Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-10-09

might be the merits of the strike the
question of the peoples need for coal
would be instsntly settled, and he laid
stress on the fact that he did not pro-
pose to keep the mon on strike until the
| Presidents award was made known,
hut was willing and anxious to put
Them to work at once and let them
lieep on mining GOAL until Mr. Roose-
velts decision or that of his tribunal
was made. The operators insisted that
| to allow any such settlement OF the
case would be to surrender all that they
were fighting for.
Some Of the operators suggested that,
instead of dealing with Mitchell, the
| President should send the army at once
| to Pennsylvania. Mr.. Baer was the
! first speaker, and he hinted at this.
| Mr.. Thomas gave a stronger sugges-
tion,saHd Mr. Markle made it stronger.
He openly demanded in SO many words
that the President put the Federal
troops in the field. !" The same idea was
carried out by the others.
Mr. Wilcox went SO far as to recall
the action OF President Cleveland in
1894, and to say to Mr.. Roosevelt: '.If
the National Government would now
| enforce the law with equal promprness
4 the strike would end next week.
| The conference was divided into two
parts. The morning conference, which
began at IL O'Clock, was short and
formal. Mr.. Roosevelt made his speech
of appeal, urging both parties to settle
their differences on the ground of
patriotism and pointing out the public
need. Mr.. Mitchell then made his
offer to leave the question TO the Presi-
dent and put the men to work. The
operators, Mr.. Mitchell says, rejected
the proposition on the spot. ALI this
was by word OF mouth, and it was
agreed that what each side had to say
should be put in writing and submitted
at the afternoon conference. The morn
ing meeting did not last 20 minutes.
THE AFTERNOON CONFERENCE.
Il The afternoon conference, which be-
gan at O'Clock, lasted two hours and
was exceedingly heated. Bitter
language was used, and fists were waved
in the air--not to emphasize threats,
but for the purpose of gesticulation.
The scenes that occurred in the morn
ing, when the two parties arrived at
the White House, were repeated with
an even larger crowd present and fill
ing the street for half square away.
To the waiting spectators it was not
/, 1
lieved now and then by glimpses and
sounds that told something of what
was going on in the big room up stairs
in the Presidents house. Looking up
into the room through the one window
on the north side of the house Mr..
, Roosevelt could be seen now and then
,, gesticulating with his right arm and
. leaning forward in the vehemence oi
} his statement. The Presidents chair
> was so near the window that from
, across the street be could be seen al
intervals making gestures and every
! tins that he did clinohed hand was
! seen waving above in counter -gesticu
! llation.
Not word from the controversy
9 came from the room until the con
! ference had closed and gradually from
some Of the participants or from som'
: one who had seen the President tn,
! result of the conference became know
3 to the outside world. The operators
Z were first to descend the long stair
2 from the second story, and they wer,
7 evidently feeling we'll satisfied with
!, their experience. They had maintained
] the position that there should be al
arbitration, not with the Miners
! Union, but with the miners themselves
| TWO FORMAL STATEMENTS.
K Following are the replies Of Presiden
# Mitchell and President Baer of tn
h Reading to President Roosevelt's forma
y address
!. PRESIDENT MITCHELL's REPLY.
o Mr.. President, am much impresse
:. with what you say. / am much i'm
Il pressed with the gravity of the situa
tion. We feel that we are not re
9 sponsible for this terrible state @
q affairs. We are willing to meet th
y gentlemen representing the coal opera
!. tors to try to adjust our difference
9 among ourselves. If we cannot adjus
e them that way, Mr.. President, we ar
Q willing that you shall name tribuna
q who shall determine the issues tina
n have resulted in the strike, and if tn
!. gentlemen representing the operator
y will accept the award or decision c
such q tribunal, the miners will will
e ingly accept it, even if it is agains
= their claims.
II PREsIDEHT BAER's REPLY.
,. To the President Of the United States
,f We understand your anxiety is foroibl
10 expressed in the statement you read
N US this morning to bring about "a
Of Immediate resumption of operations |
le / Ilb tOhl- lllutS Ill 5Dulb sum WAY i
al will, without day g unnecessary della,
D. meet the crying needs of the people.
4, We infer that you desired us to COZ
at slider the offer OF Mr.. Mitchell verbal
10 made this morning, expressing an
/, speaking for the United Mine Worker.
to to go back to work, IL you would al
A. point commission to determine I'll
questions at issue.
as You distinctly say that you edo nt
rs invite discussion of your respectil
* claims and positions. /" But we a5sun
ID that q statement OF what is going on
the coal regions will not be irrelevan
le We represent the owners of the col
le mines In Pennsylvania. There al
Id from Is, 600 to 10000 men at wor
is mining and preparing coal. TheyNai
to abused, assaulted, injured and ma
to treated by the United Mine Worker
sd They can only work under the pr,
O. tection of armed guards. Thousands
5h other workmen are deferred from worl
n ing by the intimidation, violence an
ID crimes inaugurated by the United MiI
Workers, over whom John Mitchell
whom you invited to meet you, is chic
ke need not picture the daily crim
rs committed by the members of tn
to organization. 1.-THE domestic tral
al quility,' which every constitute
to declares is the chief object of govern
Is, mems, does not exist in the coal region
RS There is terrible reign of lawlessne
rk and crime there. Only the lives ar
RS property of the members of the seer
to oath bound order which declares tn,
nd the locals "should have full power
by suspend operations at collieries'' unit
p the non-union men joined their orde
e. are safe. Every effort is made to pr
nd vent the mining of coal and, wht
ed mined, Mitchell's men dynamite bridg
n. and tracks, mob trainmen, and by a
~ | pnannar NJ violanca trv tn rrauant i