The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-10-17
III COAL NINE OPERATORS PRO
POSITION.

coal mine owners, through Mr.. ]. P.
Morgan, nave mad a proposition TO
President Roosevelt hat the latter
appoint a commission of five men TO
whom shall be referred all questions
at issue between the representative
companies and heir own employees.
whether they belong to a union or
not" the decision of that commission
10 be accepted by the coal operators.
The question now is what will Pres
Edent Michel DO? 1t will be noticed
that the proposition entirely ignores
him and the miners union. This has
been the chief point of contention, the
miners insisting that the operators
should treat with them through the
officers Of their organization, and the
batter declaring determination to in
no way recognize the union. If this
proposition is accepted individually by
the men of the different mines it will
De q virtual abandonment of the union
by them md a victory for the other
side. Before the miners can agree to
Shis proposition. though. they will have
10 get the consent of the union or
break away from it. Mr.. Mitchell and
the o.her union officers will, of course,
nave sOmetk ng to say on this point.
Should they advise acceptance of the
proposition it will no doubt be done;
but should they oppose it there is
likely to be a contest in the union on
the question. there being many union
miners who would be willing to treat
directly with the min operators, but
we doubt the possibility of securing
h consent of a majority of the union
men.
The mine operators have placed Mr..
Mitchell and his colleagues in a very
difficult and embarrassing position.
All along the latter have posed as
anxious TO settle the dispute: they
claimed Ito have grievances which they
wished to bring before an unbiased
tribunal. They threw all the blame for
the present state of affairs upon the
-~peratOrs' persistent declaration that
there was nothing to arbitrate and
their refusal to listen to any PROPOSE
9ion for arbitration. Now the miners
are given an opportunity to bring
their grievance before such a court
and if thov do rot avail themselves of
1t they will be charged with insin-
Jcerity in their former declarations of
Il desire to arbitrate the questions in
dispute.
Notwithstanding this 1T is by no
means certain that the proposal of the
operators will be accepted. Mr..
Mitchell knows we'll enough that if
under the proposition of the coa OPP
orators he and the other officers of
the miners union were &c appear before
the commission in their official capaci-
ties the parties on tie other side would
object to going into the matter with
them and would contend for commit
tees representing the individual min
ers, union and non-uniOn. of the diff
ferent mines, and the alleged griev-
ances of the men in each mine to be
considered as a separate case. And
there the matter would end by the
withdrawal of one side or the other
from the hearing, unless there is a
square breakdown either Il r%ecogni-
ton of the union by the operators or
Ms dUdIluoilllChl LUZ 1AS iLiiC gill
md for the pos of the hearing by
The miners
This is the prospect-and il is not u
bright one for Il settlement of the
coal strike. if both sides are really as
determined as they lead the public to
believe to stand to their pCsiti2ns-on
The one side of asserting the union
and on the other OF refusal to recog-
nize it. It is possible. though hardly
probable that the coal operators have
decided 10 give way and have 50 word
ed their proposition as 70 let them
selves down easy and do not intend
to take advantage Of h clause
in II which would give chem the OPP
portunity to prevent action by the
commission.
The action of the coal operators of
late has caused great
public sentiment against them. The
newspapers throughout the entire
country. with very few exception.
have bitterly 5enuouEced them for
their conduct anG language in the
several conferences recently held and
for the defiant position they have as
=rTned. Tremendous pressurn is being
brought upon them by leaders of the
republican parry to end the strike
These two things may have induced
them to withdraw from their deter
nination not to recognize the union.
Il this be so there will be nothing in
tShe way of a speedy settlement and
s3e miners viii soor l." back at work,
:, cal famine will be avolded-and
ssros poets of republican defeat In sew
eFai states greatly reduced.
Press dispatches received laSt night
after the above was put in type indi-
cate that Mr.. Mitchell is not at al
pleased with the proposition ma'ie by
the coal operators. He recognizes the
fact. thai the coal miners MO is en-