Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-11
The People and the Mines.

Until a few days ago the general public
regarded the coal situation as the result
of the stubborn obstinacy of two contend
ing factors. the strikers and the operators.
Its sympathies for one side or the other
were rapidly waning as its own necessities
and perils increased. 1t finally reached the
point at which it called both sides hard
names. Then came the conference at the
White House, at which the operators pre-
scented not only stubborn but insolent
front. The strikers representative, on the
other hand, while insisting upon what
would practically be recognition of the
union, offered to submit the whole case to
President Roosevelt and a commission of
his choosing.
Since then Mr.. Mitchell has strengthened
himself before the public still more. He
has made two distinct offers of settlement.
first that the general issues between the
miners and operators be waived for the
present. and that the men resume work If
given an increase of ten per cent in wages.
This has been rejected Mr.. Mitchell next
proposed that the whole matter be submit
ted to J. Pierpont Morgan for arbitration.
Apparently this has not been seriously con-
sidered.- Meanwhile the operators have
been approa ched by leading politicians and
lie necessities. The mine owners turned
deaf ear to all entreaties and laughed at all
threats, of unfavorabe legislation. They
practically replied. with Varderbiltian in
science, The public be damned"
Thus the case stands today with one side
rejecting every reasonable proposition for
settlement, demanding the absolute sur
render of the miners, and consigning the in
nOcent Duhlic the chief in
case, to hotter place than can be con-
ceiyed at this season of coal shortage
Contrasting this attitude with that Of the
strikers the public, despite it's sufrerings of
mind and body, is strongly inclined at this
juncture to sympathize with the latter.
But the imperative demand of the day is
not based upon sympathy for one side or
the other. but upon the absolute need of the
people. They must have coal. The coal
is to be had if the mines are worked. One
set of men refuse to work them under the
terms offered by their operators. The laws
have given those men practically a monop-
oily of the skilled labor market Thus the
laws impose responsibility upon the OPP
orators to recognize those men whom the
state has certified. The men ask to be
dealt with in a body. They are apparently
masters of the situation, and their mastery
has the sanction of the state statutes They
have offered plan after plan for immedi-
ately resuming the work and their proffers
have been rejected contemptuously.
The operators have troops all around
them. They are amply guarded, as far as
facts at present show, yet they cannot break
the strike. They must yield from their de-
termination not to grant even indirect rec
ognltion to the union. They must operate
the mines. They must give the people coal.
They must solve the problem which has
arisen in the main out of their own pig
headed mismanagement of the trust which
Is imposed upon them.
II the operators do not do this of their
voition the people will get the coal in
their own way