The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-10-08
ROOSEVELT Volunteers
70 ARBITRATE.
Requests Coal Mine Operators to
Come TO White House to Meet
President Mitchell.

OoiuCtt MstCAGti.
Washington, Oct. President.
Roosevelt will make an effort to bring
the anthracite coal mine owners and
their striking employees together in
the interest of the public good. This
conclusion was reached after a series
Of conferences with his cabinet ad-
visers covering yesterday and today.
The decision was arrived at when
the lawyers of the cabinet informed
the president that there was no way,
under the constitution and the form
| of government Of the United States,
for federal Intervention to end the
strike. Every phase Of the situation
was canvassed and the determination
to have the mine operators and Presi-
dent Mitchell meet the president was
reached when it was found that no
other method was OPEN
/ At the conclusion of the conference
today, which was attended by Secre-s
taries Root, Shaw and Moody, At
torney General Knox and Postmaster
General Playne, at the temporary
White House, the. following telegrams
were made public:
White House, Washington, Oct.
To Geo. F. Baer, president Reading
railway system, Philadelphia.
W. II. Truesdale, president Della
ware, Lackwanna and Western com
pany, No. 26 Exchange Place, New
York
E. B. Thomas, chairman of the
board, Erie Railroad company, No.
81 Cortlandt street, New York.
| Thomas P. Fowler, president On
tario and Western Railway company,
No. IS Beaver sreet, New York.
r. NJ. Olyphant, president Delaware
and Hudson company, New York.
John Marjkle, No. 527 West Thirty
fourtn street, New York.
I should like to see you on..Friday
next, Oct. 3, at IL o'clock a. NJ,
here in Washington, in regard to the
failRre of the coal supply, which has
become a matter of vital concern to
the whole nations [ have sent a sim
liar dispatch to Mr.. John Mitchell,
president of the United Mine Work
ers of America.
Theodore Roosevelt.
John Mitchell, President United
| Mine Workers Of America, Wilkes
barre, Pa:
should greatly like to see you on
Friday next, Oct. 3, at II O'Clock, a.
NJ, here in Washington, in regard to
the failure of the coal supply, which
has become of vital concern to he whole
I nation. | have sent q similar dispatch
to- he presidents of tae anthracite coal
companies. Theodores RoeseveIt.
\
At the meeting Friday the line of
approach toward the settlement OF the
strike will be an appeal by President
Roosevelt to both sides to come togeth-
er as men and not to allow false pride
or feeling of obstinacy to stand IN
the way of the termination Of the
great strike, which is fraught with
such a threat to the minds of the peo-.
pie. tits stated by one of the p.esi-
dents advisers that beyond this the
president cannot go; he has no powers
of compulsion to bring into place
against either side and he must rely
upon his persuasive abilities and his
appears to their sense of humanity
if anything tangible is to be accom-
plished.
The president intends to lay before
his hearers the situation as it appears
to him with all the prospective horrors
| that will follow fuel famine, and
will urge them ssin the interests Of
humanity to. open the mines and sup
ply the demand for coal. The presi-
dent has taken this action because he
feels it to be his duty to do so as the
executive head of a nation, threaten
ed with great peril. The president
has, in a sense, taken upon himself the
burdens of an arbitrator in this great
dispute between capital and labor,
and though the arbitration is not COM
pulsory and is not even known under
the name of arbitration in any Of the
invitations issued today, it is the hope
of the president and his advisers that
| it will be effective.
President Rooseyelt's proposition for
gathering here Friday morning oi
representatives Of the coal companies
and coal operators and the miners met
prompt response from number OF
the gentlemen to whom invitations
were sent. During the afternoon and
evening the president received replies
to his Invitations from President Mitch
ell Of the United Mine Workers, Presl-
dent George F. Baer of the Reading
Railway system and one or two others.
Mr.. Baer's prompt reply to the presi-
dents suggestion was particularly
gratifying to Mr.. Roosevelt, as it was
believed that in all probability his ac
ceptance will insure favorable replies
from other officials who were invited.
Lieut.. Peary says if he had 5000, GOO
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