The Republican journal., 1902-10-09

our sympathy is altogether with the
mine operators, until it is shown that
their plea that the miners are terori2-
ed is false.
We believe the coal operators are
standing for the first rights of Ameri-
CEN citizens, the rights to mind their
own business, to do their own business
their own way without interference
I,om outside meddlers, and to be free
+ IN violence or intimidatiol.--Ie Evils
ton sun.
That has, we believe, been the general
sentiment. up to the time Of the confer
ence III Washington. Now, unless we
are greatly mistaken. the sentiment is
the other way. We believe i'll the rights
of American citizens as expressed by
our Lewiston contemporary. Every
good citizen must believe in them. but
unfortunately we have some bad citi-
zens anarchists and agitators from for
elgn lands, to whom the present and
other troubles are mainly due From
one point of view the six representa-
tiyes Of capital who went to Washing
perate need of coal throughout the
country; and Mr. Morgan could no
doubt control these six men. On the
other hand a word from John Mitchell
would effect the resumption of work at
the coal mines. Thus we are up against
the tyranny of capital on the one hand
nd Wy Of lob no 0{h
each represented by a single individual,
who has it i'll his power to relieve the
suspense at once. This is the naked
situation. The Evening Star of Wash
ington, d. c., an able and very conser
vatiye newspaper says of the confer
ence i'll that city:
President Roosevelt failed yesterday
to persuade the coal operators and the
strikers to sink their differences to
avert public suffering. But his failure
reflects in no wise upon his judgment
in calling the conference, or upon his
ability in the presentation of the peo-
pies case. He did his full and evident
duty in a manner to win for him the
praise of the country. He succeeded at
least III concentrating the responsibility
upon the contendlng parties and in
narrowing the issues between them to
an appreclable degree.
The net result of the conference is
an otter by the miners to submit their
case to him and a board of co-arbitra-
tors OF his choosing, and an alternative
offer by the coal operators to allow their
employees, as individuals, to submit their
grievances to the judges of the court of
common pleas in their respective dis
trlcts. But between these two propOS-
ais still yaWns the chasm which consti-
tutes the real issue of the coal conflict,
the recognition of the miners in asso-
citation, namely, the union.
The Star shows the weakness of the
operators position in refusing to deal
with union labor when it says that
with the exception of Nh. Markle every
coal mining interest represented by the
operators is in constant communica-
ton with at least four great labor
unions, that of the trainmen, that of
the engineers, that of the firemen and
that OF the telegraphers. Their whole
body of railroad workers are organized
and are dealt with through their organ
izations." Then as to the labor side:
The strike leader, John Mitchell
missed the chance of his life, when he
failed to guarantee the resumption of
mining for the public veal. Had he
risen in his place in the conference
room and promised the close of the
strike, for the sake of the people, he