Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-10-11

Washington, Oct. 4. - The great
coal conference between the presi-
dent and representative of the op-
orators and the miners came to an
end at the temporary white house,
o'clock Friday afternoon with fail
ure to reach an agreement. Appa-
rently the rock upon which the con-
ference split was a recognition of the
miners union. The president had
urged the conlending parties to cease
strife in the interests of the public
welfare; the miners, through the
president of their union, had ex-
pressed a willingness to submit diff
ferences to arbitration of a tribunal
to be named by the president, and
to enter into an agreement to abide
by terms fixed by the arbitration
for period of from one to five years,
and the employers, through the pres
dents of the railroad and coal COM
panies and a leading independent
mine operator, had squarely refused
arbitration, had denounced the
miners labor organization as law
less and anarchistic body with which
they could and would have no deal
ings, had demanded federal troops
to ensure complete protection to
workers and their families in the
mining region, and court proceed
ings against the miners union, and
had offered if the men returned to
work to submit grievances at individ
ual collieries to the decision of the
judges of the court OF common pleas
for the district of Pennsylvania in
which the colliery was located. There
the matter closed.
No Middle Ground Possible.
What, if anything. will result from
the conference, is for the indefinite
future. The views of the contenders
in the great industrial struggle were
so extreme and wide apart that there
was no middle ground possible and so
the conference came to an end without
any agreement for its continuation
The conference had lasted six hours,
including a recess of three hours be-
tween the morning and afternoon ses-
sions. taken to enable the miners and
operators to prepare written responses
to the presidents appeal. The imme-
date parties to the strike say they will
continue as heretofore. What course
the admins ration will take next no
one is prepared to say. One of the
operators as he left the white house
with closely set jaw was asked regard
ing this and Replied: eff any one knows
what the president will do next, that
is more than I know" 1t was an
nounced at the white house that the
president had no comment to make on
the conference.
Fourteen men, including the presi-
dent, were in the second story front
room at the temporary white house
during the momentous conference.
Those who took part were: George F.
Baer, president Reading railway sys-
tenn; W. 81. Truesdale, preside nt Della
ware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad
company; E. B. Thomas, chairman of
board, Erie Railroad company;
Thomas P. Fowler, president New
York. Ontario & Western Railway
company; David Wilcox, vice-president
and general counsel Delaware & Hud-
son company; John Markle, represent
ing independent operators: John
Mitchell, president United Mine Work
ers Of America; Thomas D. Nichols,
Thomas Duffy and John Fahy, dis
trict presidents United Mine Workers
of America; Attorney General Knox,
Secretary Cortelyou, Carroll D. Wright,
commissioner of labor.