The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-19
OF STRIKE CASE
RUDE TREATMENT OF PRESIDENT
BY OPERATORS AND MITCHELL.
between Them They Have Caused
Dignity of Presidential Office
to Suffer.
New York Christian Advocate.

The art or saying IN the least offensive
way a disagreeable thing that must be
said is not understood by the operators.
They really made a liberal proposition.
but they preceded it by long-drawn-out
and irritating statements. Suppose when
they appeared before the President they
had said something like this:
Mr.. President, we regret this situation
as much as anyone can, and are ready to
do everything in our power to ameliorate 1t.
1--WE do not object to the principle of
arbitration when disputes arise between
our employees and ourselves concerning
wages, hours and conditions under which
work is to be done, but we cannot-con-
sistently with our own views, or con-
scfentiously in the relations which we sus-
tain to the multitude of stockholders whom
we represent-confer in the first instance
with any but those whom we employ.
I'VE respectfully represent to you that
the union miners are not all who are affect
ed by the strike, but there are a large
number of ~nonunion miners willing and
anxious to work who are prevented from
so doing by open violence and secret in
timidation. We are confident that If the
authorities of the State OF Pennsylvania
had preserved order in the mining dis
fOHS DGIOTe MS many u II
strikers, the majority of whom did not
sympathiZe with the strike, would have
returned to work. All that we ask Is that
order be maintained. Nevertheless, as an
evidence of our good faith and as an olive
branch. we assure you, Mr.. President. If
! our men return to work, that
IF the employers and employees at any
particular colliery cannot reach a Satlsfac-
tory adjustment of any alleged grievances,
IT shall be referred to the judges of the
Court of Common Pleas of the district in
which the P0lliprN iG cif1afoA for final do
termination.
"GSignedl GEORGE f. BAER.
And agreed to by the other operators"
If they had added, as they might have
done with truth, that in Pennsylvania the
judges of Common Pleas are usually very
able lawyers, and in the mining districts
are thoroughly acquainted with mining and
the difficulties arising between operators
and miners. and that those courts in Penn
sylvania rank with Supreme Courts in
many other States, their case would have
been complete, and ii is reasonable to think
that a large amount of public sympathy
which went elsewhere would have flowed TO
them.
The operators have been justly criticised
for their manner toward the President in
the interview which he solicited, but what
shall be said of the style of Mr.. Mitchell's
| response?
Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, President of the
United States, Washington, D.. c.
Dear Sir-Hon. Carroll d. Wright has.
no doubt, reported to you the delivery of
your message to me last Monday and my
statement to him that / should take your
suggestion under Amusement, although |
did not look upon it with favor.
since that time / have consulted with
our district presidents, who concur fully in
my views.
1--WE desire to assure you again that we
feel keenly the responsibility of our posi-
ton and the gravity Of the situation. and
1t would give US great pleasure to take
any action which would bring this coal
strike TO an end in a manner that would
safeguard the interests of our constituents.
I'm proposing that there be an immediate
resumption or c0al mining upon the c0ndl-
ton we suggested in the conference at the
White House we believe that we had gone
more than half way and had met your
wishes.
1T is unnecessary in this letter to refer
to the malicious assault made upon us in
the response of the coal operators. We
feel confident that you must have been i'm
pressed with the fairness of our PROPOSE
ton and the insincerity of those who ma
ligned u.s."
spondence with one of the minor kings in
Europe nave been more brusque than to
say, 1 received your note and told your
messenger that II should take your sugges-
ton under a~dvisement. although l did not
look upon it with favor?" Twice else
where he gives the President to understand
that he had gone as far as he would. in
the expressions, 1--WE respectfully decline
to advise our people to return TO work."
ETC., and w went more than half way.
We met your wishes and
w lOI lttl mat VIZ ClOnad U6 dShGd "
make further sacrifice"
The lesson for all negotiators in church
or state, and for all parents. teachers and
employers, for presidents of colleges and
ministers of the gospel, is TO utter disagree
able truths which must be spoken, in the
least offensive way compatible with "a
the genuine conviction or the answering
intention of the speaker.
PRESIDENTS SECOND REPULSE.
Theodore Roosevelt, with the most hu-
name and disinterested motives, exerted
all his moral and personal influence to end
the strike. For that we honor the man,
though questioning the wisdom, in this
particular, of the chief magistrate of the
United States.
Every interest of the country Is or may
be involved in this situation before it has
spent it's force. Though there are other
matters pressing for treatment more di-
rectly related TO the work of the church,
yet as the chuch comprises more employees
in every department than any other Prot
estant body in the United States, and
probably as many employers as any other:
we cannot shake off the responsibility of
contributing as much light as may be
within our power TO the discussion.
Since the operators refused TO accept the
proposition of Mr.. Mitchell to recognize the
union by consenting to arbitrate its differ
ences with mat body, and it became appar-
ent that they We're men of sufficient de-
CISlOu u hldihldln III POSITION WHICH lney
had held from the beginning, the Presi-
dent saw that Ii was useless for him to ap-
peal to them further.
But having entered into the conflict-not
as the chief magistrate of the United
States. but as the person filling that office.
having peculiar relations to the people and
having received particular marks of their
regard and confdence-the same humane
motives which melted him TO begin the eff
fort to end the strike naturally prompted
him to go further. Besides those motives
which melted him and the increasing strin-