Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-10-09
Will TAKE A HAND.
Roosevelt Invites Coal Operators
and Mitchell to Washington.
he WILL APPEAL TO BOTH SIDES.

The President VIII Ask Them in the Nam
Of Humanity to Open the Mines
and supply the Demand
for CoaL
Washington, Oct. 2. President
Roosevelt will make an effort tc
bring the anthracite coal mine own
ers and their striking employees to
gether in the interest of the public
good. This conclusion was reached
after series of conferences with
his cabinet advisers Tuesday and
yesterday. The decision was arrived
at when the lawyers of the cabinet
informed the president that there
was no way, under the constitution
and the form of government of the
United States, for federal interven-
ton to end the strike. Every phase
OF the situation was canvassed and
the determination to have the mine
operators and President Mitchell
meet the president was reached when
1t was found that no other methods
were open. The conference yester-
day was attended by Secretaries
Root, Shaw and Moody, Attorney
General Knox and Postmaster Cen
eral Payne.
At the meeting Of the coal oper-
ators and President Mitchell, which
the president wishes to take place
tomorrow, the line Of approach to-
ward the settlement of the strike
will be an appeal by President Roosc-
welt to both sides to come together
as men and not to allow false pride
or feeling Of obstinacy to stand in
the way Of the termination Of the
great strike which is fraught with
such threat Of misery to thousands
Of pepole. It is stated by one Of the
presidents advisers that beyond this
the president cannot 60; he has no
powers Of compulsion to bring into
play against either side and he must
rely upon bis persuasive abilities or
his appeals to their sense Of human
ity II anything tangible is to be &C.
complished. The president intends
to lay before his hearers the situa-
ton as 1t appears to him with all
the prospective horrors that will fol-
low a fuel famine, and will urge
them in the. interests Of humanity
to open the mines and supply the
demand for coal The president has
taken this action because he feels
1t to be his duty to do so, as the
executive head of a nation, threat
ened with great peril. The president
has, in a sense, taken upon himself
the burdens of an arbitrator in this
great dispute between capital and
labor and, though the arbitration
Is not compulsory and is not even
known under the name of arbitration
in any of the invitations issued yes
lerday, 1t is the hope of the president
Ind his advisers that 1t will be eff
Fective. just how no one can say,
though there is the suggestion of n
arrangement which will
jide over the cold weather.
There will be no one present at
fridays meeting at the temporary
white house but the principals. IT
$ true that Friday is cabinet day
md that II o'clock, the hour appoint
ID in the invitations for the meet
ngs of the magnates, is the usual
lour of assembling the cabinet, but,
lccording to the present understand
ng, that cabinet meeting will be
postponed. The purpose of the post
'onement is plainly to relieve the
invited guests from the feeling of re-
erve that might naturally be Gre
tied II they appear before the en- ,
ire cabinet, including some exceed i
ngly clever lawyers whom the coal |
'eople might not care to meet in a /
BUSINESS way in the absence of their l
'wn legal advisers. So the absence q
u the cabinet will give the president 9
n opportunity to do just what, he V
wants. namely, to have good.
-art-roiheart talk with the oper.
tors and Mr.. Mitchell, to induce
hem to talk to each other freely |
nd to reason quietly and soberly q
nd finally to agree, il possible, to
lake concessions on each side which v
I'LL terminate the strike. And, at
EAST, II this last object cannot be I
irectly attained, 1t is hoped that II
he foundations may be laid for an c
greement in the near future, per- g
APPS an agreement between the prin- Q
pals to have further meetings and O
erhaps to refer open issues between
hem to third parties.
Presidents Proposition Accepted.
Washington, Oct. D. President &
oosevelt's proposition for a gather "
lg here Friday morning Of repre- =
sntatives Of the coal companies and u
pal operators and the miners met
prompt response from a number =
I the gentlemen to whom invita- :
ons were sent During yesterday !,
fternoon and evening the president y
eceived replies to his invitations =
rom President Mitchell, of the
nited Mine Workers.; President
anrra Roar ~ tha pandiuo rnil. !,