The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1902-10-07
It CANE TO NAUGHT.
Coal Conference at the White
House Ended in a Failure.
The Presidents of the Railroads and
Coal Companies Refused to Arbi-
trate and Denounced the Min
ers' Labor Organization.

Washington, Oct. 4.-The coal con-
ference between the president and
representatives of the operators and
the miners came to an end at the tenn
porary white house Friday afternoon
with failure to reach an agreement.
Apparently the rock upon which the
conference split was recognition of the
miners union.
The president had urged the con-
tending parties to cease strife in the
interests of the public welfare. The
miners, through the president of their
union, had expressed a willingness to
submit differences to arbitration of a
tribunal to be named by the president
and to enter into an agreement to
abide by terms fixed by the arbitra-
tors for period of from one to five
years. The employers, through the
presidents Of the railroad and coal
companies and a leading Independent
mine operator. had squarely refused
arbitration, had denounced the miners
labor organization as a lawless and
anarchistic body with which they
could and would have no dealings;
had demanded federal troops to ensure
complete protection to workers and
their families in the mining region,
and court proceedings against the
miners union. and had offered, if the
men returned to work, to submit griev-
ances at individual collieries to the
decision of the judges of the court of
common pleas for the district of Penn
sylvania, in which the colliery was
located.
1t was a remarkable chapter in the
economic history Of the country that
was written Friday. For the first
time the president Of the republic had
interviewed directly between the great
forces of capital and labor in an effort
to avert what he himself regarded as
a great national calamity. The re-
suit was to bring the principals in the
great controversy face to face with
the whole country eagerly intent and
watchful of their doings. Technically
the issues between the two great
forces stand as they did before the
president summoned the representa-
tives of the contending forces to the
national capital, and forgetting his
own acute suffering, besOught them
for love Of the great country wherein |
they dwelt, and out of pity for the |
countless thrOng of suffering poor to |
adjust their differences and work to- |
gether in peace for the common veal |
Friday the views of the contenders !
In the great industrial struggle were |
so extreme and wide apart that there |
was no middle ground possible and so |
the conference came to an end with |
out any agreement for its continue |
ton. The conference had lasted six |
hours, including a recess of three |
hours, between the morning and after |
noon sessions taken to enable the (
miners and operators to prepare a |
written response to the presidents ap- |
peal
The president entered at once on |
the business in hand by reading a
statement which he bad carefully pre-
pare11 Urging a settlement On the strike
in the interests of the public. HIS /
manner was exceedingly serious and /
his voice showed his deep feeling AL
most Immediately after the president
had closed Mr.. Mitchell arose and on
behalf of the miners offered to submit
the differences to arbitration. The op-
orators looked surprised, but before
any reply could be made, President
Roosevelt said he desired that both
parties take the matter under consid-
GRAFTON and meet him again at 8
o'clock. The first session of the con-
terence had lasted less than Is min
utes. The operators were driven to
their private cars in the railroad yards
and Mr.. Mitchell and his party return
ed to their hotel. Both parties imme-
diately set to work to prepare state
ments in reply to the presidents sug-
gestions
The operators made it plain that
they would listen to no proposition
whatever emanating from Mr.. Mitch
ell. It was five minutes of o'clock
when the conference ended The OBJ
orators came down stairs and held
brief consultation and Unen left in
their carriages for their train. Sew
eral of them declared the interference
of the president had resulted in retard-
ing rather than forwarding the settle
ment. They asserted that no progress
had been made and said they would
return to continue the contest. They
declared the situation was most serious
as to coal supply, but said that coal
would be furnished to the public and
that if given protection they could get
men to mine coal to at least 20 per
cent. of their capacity. They said
there would be no compromise anS
that the strike would continue until
the miners succumbed. They asserted
their determination to make no con-
cessions.