The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-22

anu III reply lie Sdtus
 T am we'll pleased with the action of the anthracite mine workers in deciding to submit the issues which eliminated in the strike to the commission selected by the President of the United States
 The strike itself has demonstrated the power and dignity of labor Conser- vative, intelligent trade unionism has re- ceived an impetus the effect of which cannot be measured. l earnestly hope and firmly believe that both labor and capital have learned lessons from the miners strike which will enable them to adopt peaceful, humane and business methods of adjusting wage differences in the future
 SENDS OUT ANNOUNCEMENT.
 After MT. Mitchell had notified Presi- dent Roosevelt of the action of the convention and had received a reply to the effect that the commission would meet in Washington on Friday, he sent out, the official announcement through the press to the strikers that the strike was off. It was addressed to all miners and mine workers in the anthracite re- zion, and was as follows;
 You are hereby officially notified that 1t was unanimously decided today by the delegates attending the special conven- ton that all mine workers should report for work Thursday morning, October 2S, and that the issues which eliminated in the strike should be referred for adjust ment to the commission appointed by the President of the United States.
 We are authorized by the executive officers of districts l, and to caution all those who resume work to exercise more than usual care in order that acei- dents to life and limb may be averted. Owing to the condition of the mines after an idleness of five months there will be great danger when work is resumed we are prompted to offer this advice by the fact at the close of the strike two years ago many more accidents and deaths occurred than take place when the mines are operating regularly.
 JOHN MITCHELL,
 "President United Mine Workers of
 America.
 'sW. B. WILSON,
 "Secretary and Treasurer"
 President Mitchell has not made any arrangements regarding his future move ments. He does not know whether he Will go to Washington on Friday
 The miners leader will act as the attor- ney for the men at all sessions Of the commission, and will have with him sev- eral assistants. Headquarters here will be kept open probably until after the award of the arbitration Commission is announced.
 WILSON'S SPEECH.
 Secretary Wilson's speech voicing the sentiments of President Mitchell was made after the committee on resolutions had reported. In his address MT. Wilson said in part:
 Ut seems to me rather peculiar for any of the delegates in this convention to ob- ject to the settlement, after they have gone through struggle of five months, and have secured as a result of that struggle the acceptance of the terms that they laid down when the strike began. When the employers refused to accept the proposition made by the miners, the min CTS said:
 We will submit the entire question to arbitration, and abide by the decision Of the arbitrators.'
 During the time the struggle was on the employers said, We will not concede anything; we will not arbitrate and the miners cannot return to work until there is an unconditional surrender
 Within the past two weeks the op- orators have entirely changed their posi- tion upon that point and they now say they are willing to submit unIs matter to arbitration.
 Now, then, the question raised is In anticipation of the dismissal of some of the men. You have not returned to work y are going to be dismissed from the posi- ton you occupied before the strike but you are anticipating. you have already secured a proposition by which the ques- ton of dismissal of those men, if they are dismissed. will be submitted to arbi- tration, and the operators have agreed to abide by the decision of the arbitration We can just as well afford to meet them on that ground now as we could have af- forded to meet them on that ground four months ago. In fact, we can afford to meet them on that ground now a great deal better than we could then
 FOLEY TO TAKE CHANGES.
 '1n view of the fact that even if some of the men are left out, and in view of the additional asurance given by the president of the United Mine Workers of America yesterday that if any man were left out of employment the United Mine Workers of America would take care of them until employment was found for them, l believe 1t would be folly to risk the chances that you now have, or risk the chance of ultimate defeat rather than to accept the complete victory that Is now before you. Some of you say we should not accept this proposition now. Would 1t not be well to ask if you do not accept this proposition what will you substitute for 1t? What will you put in its place? What has made your strug- gle the complete success it has been up to the present time? It is the fact that 1t has been so handled as to command the admiration, the respect and the con- fidence of the entire American people. If then you turn down proposition made in good faith by the President of the United States looking to settlement of the difficulties now existing you ex- pect to retain that confidence, that ad- miration and that respect of American people that you have had in the past? You should accept it because 1t is the proposition that you yourselves made when the struggle began. You have won that which you were contending for. Now the proper course to pursue is to accept your own proposition made when the strike began"
 MITCHELL PUT QUESTION.
 President Mitchell in putting the ques- ton of the adoption of the committees report had this to say:
 "Now gentlemen, the chair is going to ask to be permitted to speak without be- ing in order It Is quite apparent to every one here what the action Is going to be- I do not think any one here has any doubt now as to the way this con vention will vote. If it were otherwise possible 1t might not be quite in place for me to speak to you just before you vote, but I want to remind you of this: