The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-04
THE BARONS' "AMAzING EFFRONTERY
the Managers Commented On
8 ~ by an Advisor Of the Pr esident" Who Was Pres
i %& at the Conference Yesterday

getting what they were evidently seeking.
More than once when one of the managers
read statements concerning what Presi-
dent Roosevelt was alleged at some time
or other to have said, the president, sit
ting at the head of the cabinet table in
his rolling chair, clad In pa anas and his
sore leg held high on pillows. interposed
with rernonstrance of characteristic vigor.
'"rhat is not true; I never said that"
declared the president on one occasion. ;.
But we SO understood YOU" replied tho
railway man. =
What I actually did say left no posst-
BILE room for any such misconstruction.'
retorted the president sharply.
There were several such passages at
arms as these. Perhaps half a dozen
times the president raised his arm and
shot it straight out toward the offending
corporation spokesman, excla1ming:
''Stop right there-I never said that"
= There was one very tense moment dur
ing the speech of John Markle, the ono
so-called Independent operator Of coal
mines, who was present In the conference,
all the others on that side being presidents
of railways who aver that for Sherman
antitrust purposes they have nothing
whatever to do with coal mining. Mr..
Markle, who is personally a most agree
able gentleman, on this, occasion harped
upon his favorite string Of give US troops
enough and We'll mine the coal.': Appar-
entity forgetting to whom he was speak,
ing, he cried out from behind his spec
| tacles and looking straight at the presi-
dent Of the United States:
Lectured the President.
@'Send the federal troops up there to
protect the men who want to work, and
we will relieve the coal famine. Mr..
President, it is your duty to send us pro-
lection. VIII you do it, will you do it?''
| The president of the United States is
not accustomed to be lectured and to have
his duties pointed out to him in this
! schoolmaster fashion, and at this moment
an eyewitness says the countenance OF
| Theodore Roosevelt was something fear
full and wonderful to behold. His eyes
! snapped and flashed, and every expression
betokened anger and disgust and a mighty
effort to retain self control. Luckily for
Mr.. Markle's peace of mind the effort was
a successful one.
The Next Step.
Notwithstanding the failure of the con-
ference to take a single step toward
peace, President Roosevelt is glad he
made the effort. He feels that it was his
duty to do everything that lay in his
power to avert the threat tened disaster
of a coal famine. Nor does he deem his
duty as yet fully discharged. He is not
| by any manner of means through with
the business the coal presidents will
probably soon discover. Up to this time
he has carefully avoided disclosing to
them any plans he may have considered
| for future and more drastic action, not
being willing to have even the shadow OF
a threat to mar the moral effect OF the
moral suasion effort.
Within a few days the president will
consider, with his cabinet, what his next
step shall be. At present he leans strong
| ly toward calling a special session OF con-
gress, to which he would send a mes
sage concerning the anthracite situation.
One action which congress might take
would be the enactment Of stringent
law regulating interstate commerce in
| COAL penalizing combinations and rebates.
Men who are familiar with the situation
| in the anthracite region say there IS q
trust there, and that it can be broken up
by law. They also think the calling of
special session Of congress would bring the
| recalcitrant corpora tons to terms quicker
than anything else.
Evidence OF a Trust.
Although the railway presidents placed
their hands on their hearts and s"ore
| there was no trust in the anthracite fields,
the department of justice has received IN
formation from a firm Of reputable law
yers in New York that they have the evil
dence upon which that trust can be con-
victed in court. They say the Temple
Coal & Iron company Is a corporation
whose directors are the presidents Of the
coal railways, and Is a concern which was
formed for the special purpose Of regu-
lating prices and output. 1t is under
stood that the department of justice Will
ask the New York lawyers to send on
their evidence al once.
Coal Presidents Want Federal Troops.
! The six coal presidents called on Sec
rotary Root at the Arlington late in the
} evening and had a long talk with him
| in regard to the situation. They went for
the purpose Of discussing with him their
proposition that the president should send
: federal troops to Pennsylvania for the
purpose of protecting non union miners
} against the attacks of mobs of strik-
ers.
Secretary Root entered into a full dis
cussion of the question from a consti-
tional standpoint. He argued that the
0 federal government had no authority
} whatever to send its troops to the Goa
t fields, ina smuch as there IS no Interrupt
= ton of the United States mails. as there
was during the strike at Chicago. during
: President Cleveland's first administration
and no requests from the governor of the
state, as in the case of the Occur d'Alene
troubles in Idaho. These two cases were
e the only ones presented by the coal op'
t orators as forming possible precedents TO,
e the action which they desire President
f Roosevelt to take. Attorney Genera
e Knox Is also of the opinion that the
president has no authority to dispatch
8 government soldiers to the scene OF the
r strike disturbances.