Evening star., 1900-10-12
CONVENTION DIVIDED
About Even Chances That Strikers
viii Accept Advance.
RADICALS MAKE STRONG FIGHT
Say Now is Time to Settle All
Grievances.
MIR. MITCHELL'S SP E E H
|ADICALS MAKE STRONG FIGHT
MIR. MITCHELL'S SP E E CHI
Special From staff Correspondent.

Special From STAFF Correspondent
SCRANTON. Pa. October 12-When the
miners convention assembled this morning
to act on the question of continuing or call
Ing off the strike the chances were about
even that the coal operators offer Of 10 per
cent increase would or would not be ac-
cepted.
There was no man who could correctly
forecast the outcome and the more one In
quired into the sentiments of the delegates
the more perplexng became the question
Of the outcome of the impending delioera-
Tons.
When the delegates began to arrive last
night It was evident from their talk that
there was a strong disposition to reject the
operators terms IN their present shape,
and to suggest amendments IN the direc-
ton of further concessions to labor. Men
from every section of the anthracite region
were found in this class, who are styled
the radicals.
On the other hand. It was apparent that
Immediately upon their arrival these men
were being subjected to pressure from the
higher officials of the union in the line of
conservative action. There was a disposi-
ton in certain quarters to advise the men
TO take what they can get now. to spend
the winter strengthening the union, and to
make their further demands hereafter,
when they would be in even q stronger po-
sition 10 enforce them.
This line Of argument, however, was hotly
controverted.
Some of the leading spirits among the
delegations from the several districts were
insistent upon settling all their grievances
now. They said that the strike was a sue
cess. the tie-up complete. the operators
helpless: that If the men did not get what
they wanted now they would find differ
lent situation when they struck hereafter,
which would not be on the eve Of a great
political campaign.
Animus of the Argument.
The animus back Of this argument is the
fact that it is apparent to those men that
another strike will be handled differently
by the coal operators. They know that
there are thousands of miners who, moved
by their necessities, would go back to work
If opportunity were afforded.
Everybody here knows that If this had
not been a campaign year, the strike would
probably have been crippled before now.
Stringent measures would have been taken
by the operators TO open some of the COL
lierieS ard weaken the effect of the move
ment. There Is no cOncealment of that.
So it comes that the sentiment is strong
to grasp the advantages of the occasion
and to make a bold play for q big stake in
labors behalf while labor yet holds a
strong hand of trumpS.
A potent factor for conservative action is
present in the person of William Ryan, a
WeH-knOTn OHlClal or the miners union
from the soft coal region. He advises the
men to take a little now, strengthen their
hand and demand a little hereafter, He
says that is the way the bituminous coal
miners have inched up to their present
status.
Thus the situation stood when the con-
vention went into session Nobody could
tell which side would gain the mastery in
the meeting. AS the delegates filed into the
hall they made an impressive showing.
Earnest inteIligent-looking fellows they
were. their gravity Of demeanOr indicating
that they understood the significance of
this meeting. upon whose action hung hu-
man lives and vast property interests.
q