Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1902-10-08
COAL CONFERENCE FAILS
President Asks in Vain For Resump-
ton OF Mining.
PROPOSITION OF THE MINERS

The Plea OF the presidrrnt--Iho Outlook
t----
Washington. d. C.-The coal strike
conference in President RoOsevelt's
sick -oom in the temporary White
House resulted IN .otal failure. ana the
two parties are. TO judge by their man
ner and words, further apart than ever.
The miners offered to PIT their men
back at work Immediately, provided
the operators would agree to leave tn"
issues to President Roosevelt 10 decide
and agreed to abide 10y his decision or
by the decision of a tribunal 10 he ap-
pointed by him. The operators rejcc,
ed this proposition utterly. and would
consent TO nothing that involved any
recognition of the Miners Union. They
offered to make concessions. but in
sisted on leaving each employer free 10
deal with his own men.
The representatives or the miners
claimed that The main question WAS
the public need for fuel, and Mr.. Mich
ell argued that acceptance of his Dropo-
Sition would relieve the public distress
He maintained that whatever might be
the merits OF the strike. the question
of the peoples need for coal would he
instantly settled. and h. laid stress OH
the fact that he did not propose To keep
the men on strike until the Presidents
award was made known, bat MAS Will
Ing and anxious TO put them to work
nj once and let them keep on mining
coal until Mr.. Roos2velt's decision or
that OF his tribunal was made. The
operators insisted that to allow any
such settlement OF the case would he
10 surrender all that they were fighting
for.
Some of the operators suggested that.
instead of dealing with Mitchell. the
President should send Federal troops
at once to Pennsylvania Mr.. Baer
was the first speaker. and he limited at
this. Mr.. Thomas gave u stronger sug-
Efstion, ami Mr.. Markl. made it
stronger. He openly demanded In so
many words that the President put
the Federal troops in the field" The
same idea was carried ont hy the 9th.
erS.
Mr.. Wilcox went so far AS to recall
the action of President Cleveland III
1891. and to say 10 Mr.. Roosevelt: III
the National Government would II. ;,
enforce the law with equal promptness
the strike would end newt Venk."
The conference was div ided into two
began ut II o'clock was short ana for
NAL. Mr.. RooseN cit made his suoech
or appeal. urging both parties to settle
lhelr differences on the ground OF pa
triotlsm and pointing out the public
need. Mr.. Mitchell then made his offer
10 leave the question to the President
and put the men to work. The opern =
tors. Mr.. Mitchell says, rejected the
proposition on the spot All this was
by word OF mouth. and it was agreed
that what each side had TO say should
be put in writing and submitted at the
afternoon conference. The morning
meeting did not last twenty minutes.
PRESIDENT Roosevelt greeted the rem
resentatives of the miners with the
same marked cordiality that ne showed
10 the operators. Mr.. Baer and his
friends and Mr.. Mitchell and bis COM
rades bowed politely to each other.
The conference started off with good
feeiing. AT lilo it had come to n
close. and the two partles TO the meet
ing as guests OF the President came
down stairs and went away. The Pres
luent mad read to them the address
which set forth his reasons for calling
them together. The Presidents state
ment follows:
Il wish TO call your attention TO the
fact that there are three parties ,f-
fected by the situation In the anthra
cite trade: The operators. the miners
ana the general public. speak for
neither the operators nor the miners.
but for the general public The oues-
lions at issue which led to the situation
anect Immediately the parties con
cerned-the operators and the miners.
nut the situation itself vitally affects
the public
AS long as there seemed TO be n rea
sonablc hope that these matters could
ne adjusted between the parties II did
not seem proper to me TO intervene I'm
any way L disclaim any right or duty
10 intervene in this way upon legal
grounds or upon any official relation
that bear to the situation. but the ur.
gency and the terrible nature OF the GA
tastrophe impending over Il large Dor.
ton OF our people in the shape of n
winter fuel famine impel me, after
much anxious thought. to believe that
my duty requires me to use whatever
influence | personally can to bring ia
an end situation which has become
literally intolerable.
wish to emphasize the character
OF the situation and To say that Its
gravity Is such that / am constrained
urgently to insist that each one OF Won
realize the heavy burden of responsi.
niiity upon him. We are upon the
threshold of winter with an already
eNIstlng coal famine. the future terrots
on winch we can hardly vet appreciate.
me evil possibilities are so far-reach-
ing. so appalling. that 1t seems to me
that you are not only justified in sink.
ing. nut required to sink, for the time
Deihg any tenacity as to your respec.
i've Claims In the matter at issue be-
tween you.