The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-07-16
Vital Question Which Con-
cerSTndianapOIis Del
egateS
fBy Associated rress.l

from almost every coal mining dis'i'ct
q, the country in readiness for the
rreat convention which assemblies 20
morrow in response TO the recen- call
Of PRESIDENT Mitchell Of the United
Mine workers Of America II the con
vention reaches an affirmative decls-
SON II win mean, so say the officitls
cf the miners organization, that S60.'
600 men viii lay down their picks. not
10 resume work until their brethren
in the anthracite field Of Pennsylvania
have obtained their demands A dec's-
ION not to strike viii mean at the very
ieast the breaking Of the backbone
.of the miners struggle in Pennsylyan-
a and serious blow to organized
labor in general.
In the settlement Of this lady or The
tiger question. there is a conservt =
tive element among the union miners
that IS strongly pronounced in favor
,of the convention taking a compron-
ise course. II would be better say
the leaders OF this element. for The
convention not to declare a strike out
right but 10 delegate to the executive
board Of the United Mine Workers
the power TO call out the men on gem
eral strike al their discretion This.
IL Is pointed out would give the ad-
vantage Of delay before the hnal
card is played, while at the same time
not detractng from the moral sup
port given by the unions throughout
the country to the Pennsylvania st-il-
.crs. It is further argued in suppotr
Q fihis course that 1t would help great
~ the financial end of the struggle as
it would enable the soft coal miners
still at work to devote a large part
OF thei rearnngs to the Anthracite
strikers and enable the latter TO con
time their strike indefinitely or until
a successful Issue was reached Al
though President Mitchell had so far
RETAINED from expressing an opinion
on the subject of the convention and
the proper course for it to pursue it is
said by those intimately associated
with him that he would prefer to have
the convention delegate 70 the execu-
tive board the power to call the strike
rather than have the issue brought to
a climax at once.
Meanwhile the delegates are pour
ing into indianapolis from all direc-
tions and about tn headquarters Of the
United Mine Workers they are to be
seen in groups today discussing the
situation, the latest news from the
Pennsylvania field and the probable
outcome Of the struggle For the most
part the yaie extremely reticent so
far as public utterances are concerned
and It ia a difficult matter 10 ascertain
how they stand win regard to the
main question. Enough can be CLEAN
ed. however. TO warrant the forecast
that the convention will not declare
general strike by any overwhelming
majority aud If a strike Is called at all
il will be in the face Of consider
able opposition. Illinois, Ohio, Indi
ana aud Iowa win hold the majority
of the delegates. In three of these
states at least satisfactory conditions
prevail at present. The men are work
ing under yearly agreement and are
enjoying concessions which IL has TAX
en- years for them TO gain. Such cor
tracts. il may readily be believed, ar'
not to be lightly broken Michigan
Kansas. Kentucky. Missouri Tennes
see and one or two other states vii
b. represented 10 the convention.
II not known exactly how their dee
gates stand on the strike question, b.
~ Is unlikely that their numerica
strength viii be sufficient TO inhuenc
she decision TO any great extent Tn
stetes OF Maryland Colorado Wast
ington. Montana Indian TerritoN
Arkansas New MeXco and TpSas an
one haif the soft coal district Of Penn
sylyania. are not organized, but thsr
are small Unions among them. an
some have sent delegates TO the col
vention.
when the convention assemblies
Tomlinson Hil at o'clock tomorro
morning and the roll IS called b
Secretary Wilson IL viii be answerf
by as ane a body OF men as ever 9
tended labor galhering Filte