The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-10-04

morning we the accredited representa- tives of the anthracite coal mine work
 CTS, were much impressed with the
 views you expressed and the dangers
 to the welfare of our country from prOlOngation of the coal strike that you
 so clearly pointed out. Conscious of the responsibility resting upon you,
 conscious of our duty to society, con-
 scious of our obligations to the one
 hundred and fifty thousand mine work
 CTS whom we have the honor to repre-
 sent, we have. after most careful con- sideration, and with the hope of reliev- ing the situation and averting the suf-
 ferings and hardship which would in evitably follow in the wake of a coal famine, decided to propose a resump- tion of coal mining upon the lines here matter suggested.
 Before doing so, MT. President, we de- sire to say that we are not prompted to
 suggest this course because of any doubts of the justice of our claims. In deferring to your wishes We are prompted by no fear on our part of our ability to continue the contest to a sue
 cessful issue. Thanks to the generous assistance rendered us by our fellow worltmen in this and other lands, thanks to justice-loving people whose Sympathies are always on the side of right, we are able to continue the strug- gle indefinitely. But, confident of our ability to demonstrate to any impartial l tribunal the equity of our demands for higher wages and improved environ I1n tec1 minating in this strike shall be refer red to you and a tribunal of your own i selecton, and agree to accept your award upon all or any of the questions 1 involved. If you will accept this res- possibility, and the representatives of l the coal operators will signify their willingness to have your decision in- corporated in an agreement for not less than one year or more than five years,
 as may be mutually determined between | themselves and the arthricite coal
 mine workers and will pay the scale of wages which you and the tribunal ap- pointed by you, shall award, we will l immediately call convention and re- commend resumption of work, upon the understanding that the wages | which shall be paid, are to go into ef- | feet the day on which work is resumed. Very respectfully yours,
 John Mitchell. President U. M. W. of A. John Fahy.
 Thomas Duffy. D. D. Nichols.
 District presidents, U. M. w of A.
 Statement of NIT. Thomas, President of Erie Roats.
 | Washington. Oct. 3.--No one can more
 fully realize the gravity of the situa- tion or the grave responsibilities resting upon them than the men who for
 months have been seeking to protect the 1 property under their charge as well as the lives of loyal employees from the l attacks of misguided men melted by l people foreign to the state and to the 1 industry we are seeking to defend We are doing all in our power and with in-
 creasing success to mine coal MT. 1 Mitchell and his leutenants are doing 1 all in their power to prevent it. We i ask that such efforts cease or. failing, 1 that the state of Pennsylvania and if l she is unable, the powers of the United 1 States shall be exerted to afford full
 protection to employees not only while at ] work but to and from their homes, as well as to their families; and that the 1 reign of terror riots, intimidation and i murder which for months has prevailed l in the anthracite region shall cease. A ] Ae Jri InI sx, l jured and with constant and increasing i destruction of dwellings, works, ma chinery and railroad by mob violence, | with no proper enforcement of the law
 or order by the proper officials is not
 the time to act on MT. Mitchell's sug- 1 gestton of this morning to arbitrate with men not in our employ. There are
 over 1000 loyal employees at work in and around the anthracite mines and
 since this conference has been called
 threats are current in that region that such men will neither be permitted to
 work or live in that country.
 | We are contendng for the right of
 the American citizens to work without regard to creed nationality or associa
 tion. To seek to prevent this is crime 1 and we cannot by implication sanction
 such a course. We ask the enforcement
 of law and order in the state, that we be permitted to deal with our employees
 free from foreign interference, convinc- ed that under such conditions we can | fully perform our full duty to the pub 1 lie, our owners and to our employees.
 fully concur in the suggestion of MT. | Bacr which can be pursued in case of
 failure to agree with our employees, but
 in many years of such dealing it has
 never yet been requisite to call in as
 sistance to fairly and satisfactorily deal with our own men.
 Statement of John nEnrlkIe, thc Intic- pendent Operator.
 I have listened with deep interest | to the remarks you made before us a few minutes after Il o'clock this morn l ing and do thoroughly appreciate the i seriousness of the situation in the ar
 thracite coal fields of Pennsylvania. l As you disclaim any right or duty to in-
 tervene in your official capacity but
 are using your personal influence, and as you admit, this matter is beyond the merits of the issue between the coal
 presidents and operators on one side and the miners on the other, and you
 exures the fact that the Situation has become literally intolerable," and as