The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-15
MINERS ARE NOT PLEASED
Many Are Strongly Opposed to Accepting Anthracite
Operators Proposition in Present Form

convention. 1t is practically certain that
Mr.. Mitchells advice will be followed in
the conference. While he has not said a
word to what he will do. it is freely
predicted by those who understand the
situation that he will advise refusal of
the proposition.
The rank and file of the miners view the
new proposal in different lights and make
strong arguments according to their views.
Those who are opposed to accepting the
new offer look upon the operators latest
move as counter proposition to Mr.. Mitch
ellis offer to arbitrate, made in the tenn
porary White House at Washington. They
compare the two offers and pick out what
they allege to be many flaws. Their great
est objection to 1t is that the operators
dictate to the President from what class
of men he shall select the arbitrators and
they charge the operators with lack of
faith In the President when they do not
give him free hand to pick the men he
President is limited to four men in Sc
lecting the jurist on the commission. Nei-
ther are they sure, they say, that labor
would be represented. because the pro-
posal does not specifically say so. and they
add that they have no assurance that "a
man of prominence. eminent as sociolo-
gist" would cover this objection.
WILLING TO TRUST PRESIDENT.
A great many Of the strikers think the
proposition should be accepted and that
the miners should trust to President
Roosevelt to do the best he can under the
conditions laid down by the coal road pres
idents. An argument was made by one
miner to-day that Mr.. Mitchell could not
well afford to turn down the proposition
after already offering to permit the Pres
ident to select the members of the commits
sion. He thought the President would ap-
preciate the trust put in him and see that
the miners had fair play. Others in the
same class thought that not much harm
could be done by accepting the proposition.
but that in the end much good will result.
There is still third view held by miners
and that is to refuse to accept the plan
offered and make counter-proposition en-
bodying some OF the suggestions contained
in the operators offer. One proposition
suggested was that the operators. the min
ers and the President should each select
number OF men to act as a board. This
was mentioned to President Mitchell, but
he would make no comment on it.
Strike headquarters presented an ami
mated scene all day and evening. The news
Of the operators proposal to arbitrate
spread through the region quickly and a
crowd soon gathered and fingered around
the hotel all day. President Mitchell had
many visitors. who called to get the news.
He. however, treated all callers alike and
gave out no information. In the early
hours the situation appeared mixed, but
towards noon reports came In from out
lying districts to the effect that many men
looked unfavorably the operators
proposition, which gave an indication Of
what might be expected. This was a
damper on the enthusiasm of the citizens
generally, who thought they saw a ray Of
hope for the ending OF the strike. AS an
indication of how some of the men felt, a
local leader who was among. the strikers
in the outskirts of the city came into head
quarters and quoted the men as saying that
they would rather go down to straight de-
feat than surrender to the employers on the
conditions they propose.
EFFORTS OF NATHAN STRAUS.
1t developed here tonight that Nathan
Straus. of New York, with the assistance
Of j. p. Morgan, has been endeavoring for
the past few days to end the strike Mr..
Straus was represented here by A. l..
Kinkead, Sylvester Burns and W. L. Will
mer. Of New York. Mr.. Straus had re-
ceived the assurance from Mr. Morgan
that If the men would return to work that
he (Afr. Morgan) would see that justice
was done the miners. but he did not care to
have anything to do with the union. The
proposition was laid before Mr. Mitchell
and he refused it on the ground that he
would not advise the men to return to
work on the hope that Mr.. Morgan would
do something for them. The representa-
tives of Mr.. Straus received the final an
swer to-day and they gave out the in
formation tonight.
The three district presidents with Mr..
Mitchell late tonight are discussing the
situation. They will take up the oper-
ators' arbitration plan tomorrow.
The situation around the collieries was
partly lost sight of because of last night s
developments, but there was no material
change from that of yesterday The ar
bitration talk has not acted as a check
work, and 1t is probable there will be no
great movement in this direction until some
definite conclusion is reached in the ar
bitration scheme. The prospect for coal
supply to meet the rapidly-approaching
cold weather is by no means bright. If
the miners should accept the arbitration
plan OF the operators IL would take at
least two weeks before the details of
sending them back could be worked out.
AS the outlook for arbitration is rather
dark, IL can be safely said that there will
be little more coal on the market for some
time TO come than there is at present.
A dispatch from Shenandoah says: ..The
opinion of the strike leaders here is that
Mr.. Mitchell will not accept the proposition
submitted to President Roosevelt by the
mine operators. III. ]. Sweeney a promi-
nent leader. said: The proposition is not
fair. and / don't think Mitchell will accept
it. and II he did the mine workers would