, of which President Mitchell
was chairman:
While the motion was pending President Mitch
ell addressed the convention and took occasion
TO deny, positively. the statements made by
some of the Metropolitan papers today, charging
that political influences We're dominating the
convention, and that the representatives of any
political party had been in conference with him.
1t is significant. in this connection,
that nothing is told of President Nit
tion any information regarding the as
surance he had from Mr.. Gurnsey that
the railroad men at Harrisburg would
stop soft coal from col ''g here.
The hurried summons to Mother"
Jones and her coming here from
Hazleton at 1 o'clock in the morning,
coupled with the fact that she and
President Mitchells confidential man.
(lrr min tlnh
earnest pleas to the delegates to be
conservative and obedent of their
leaders, wishes, are taken to have been
precautions against the possibility of
a revolt.
The committee on credentials retired
early in the afternoon and came in at
23O. They We're read and explained in
different languages and a quite lengthy
speech was made by President Mitch
ell, telling how the committee had ar
rived at its conclusions in its task Of
crystalizing the sentiments expressed
by the delegates. AT o'clock the
resolutions were adopted, and fifteen
minutes later the business of the con-
Vention was over with. The commit
tee on resolutions was made up of
President Mitchell, the three district
anu tIlTee ueleSdleS from
each district. most of them officers.
In the evening. President Mitchell
gave out the following interview on
the outcome of the conventions:
The action of the delegates in convention today
in accepting an advance Of 10 per cent. provd.
ing they receive assurances the advance will
continue in force until April I OF next year.
demonstrates that the miners are consitlerate of
the public interest involved and are disposed to
be conciliatory and yet the mine owners re.
fuse to join hands with the miners in bringing
the strike to a close. The responsibility for the
suffering that will entail on the poor in the
large eastern cities will rest entirely with the
operations. The operators have now an oppor.
tUnty to prove that the proposition offered by
them WAS made in good faith. II they are will.
ing to pay 10 per cent, advance they certainly
ought to continue to pay it for six months. The
mine workers will all remain on strike until
they are officially notified by the officers of
the union that the strike is declared at an end
There will be no exception to this rule
! cannot understand any good reason why the
operators should not accept the conditions named
in the miners resolution. ], OF course hone
that there will be a speedy termination OF this
contest, and l believe that in the future the
operators will be disposed to treat with more
tinp thnir tkn,, A.