The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-10-08
1T WAS \ FAILJRE
Such Was the Effort of President
Roosevelt to
SETTLE THE. COAL STRIKE.
The Striking Miners Appeal for Ar
bitration, but the Coal Bar
onS Will Not Agree
TO Anything.

10 Anything
The conference between the presi-
dent, the coal barons and the coal
strikers commenced at II o'clock Fri
day. The operators and representa-
tiveS of the miners were presented to
the president. The president at the
outset expressed his hearty thanks for
their attendance and stated that ow-
ing to his peculiar relations to the
situation. be felt that he should make
to them very careful statement Of
his position and Of his intentions in
asking them to meet.
The presidents statement follows:
AN APPEAL TO PATRIOTISM.
At the beginning OF the conference.
President Roosevelt said: Il 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. speak for neither the opera
tors nor the miners, but for the gen.
eral public. The questions at issue
which led to the situation effect i'm
mediately the parties concerned, the
operators and the miners: but the Sit
uation itself vitally effects the public.
AS long as there seemed to be rea-
sonable hope that these matters could
be adjusted between the parties it did
not seem proper to me to intervene in
any way.
Il diSclaim any right or duty to in
tervene in this way upon legal grounds
or upon any official relation that l
bear to the situation: but the urgency
and the terrible nature Of the catas-
trophe impending over large portion
of our people N the shape OF d winter
fuel famine impel ME after much anX-
ious thought to believe that my duty
requires me to use whatever influence
I personally can to bring to an end
situation which has become literally
intolerable. l wish to emphasize the
character Of the situation and to say
that its gravity is such that am sus-
tanned urgently to insist that each
one Of you realize the heavy burden Of
responsibility upon him.
we are upon the threshold of win
ter with an already existing coal fam
inc the future terrOrS Of which we can
hardly yet appreciate. The evil poSS.-
bilities are so far reaching. so appall-
ing, that it seems to ME that you are
not only justified in sinking but reQulr-
ed to sink for the time being any tenac-
Ity as to your respective claims IN the
matter at issue between you. In my
Judgment the situation imperatively
requires that you meet upon the com
mon plane Of the necessities OF the
public. With all the earnestneSS there
in me, ask that there be an imme-
diate 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.
I do not invite discussion Of your
respective claims and positions. l ap-
peal to your patriotism, to the spirit
that sinks personal considerations and
makes individual sacrifices for the
general good"
UNION NOT RESPONlBLE.
Upon the completion of the preSi-
dents remarks Mr.. Mitchell made
statement as follows:
Mr.. President, I am much i'm
pressed with what you say. I am
much impressed with the gravity Of
the situation. We feel that we are
not responsible for this terrible state
Of affairs. We are willing to meet the
gentlemen representing the coal oper-
atorS to try to adjust our differences
among ourselves. If We cannot adjust
them that way, Mr.. President, we are
willing that you shall name tribunal
who shall determine the issues that
have resulted in the strike, and if the
gentlemen representing the operators
will accept the award or decision of
such a tribunal, the miners will will
ingly accept it, even if it is against
their claims"
The President: Before consider
ing what ought to be done l think it
only jaSt to both Of you-both sides
and desirable from my standpoint,
that you should have time to consider
what I have stated as to the reasons
for my getting you together, and l
shall tlespaSS so far upon your good
nature as to ask that this interview
cease now and that you come back at
o'clock. l should like you to think
over what l have stated, not to decide
now, but give it careful thought and
return at 5 o'clock
The conference then adjourned un-
til 3 o'clock.
Upon reasSembling, Mr.. Baer spoke
as follows:
Mr. President, do we understand
YOU correctly that we will be expected
to answer the proposition submitted
BY Mr.. Mitchell this morning."
The president: 1t will be pleas
ure to me to hear any answer that
you are willing to make"
Mr.. Baer: L have prepared an
answer
The president then asked Mr.. Nit
chell if he had anything further to
say.
ASKED TO SPECIFY.
Mr.. Mitchell said:
The charge made by the gentle
men that 20 murders have been COM
mitted in the anthracite coal regions
during the present strike is untrue.
II they will name the men, and will
show that they have committed the
murders. | will resign my position.
That is fair proposition. Mr.. Presl-
dent. that is d fair example Of how
our organization and Our people are
maligned. The truth Of the matter
is. as far as l know. there have been
seven deaths unfortunately. No one
regrets them more than | do. Three