The daily Republican., 1902-10-04
Ope rators Refuse to Act Oh
Suggestion of Presi-
Gent Roosevelt.
MITCHELL WILLARBITRATE
But Coal Road Will Not Re-
cognize the Miners Union<~
.-. Or Its Leader.
COUNTRY IS PROVOKED.
Effort Will Be Continued to
Bring About Settlement
of the Trouble.

.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4.-The grea
eoal conference between the presiden
= and representatives of the operator
and the miners came to an end at tn
temporary White House. facing Lufa
yctte sqilare, at i:5J o'clock in the aft
beinhon, with Il, failure to reach III
agreement. Apparently the rock upon
which the conference split was rccognj
tion Of the miners union. The presi
dent had urged the contrnd!ng parties
to cease strife in the interests of the
public welfare, the miners through The
president of their unlon had expressed
Willingness to submit differences to
arbitration of Il tribunal to be named
by the president and to enter into an
agreement to abide by terms flied by
the arbitration for IL period of from
one to five years and the employers.
Through the presidents Of the railroad
and coal cOmpaIiC., and the leading in
Uuependent mine operator. had squarcly
refused arbitration, had denounced the
miners labor organization as laWlcSs
and anarchistic body. with which they
could and would have no dealings, had
demanded federal troops to insure com
plet/protcction to workers and their
families in the mining region and court
proceedings againct the miners union
md had offered if the men returned to
work to submit grievances ut individ-
ual colleries to the decision of the
1 Judges Of the court Of common pleas
Tor the district Of Pennsylvania in
which the collery was located. There
the matter closed.
1t was remarkable chapter in the
economic history of the country that
was written. For the first time the
president of the republic had inter
Sened directly between the great forces
of capital and labor in an effort to
avert what he himself regarded as
great national calamity. The result was
to bring the principals in the great
controversy face to face, with the
whole country eagerly intent and
Watchful of their doings.
Technically the ISSUES between the
two great forces stand as they did be-
fore the president summoned the rep
i Aresentatives Of the contending forces
. the national capital and. forgetting
own acute suffering, besought them
love of the great country wherein
dwelt and out of pity for the
htless throngs Of suffering poor to
adjust their differences and work to-
gether in peace for the common veal.
What If anything will result from the
conference is for the indefinite future.
The views Of the contenders in the
great industrial struggle were so eX-
IRENE and wide apart that there was
no middle ground possible and so the
conference came to an end without any
agreement for Its continuation. The
conference had lasted six hours, in
clIding recess of three hours be-
tween the M. G and afternoon ses.
Bions taken to enable the miners and
operators to prepare written responses
~ 'ht PiSsiutht . appeal.
- The immediate parties to the strike
say they will continue as heretofore.
What course the administration will
FAKE next no one is prepared to say.
At the temporary White House the
following official statement was given
put concerning the coal conference:
The conference opened at II o'clock.
The operators and representatives of
The miners were presented to the presi-
nent. Those In attendance We're:
George L. Baer, president of the Read
Ing -railway; w. II. Truesdale, presi.
dent Of the Delaw Lackawanna
md Western; e. B. Thomas, chairman
of the board Of the Erie Railroad com
- Thomas P. Fowler, president Of
Few York, Ontario and Western :
g az; David Wilcox, vice president
general counsel of the Delaware
HUDSON company; John Markle,
ssesenting tho independent opera
MssyShn Mitchell, president of the
falte0 Mine Workers of America: .,
ne91ng d. Nichols, Thomas Duffy ..
ilSJohn Fahy. district presidents of =
ne United Mine Workers of America;
Attorney General Knox. Secretary
Jortelyou and Carroll d. Wright, COM :.
missioner of labor.
The president at the outset expressed
lis hearty thanks for their attendance n
ind stated that, owing to lis peculiar .
citations to the situation, he felt that
lie should make to them very careful
statement Of his position and Of lis
Intentions in asking them to meet. =
APPEAL BY THE PRESIDENT. :,
The president, fully realizing the i'm ~
'ortance of the communication that he =,
vas to make. had prepared carefully :, u
vorded paper setting forth In detail :, ~
lis position OH the pending controver- a,
y. The president said: =,
"F wish to call your attention to the -, -,
act that there are three parties affect -, ",
d by the situation in the anthra cite n
radcliffe operators. the miners and -. ~
he general public. speak for neither =, ~