Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-10-06

ITO the President OF the United States:
We understand your anxiety as forcibly
expressed in the statement you read to
US this morning TO bring about an i'm
mediate resumption of operations in the
coal mines IN some such way as will.
without a days unnecessary delay, meet
the crying needs of the people We infer
that you desired us to consider the offer
of Mr.. Mitchell verbally made this morn
ing, expressing and speaking for the Unit
ed Mine Workers, to go back to work, If
you would appoint a commission to de-
termine the questions al ISSUE
"You distinctly say that you do not
invite a discussion of your respective
claims and positions But we assume a
statement of what is going on in the
coal regions will not be irrelevent. We
represent the owners OF coal mines in
Pennsylvania There are from fifteen to
twenty thousand men at work. mining and
preparing coal They are abused, assault
ed injured and maltreated by the United
Mine Workers. They can work only un-
der the protection or armed guards.
Thousands of other workmen are deferred
from working by the intimidation, vio-
lence and crimes inaugurated by the Unit
ed Mine Workers, over whom John Mitch
ell, whom you invited to meet you, is
chief
ct need not picture the daily crimes COM
mitted by the members of this organiza-
ton The domestic tranquility which
every constitution declares is the chief
object of government does not exist In
the coal regions. There is a terrible reign
of lawlessness and crime there. Only the
lives and property of the members of the
secret, oath-bound order. which declared
that the locals should have full power to
suspend operations at colleries until the
non-union men joined their order, are
safe. Every effort is made to prevent the
mining of coal, and when mined MitchelFs
men dynamite bridges and tracks, mob
trainmen and by all major violence try
to prevent its shipment to relieve the
public. ~
THE constitution of Pennsylvania
guarantees protection to life and proper
ty. In express terms 1t declares the right
of acquiring possessing and defending
property to be inalienable.'
when riot and anarchy too great to be
appeased by the civil power occur, the
governor of Pennsylvania Is bound to call
out the state troops to suppress 1t. He
must fearlessly use the whole power of
the state to protect life and properly, and
to establish peace-not an armed truce.
but the peace of the law, which protects
every man at work, and going to and from
work He has sent troops to the coal re-
gions. Gradually the power of the law Is
asserting itself Unless encouraged by
false hopes order win soon be restored.
and then we can mine coal to meet the
public wants If the power of Pennsyl-
vanla is insufficient to reestablish the
reign of law, the constitution of the Unit
ed states requires the president. when re-
ouested BY the Legislature and governor,
to suppress domestic violence. You see
there is a lawful way to secure coal Tor
the public
.aThe duty of the hour is not to waste
time .negotiating with the fomenters OF
this anarchy and insolent defiance or
law, to do as was done In the war Oh
rebellion-restore the majesty of law
the only guardian of a free people, and to
res-estabIish order and peace at any cost
Government . Failure.
1.-THE government is a contemplate fall
ure If II can protect the lives and property
and secure the comfort of the people oy
only compromising with violators OF law
and the ipstigators Of violence ana crime.
Just now it is more important 10 teach
ignorant men dwelling among US. misled
and used as tools by citizens of other
states. that at whatever cost and incon-
venience to the public, Pennsylvania VIII
use the whole power of government to pro-
tect not only the man who wants TO work.
but his wife and children while he is at
work, and to punish every man VINO, py
instigation or by overt acts, attempts 70
deprive any man of his liberty to work.
'Under these conditions, we decline to
accept Mr. Mitchelis constderate orer 10
let our men work on terms he names.
.ie has no right to come from Illinois
to dictate terms on the acceptance of
which anarchy and crime shall cease In
Pennsylvania. He must stop his people
from killing manning and abusing Penn
svlvania citizens. and from destroying
property. He must stop it., because 1t is
unlawful and not because of any bargain
with US.
1--WE will add TO our offer to continue
the wages existing at the time of the
strike and TO take up at each colliery and
adjust any grievance this further condi-
ton: If the employers and employees at
any particular colliery cannot reach a
satisfactory adjustment of any alleged
grievance. it shall be referred to the
Judges of the court in common pleas Of
the district in which the colliery is situ-
ated for final determination.
GEORGE F. BAER,
president Philadelphia and Reading Coal
and Iron Co., Lehigh and Wilkesbarre
Coal and Iron Co. and Temple Iron Co.
John Markle, the Independent coal mine
OneTATOT.
statement at the opening of the confer
ence. and said he fully Endorsed the re-
marks therein.
II now ask YOU" said Mr.. Markle Ito
perform the duties vested in you as the
president of the United States-to at once
quelch the anarchistic condition OF az
fairs existing in the anthracite coal re-
gions by the strong arm Of the militia at
your command"
He then proceeded to enumerate list
of acts of lawlessness which he said had
occurred in the anthracite fields, and
continued:
you are asking us to deal with set
of outlaws. l can hardly conceive OF
such a thought. The respectable citizens
of these United States will insist upon
the officers in power giving to the citi-
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