Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-10-09

! so appalling, that it seems to me that
. you are not only justified in sinking,
! but required to sink for the time be-
1 ing any tenacity as TO your respective
/ claims in the matter at issue between
! you. In my judgment the situation
| imperatively requires that you meet
upon the common plane of the neccs-
sities of the public. With all the
calnestncSs there is in me | ask that
there be an immediate resumption of
/ operations in the coal mines, in some
such way as will without days un.
necessary delay meet the crying needs
of the people.
II do not invite a discussion Of your
respective claims and positions. ] APP
peal 10 your patriotism, To the spirit
that sinks personal considerations
and makes individual sacrifices for
the general good"
Upon the completion of the presi-
dents remarks, Mr. Mitchell said:
Mr.. President / am much pleased
with what you say. | am much inn
pressed with the gravity of the situa-
ton. We feel that we are not respon-
sible for this terrible state Of affairs.
We are willing to meet the gentlemen
representing the coal operators to try
to adjust our differences among our
selves. If we cannot adjust them that
way, we are willing that YOU shall
name tribunal who shall determine
the issues that have resulted in the
strike, and if the gentlemen repre-
sentng the operators will accept the
award of such a tribunal. the miners
will willingly accept it, even if it is
against their claims"
The Presidents: Before consider
ing what ought to be done | think
it only just to both of you-both
sides-and desirable from my stand
point, that you should have time to
consider what ! have stated as to the
reasons for my getting you together,
and shall trespass so far upon your
good nature as to ask that this inter
view cease now and that you come
back at o'clock. / should like you
to think over what | have stated, not
to decide now, but to give it careful
thought and return at o'clock
The conference then adjourned un-
til o'clock. Upon reassembling Mr..
Baer spoke as follows:
'7Mr. President, do we understand
you correctly that we will be expect
ed to answer the proposition submit
TED by Nj. HI;tol.o1l +l.i, r,>o,'ninr9,
The President: at will be pleas
ure to me to hear any answer that
you are willing to make"
Mr.. Baer: II have prepared an an
swer." lie then read the statements
of the representatives of the opera
tors.
The president asked Mr.. Mitchell if
he had anything further to say.
Mr.. Mitchell said: The charge
made by the gentlemen that 20 muir
ders have been committed in the an
thracito coal regions during the pres
ent strike is untrue. If they will name
the men. and will show that they have
committed rhe murders. | will resign
my position. That is a fair PROPOSE
tion. Mr.. President, that is a fair
example of how our organization and
our people are malgned. The truth
of the matter is. as far as | know,
there have been seven deaths. No one
regrets them more thar | do. Three
of them were committed by the coal
and iron police and no one else has
been charged with them. God knows
the miners do not escape being
charged with everything done there.
They speak about burning build
ings. there was a reward offered for
burnings. | can bring atfidavits Of a
hundred people if necessary that
lightning caused one burning that
they charged to the United Mine
Workers. Mr.. President. | have adj
mitted on more than one occasion
that there has been some lawlessness,
but I will say that a large portion of
such lawlessness has been provoked
by criminals who have been brought
into the anthracite regions to recruit
the coal and iron police. ] feel very
keculy the attacks made upon me and
my people, but came here with the
intention of doing nothing and saying
nothing that would affect reconcilia-
ton"
The president then asked the repre-
sentatiyes of the anthracite com
panies whether they would accept Mr..
Mitchell's proposition. They am
swered; NO" In response to a fur
thcr question from the president they
stated that they would have no deal
ingS whatever with Mr.. Mitchell look
ing toward settlement of the ques-
ton at issue, and that they had no
other proposition to make, save what
was contained in the statement of Mr..
Bacr, whicn was that if any man chose
to resume work and had difficulty
with his employer, both should leave
the settlement of the question to the
Judge Of the court of common pleas
for the district in which the mine
was located.