Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-05-16
HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND IDLE
Workmen Assert Their Ability to Endure
. HardshipS Incident to Tie-up.
BUSINESS DEPRESSED OVER THE RESULT
Action of Convention IL Not Unani-
nous and Anti-strike Men Nearly
Succeed in Carrying Day
for Peace.

LAT, 900 men against the mine owners and
10 fight It out to the bitter end. The mat
ter Of calling out the engineers. hremen
and pump runners will be decided by the
delegates tomorrow.
The vote to continue the suspension was
rs follows: Total vote cast Sill for strike,
te1k against strike, S49% majority for
strike, 111h.
President Mitchell however, in compll-
ance with the rules of the United Mine
Workers, announced to the public that the
action Of the convention was unanimous.
The step taken today by the miners, after
practically considering the matter for two
months has wiped out the uncertainty Of
the situation and It is freely predicted
that the most serious labor struggle in the
history Of the country, II not the world, is
about to begin. That is the view taken by
nearly every miner. While the leaders are
cautious and will not forecast their ac-
tions It Is not unlikely that miners fight
will be carried into the bitumlnous coal
regions and into other fields Of industry.
Miners Lay Up for Rainy Day.
Mine workers for eighteen months have
been looking forward to the strike that is
upon them. They have saved their money
and are considered to be in better shape
Today for a fight than they were in the
great strike OF 1900, That struggle ended
by the mine owners giving the men 10 per
cent increase after six weeks suspension.
The operators are on record as being un-
Alterably opposed to granting the men any
concessions. and they have personally in
formed the mine workers leaders of that
fact. The workmen fear the present fight
may mean the destruction of their organlza-
tion, because they believe the mine owners
are bent more on wrecking their union than
they are opposing the demands for
higher wages and shorter work days.
President Mitchell's advice to the miners
was for peace, and he gave It to them In
the plainest and most forceful language.
He was ably assisted by President Fahey
and Secretary Hartlein of the lower dis
trict and Secretary Dempster of the upper
territory. President Nichols OF the first
district was the great champion Of the
strike advocates
Listen TO No Restraint.
Mr.. Mitchell. who was the last to speak,
was listened to with the greatest attention
It is also said that a telegram was read
from the American Federation Of Labor
against a permanent suspension. But the
delegates would not listen and amid con-
siderable excitement the vote was taken.
For a time It looked as though the peace
advocates would win, but when delegati n
pfter delegation from the lower dis, let,
the last to be called answered yes" It
was seen that the men who favored a fight
had won.
The result was received by the conven-
tion with applause. which. however was
not very enthusiastic or prolonged The
men appreciated the seriousness OF their
decision. which no doubI dampened their
ardor.
The proposition to call out the engineers,
hremen and pump runners was separated
from the main question early In the dis
eussion, which began shortly after the con-
Ven'ion met this morning. There was an
almost equal division in this matter and the
esbate became so involved that it was de-
cided to consider the phase Of the question
separately.
Take Renewed Courage.
The men, having thrown down the
gauntlet to their employers, have taken re-
newed courage, and Il would not be sur
prising II the convention tomorrow decided
TO call out the other employees referred to.
The miners insist that nearly all the
engineers, hremen and pump runners be-
long to their organization and say they
can get them all to quit II they want to.
In the event that this is brought about II
would do incalculable damage to the mines
through flooding unless the companies can
succeed in nlling tho mems places.
While the people of the coal fields are
glad that the suspense and uncertainty
occasoned by the long delays in reaching a
conclusion OF the strike question are over
the news OF the conventions action has
caused considerable depression. Bushes.
has been paralyzed TO a certain extent and
II probably will come to almost a stand.
stlll.
Vast Crowds on Hand.
There was a great crowd OF miners II
Hazelton today. They came from all parti
Of the region and many OF them eongre.
gated in the vicinity Of the convention hall
They were gathered In large groups, eacf
nationality hocking by itself and awaiting
for some information from the inside. Be.
sides these there were present abou
twenty-five newspaper correspondents and
big contingent OF agents Of corporation
who were awaiting to fash every scrap o
Information TO the outside world.
IL was exactly a quarter TO o'clock whei
the vote to strike was completed and tn,
convention adjourned. The delegates. how
ever. were not allowed to leave the build
ing, President Mitchell announcing tha
they should remain in the hall until h
himself had announced the result to tn
waiting crowd. When he appeared at tn
front door there was a great rush az him
but he would not open MS mouth uatii al
the correspondents had been ASSEMBLIES
around him.
Mitchell shouts Result.
great cheer was given by the miner
when the national leader hnally shOute
the result and the Wild rush for telephone
and TELEGRAPH wires ensued. HaEietOn an
surrounding towns are tonight celebratin
the inauguration Of the permanent strik
BY giving parades-
The questions Of where the strike head
quarters viii be established has not bee
decided upon. but Wilkesharrs will. IN a
probability. BE- selected
President Mitchell was apparently in goo
8centinusd on ssoona Paee.l