Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-10-10

Washington this week. They can lock
at the Treasury building and judge
for themselves whether it is large
enough to hold all the money they ex.
pect to get for their valuable services.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular CorrespondentJ
Washington. Oct. 6.-The widely ad-
vertised conference between the presi-
dent, the railway presidents and the
representatives of the striking coal
miners has passed into history and
without apparent beneficial results.
President Roosevelt made a vigorous
and eloquent appeal to both parties to
sink their differences for the common
good of humanity which must eneyit-
ably suffer serious hardship as result
of further prolongat1on Of the strike.
President Mitchell, of the Mine Work
ers' Union, promptly replied with a
proposition to submit all differences
to a tribunal to be appointed by the
President, his men to 60 work imme-
diately and to abide by the decision OF
that tribunal for period Of from one
to five years as the tribunal might d.
rect. AS was to have been expected
from the autocratic statements OF the
operators in the past, that they re-
fused to recognize Mr.. Mitchell or to
consider his proposition. Their one
end is to crush the union and nothing
short OF that will content them. They
pictured, injured terms, the violence
I'll, id tho ctrikn nd
blamed the Union for it, although 1t
is we'll known that In every instance
the union and its president have de-
plored the violence and, in SO far as
possible, have restrained the members.
Needless to say the Presidsnt was sore
ly disappointed at the failure OF bis
efforts.
1t is now predicted that the presi
dent will take more drastic measures
to end the strike and will possibly call
Congress in special session. just what
Congress will be asked to do, if so call.
ed, is not made clear. The operators.
although constituting combine in
violation of the law, are the absolute
owners of the coal mines and it is
questionable If, under the law, Con-
gress can enact legislation which will
effect the case. The one weak point
in the Presidents argument was the
fact that Gov. Stone had failed to pre-
serve order In the coal districts, for
that enabled the operators to intimate
that the government was In the same
position as the strikers. President
Baer practically told the President that
be had interferred in matter that was
none of his business and President
Olyphant sent representative instead
of coming himself to the conference,
while President Cassett, OF the Penn
sylvania Railroad, ignored Mr.. Roose-
welt g invitation to be present.
The recent order of Postmaster Cen
erai PAYNE, by which those postmas-
tiers who are appointed by the Presi-
dent are left free to participate in po-
litics and are relieved from the restric-
lions which apply to employees coming
under civil service provisions, will be q
source of qualification to large num-
Der of pOstmasters throughout the
country. The majority OF 1these men
owe their appointments to political
influence and, if they were incapacitat-
ed from participated in the politics OF
their respective localities, would soon
lose their influence and their positions.
Under the new ruling they may run
primaries, attend conventions or col
lect money for campaign purposes
with impunity.
Another recent ruling of the Post
master General is to the effect that no
one but the properly authorized in
spectOrs of rural mail routes can con-
denim mall boxes erected on such
routes. 1t has been the custom here
tOfore, for carriers and local postmas-
tiers to exercise their own judgment IN
condemning mail boxes frequently
causing serious Inconvenience to the
residents. From now on residents will
be protected from this annoyance.
Protests continue to arrive at the
Treasury Department against the
drastic measures which the Secretary
of the Treasury has adopted to relieve
the money stringency among the Wall
Street spectators. The prOsestants
claim, with reason, that the substitu-
ton of state bonds and miscellaneous
securities for United States bonds is
a menace to the financial integrity of
the government and establishes a most
precedent. They say that
with such securities listed according
to the private judgment Of the Secre-
tary and his advisors, Treasury state
ments will come to mean nothing and
subsequent secretaries are liable to
find themselves loaded up with worth
less collateral as heritage from their
1t is more than prOba
BILE, however, that those who thus pro-
Test fail to appreciate the magnitude
ioh hror,ohf al
bear on Mr.. Shaw by the Wall Street
interests, which even went 30 far as
10 spread report to the effect that be |
Intended to resign as a practical threat |
20 compel his acquiesence with their |
wishes.
The report which comes from Chica
70 of the speech of Senator Deliver
before the National League of Repub-
lean Clubs will prove another heart
Freak to the republican leaders who
ire SO strenuously opposed to tariff re-
vision. On the other hand, there is
10 ground for the Senator's ..assump-
ion that the trusts will fall of their
wn weight. That certain trusts have
allied is undoubtedly true but that the
majority will do 80 is contrary to rea-
on so long as they have the unnatural
timulous of protective tariff which
rOtects them from outside cOmpeti-
ion, they having already destroyed all
Internal competition In their respec-
i've lines.
The democrats who are returning to
' Washington from the New York con-
entiOn are enthusiastic In regard to
be prospects in that state and several
redict that Coler will defeat Odell.
is certain that the platform will at Is
ract vast number of people who are II
offering from the effects of the coal
,rike and it is safe to say that the fall {
ectiOns will witness democratic gains {
II along the line.
The news comes from Massachusetts
sudden attempt to amend the state
,publican platform In favor of tariff
vision, which was only prevented byI
le shrewd tactics of Senator Lodge.
lille the planks in the Massachusetts
atform may ordinarily be of minorl
nportance, in this instance the move.