The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-10-07
Official Report,

At the temporary White House tonight
the following official statement was given
out concerning today's coal conference:
The conference opened at IL o'clock.
The operators and representatives of the
miners were presented to the President.
The President at the outset expressed his
hearty hanks for their attendance. and
stated that owing to his peculiar rela-
tons 20 the situation, he felt that he
should make to them a very careful state
| ment of his position and of his intentions
in asking them to meet.
THE PRESIDENTS APPEAL.
The Presidents statement follows:
4 wish to call your attention to the
fact that there are three parties affected
by the situation in the anthracite trade;
the operators, the miners and the general
public. l speak for neither the opera
tors, nor the miners. but 70 the general
public. The questions at issue which led
to the situation affects immediately the
parties commemorative operators and the
miners; but the situation itself vitality
affects the public. AS long as there
seemed to be q reasonable hope that
these matters could be adjusted between
the parties it did not seem proper to nc
to intervene in any way. | diSclaim any
right or duty to intervene in this way
upon legal grounds or upon any official
relation that | bear to the situation, but
the urgency and the terrible nature of
the catastrophe impending over a large
portion of our people in the shape OF a
winter fuel famine impcls me after much
anxious thought to believe that my duty
requires me to use whatever influence |
personally can to bring to an end a sit
/ nation which has become literally iDtOl-
cradle. | wish to emphasize the charac-
ter of the situation and to say that its
gravity is such that | am constrained
urgently to insist that each one of you
realize the heavy burden of responsibility
upon him. We are upon the threshold
of winter with an already existing coal
famine the future terrors of which VIC
can hardly yet appreciate. The evil posi-
bilitics are 50 far reaching, SO appall-
ing, that it seems to me that you arc
not only justified in sinking but re-
quiro'l to sink for the time being any te-
nacity as to your respective claims in
the matter at issue between you. In
my Judgment the situation impcratively
requires that you meet upon the ommon
plane Of the necessities of the public.
With all The aarnestness there is in me l
ask that there be an immediate resump-
ton of operations in the coal mines In
some such way as will without a days
unnecessary delay meet the crying needs
of the people.
Il do rot invite a discussion of your
respective claims and positions. I APP
peal TO your patriotism. to the spirit that
sinks personal considerations and makes
individual sacrifices for the general
good"
Upon the completion OF the Presidents
remarks, President Mitchell made a state
Incnt as follows:
Mr.. President l am much impressed
with what you say. / am much i'm
pressed with the gravity of the situa-
ton. We feel that VIC arc not RESPONSE
bic for this terrible state of affairs. We
are willing to meet the gentlemen repre-
Scnting the coal operators to try to ai-
just our difficulties among ourselves. II
We cannot adjust them that way. Mr..
President, we are willing that you shalt
name L tribunal who shall determine
tho issues that have resulted in the
strike. and if the gentlemen represent
ing the operators will accept the award
or decision Of such a tribunal. the miners
will willingly accept it, even IL it is
against their claims"
The President: ''Beforc considering
what ought to be done l think it only
just to both of you-both sides-and de-
sirable from my standpoint, that you
should have time to consider what ! have
stated as to the reasons for my getting
You together, and | shall trespass so far
upon your good nature as to ask that
this interview cease now and that you
come back at 3 o'clock. / should like
You 10 think over what | have stated, not
to decide now, but to give it careful
thought and return at 8 o'clock
The conference then adjourned until 8
O'Clock. Upon reassembling Mr.. Baer
spoke as follows:
NJ President, do we understand you
to say that we will be expected to an
swer the proposition submitted by Mr..
Mitchell this morning.?
The President: ut will be a pleasure
to me to hear any answer that you arr
willing to make"
MIR. Baer: 4 have prepared an an
swer."
THE STATEMENT OF BAER.
lie then presented his statement, which
follows:
"You distinctly say that you do not
invite q discussion of your respective
claims and positions But we assume
that a statement of what is going on in
the coal regions will not be irrelevant.
We represent the owners of coal regions
in Pennsylvania. There are from fifteen
to twenty thousand men at work mining
and preparing coal. They are abused, as
saulted, injured and maltreatcd by the
United Mine Workers. They can only
work under the protection of armed
guards. Thousands of other Workmen
are deferred from working by the init
mutations, violence and crime inaugu-
rated by the United Mine Workers, over
whom John Mitchell, whom you invited
to meet you. is chief.
Il need not picture the daily crimes
committed by the members of this or
! EaulZatiOn. The domestic trarouiJity ,