The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-10-15
lie rank and file Of the men had
lnything to cause such an impress

nor the rank and file Of the men had
cone anything to cause such an impress
sion to go out.
a'he# district presidents also maintain
silence as to their personal opinion on
the proposition, excepting President Fany,
who, after he arrived from Boston To-
cay, gave an linking of how he viewed
tire new turn of affairs. In reply to &
query, he said:
..The strike cannot be settled without
The consent of the men. We are not
dealing in gold bricks Of any kind, and
YOU can make any deduction from that
YOU want
CONFERENCE TO-DAY.
There will be conference tomorrow
between Mr.. Mitchell. the three district
presidents and Secretary-Treasurer VIII
son. who will arrive there tomorrow. It
is fully cxpscteds that the sentiment Of
ali the strikers will be known Tomorrow,
aid that action Will be taken according
Is. There is talk of a, convention being
called. but there is nothing definite on
which to base this talk. When MT.
Mitchell was asked il re and the district
officers had power to end the strike, ne
said that it is a rule of the organization
that no settlement can be made by the
officers Of the union without the consent
of a delegate convention. It is practically
certain that Mr.. Nitchell's advice Fill be
followed in the conference. While ne has
not said a word as TO what he r~iil do.
it is freely predicted by those who Under
stand the situation that he will advise
refusal of the proposition.
The rank and file of the miners view
The new proposal in different lights. and
make strong arguments as to their views.
Those who arc opposed to accepting the
new offer look upon the operators latest
move as a counter-proposition to Mr..
sNlitcheliss offer to arbtrate made at
Washington. They compare the two of
fe1-s and pick out what they allese to
be many flaws. Their greatest objection
to it is that the operators dictate to
the President from what class Of men
he shall select the arhitrators. and
charge the operators with lack Of faith
in the President when they do not give
him a free hand to nick the men he
wants. Another objection to it is that the
President is limited to four men in Sc
lccting the jurist on the commission.
MINERS ARE DIVIDED.
A great many OF the strikers think the
proposition should be accepted, and that
the miners Should trust to President
Roosevelt to Go the best he car under
the the COal
road presidents. An argument was made
by one miner at the Hart Hotel to-day
that Mir. Mitchell could not well afford
to turn down the proposition after al
ready Offering to permit the President
to select the members of the commits
sion. There Is still a third view held
by miners. and that Is to refuse to ac-
cept the plan offered and make conn-
ter proposition cmbodyinc some of the
suggestions contained in the operators
offer. This was mentioned to President
MITCHELL bat he would make no com
nent on it
s Strike headquarters presented an ari-
mated scene ali day and evening. The
news of the operators proposal to arr
bitrate spread throughout the region
quickly. Towards noon reports came in
from outlying districts to the effect that
many men looked unfavorably on the
operators proposition. which gave an
Indication OF what might be expected.
This wFs a damper on the enthIsias SIN of
the citizens generally, who thought they
saw a ray of hope for the ending Of the
strike.
Arbitration talk has acted as a check
upon the movement OF men returning
to work. and it is probable there will
be no great movement In this direction
until some definite conclusion is reached
In the arbitration scheme.