Evening star., 1902-09-13
FIGHT To FINISH NOW
Harrisburg Strike Conference
Was a Failure.
GOV. STONES OFFER
The MEN TO GO EACK TO
WORK.
He to Call Special Session of the Leg
isIature to Pass krbitra-
ticn Law.
GOV. STONES OFFER
Special from S;aG Correspondent.

Special from a S;af Correspondent
HARRISBURG, Pa, September 13.-
Again the efforts to break the death c!inch
IN which the coal miners and the operators
are struggling have proven vain. Governor
Stones attempt was a failure. From after
midnight until nearly daybreak this morn
Ing the lights in the library of the gov
ernor's mansion burned while a group of
men sat around the center table discussing
a problem which Is Of vital interest TO
125.CoD workinG-nen and their families and
Of pecuuiary interest 10 every family on the
north Atlantic seab0ard.
II was a dramatic conference. worthy Of
the great contest between labor and capital
that is being fought to a finish.
There was the governor of the common
wealth Of Pennsylvania. tall. ponderous,
ripe in years and experience; John Mitchell,
president of the Mine Workers Union. a
slightly built. smOOth-shaven young man,
enthusiastic for his cause, but moving eau
tiOusiy in this game fearing a trip where
T. ms ylvania politicians concerned.
Surrounding Mitchell were District PreSi-
dents Fahey. Nichols and Duffy. in whose
districts the strike Is on Governor Stone
had with him Colonel Richardson of the
National Guard and State Senator Flynn.
Arrival of Mitchell.
Mitchell and his lieutenants had arrived
on a midnight train from Philadelphia,
where Mitchell had addressed earlier in the
evening a big mass meeting of laboring
men. At that meeting he had made an
announcement which was surprise and
which of itself would serve to put an end
to some of the methods proposed for end
ing the strike. He had rejected the sug-
EeStiOn of an extra session OF the Penn
sylvania legislature 10 pass compulsory
arbitration law. In his speech in PhliadeI-
phia last night ne said:
The governor of Pennsylvania cOntem-
plates special session Of the legislature to
enact a compulsory arbitration law. The
miners are willing 10 arhitrat@. but not Will
ing To- have compulsory arbitration law
enacted We are not selfish enough to
slave other workers in the hope of eScap-
ing from our own present trouble Thus
H. had brushed as.de the political plans for
bringing the great struggle to a close, and
had met the operators on their proposition
that this is a fight to the end II was in
that frame Of mind that Mitchell entered
the conference. II was known before hand
that Governor Stone would urge him to en-
deavor to get the men back to the mines
and Try to settle their differences with the
operators later. This was the advice the
governor was prepared to give as a result
Of his recent trip to New York.
Every Phase Discussed.
Every phase Of the strike was gone over
in the three hours that the conference sat
ABOUT the governor : IlbEdFE taDIe just as
the day was breaking the little party of
visitors. heavy eyed and pale faced, march
ed out of the mansion and wended their
way to the depot to take a train back to
the Caal fields. To an anxious country that
had been led 10 expect much from that
conference the governor shortly after is
sued this statement:
tIessrs. Mitchell. Nichols. Fahey. Duffy.
: r1tor Flynn. Col. Richardson and Cover
ny Stone have been in conference. All the
differences have been discussed with the
b,st OF feeling.