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

Markel Demands That He Take Quick
 ActiOn-ConcIIIatory Attitude of the
 Strike Leaders.
 Washington, Oct. 3.-Following are the statements presented to the presi- dent by the strike leaders and coal presi- dents this afternoon in answer to his appeal to them to reach a settlement,
 the statements being given in the orde:' Of their presentation:
 Statement by George F. Baer, President
 of the Reading Road.
 The following is the text of the sev- eral statements:
 President of the United States: We
 understand your anxiety as forcibly ex- pressed Tn the statement you read to
 us this morning to bring about "an i'm mediate resumption of operations in
 the coal mines in some such way as will
 without days unnecessary delay meet
 the crying needs of the people" We infer that you desired us to consider
 the offer of MT. Mitchell verbally made
 this morning, expressing and speaking for the United Mine Workers, to go
 back to work, if you would appoint a commission to determine the questions
 at issue
 You distinctly say that you do not
 invite discussion of your respective claims and positions" but we assume
 that statement of what is going on in the coal regions will not be irrelevant. Vo lao of in Pennsylvania. There are from fif- teen to twenty thousand men at work
 mining and preparing coal. They are abused, assaulted, injured and ma'- treated by the United Mine Workers They can only work under the protec- tion of armed guards. Thousands of other Workmen are deterred from work ing by the intimidation, violence and crimes inaugurated by the United Mine Workers, over whom John Mitchell, whom you invited to meet you, is chief need not picture the daily crimes committed by the members of this or ganization. The domestic tranquility" which every constitution declares is the l chief object of government does not ex- ist in the coal regions. There is a ter
 rible reign of lawlessness and crime there. Only the lives and property of the members of the secret oath-bound order which declared that the locals should have full power to suspend op- erations at collieries until the non- union men joined their order" are safe. Every effort is made to prevent the mining of coal and when mined, Mitch els men dynamite bridges and tracks, | mob trainmen and by all manner of vio- | lence try to prevent the shipment to relieve the public.
 The constitution of Pennsylvania
 guarantees protection. to life and prop 1 erty. In express terms it declares the right of acquiring, possessing and defending property ito be inalienable." | When riot or anarchy too great to be
 appeased by the civil power occurs, the | governor of Pennsylvania is bound to call out the state troops to suppress it. l We must fearlessly use the whole power | of the state to protect life and property and to establish peace-not an armed truce, but the peace of the law which | protects every man at work and going 1 to and from work. He has sent troops | to the coal regions. Gradually the pow
 CT of the law is asserting itself. Unless
 encouraged by false hopes. order will
 soon be restored, and then we can mine
 coal to meet the public wants. If the
 power of Pennsylvania is insufficient to
 re-establish the reign of law the consti l tuition of the United States requires the
 president, when requested by the legis-
 lature and the governor, 'to suppress
 domestic violence" You see there is a
 lawful way to secure coal. The gov ernment is a contemptible failure if it
 can only protect the lives and property,
 and secure the comfort of the people by compromising with the violators of
 law and the instigators of violence and
 crime. Just now it is more important to teach ignorant men, dwelling among
 us, misled and used as tools by citizens
 of other states, that at whatever cost and inconvenience to the public Penn
 sylvania will use the whole power of 1 government to protect not only the man who wants to work, but his wife and children while he is at work and to punish every man who by instigation or by overt acts attempts to deprive any man of his liberty to work. Under these conditions we decline to accept Mr Mitchell's considerate offer to let our men work on terms he names. He has no right to come from Illinois to dictate terms, on the acceptance of which anarchy and crime shall cease in Pennsylvania. He must stop his people from killing, maiming and abus- ing Pennsylvania citizens and from de- stroying property. He must stop it be- cause it is unlawful and not because of
 any bargain with us.
 We will add to our offer "to continue the wages existing at the time of the
 strike and to take up at each cOlliery
 and ajust any grievance this farther
 condition-if the employers and em- ployes at any particular colliery can- not reach a satisfactory adjustment of any alleged grievance, it shall be re- ferred to the judges of the court of common pleas of the district in which the colliery is situated for final deter imitation.
 (Signed) George F. Baer,
 President Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron company and Lehigh and Wilkesbarre Coal and Iron company and Temple company
 Statement of President Mitchell and District Presidents.
 The following is the text of the state-