Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-10-09
TWO STATEMENTS,
Two Statements rTade by NFr. BaeI
and EHr. Mitchell.

Washington, Oct 4.--The state
ments to the president were made in
the following order: President Baer,
OF the Reading road; President Mitch
ell, of the Mine Workers; President
Thomas, of the Erie railroad: Mr..
Mar<le, independent operator; Presi-
dent Truesdale, of the Lackawanna
railroad; Mr.. Wilcox, vice president
of the Delaware GS Hudson Railroad
Co., and Mr.. Fowler, of the New York,
Ontario & Western road.
The following is the statement of
George II. Baer, president of the
Reading railroads:
We infer that you desired us to
consider the offer of Mr.. Mitchell
verbally made this morning, speaking
for the United Mine Workers, to go
back to work, if you would appoint
commission to determine the ques-
tions at issue
You say that you do not invite
| discussion of your respective claims
and positions' But, we assume that
a statement of what is going on in
the coal regions will not be irrelevant
! We represent the owners of coal
mines in Pennsylvania. There are
from 10000 to 5000 men at work
mining coal. They are abused, as
sauitcd and maltreated by the United
| Mine Workers. They can only work
under the protection of armed
guards. Thousands of other wOrllmen
are deferred from working by the in
! timidation. violence and crimes in
au@urated by the union mine workers,
over whom John Mitchell is chief.
THE duty of the hour is not to
waste time negotiating with the fo-
menters of this anarchy and insolent
defiance of law. but to do as was done
in the war of the rebellion, restore
| the majesty of law. the only guar
dian of a free people, and to de-
establish order and peace at any cost.
THE government is a contemplate
failure if it can only protect the
lives and property, and secure the
comfort o. the people by comproms-
ing with the violators of law and the
instigators of violence and crime.
Under these conditions, we decline
to accept Mr.. Mitchell's offer to let
our men work on terms he names.
He has no right TO come from Illinois
to dictate terms on the acceptance
Of which anarchy and crime shall
cease in Pennsylvania. He must stop
his people from killing, manning and
abusing Pennsylvania citizens and
from destroying people. He must
stop it because it is unlawful, and not
because of any bargain with us.
I'VE will add to our offer to con-
tinue the wages existing at the time
of strike and to take up at each col
liery and adjust any grievance, this
further condition-if the employers
and employees at any particular col
liery cannot reach a satisfactory adj
justment of any alleged grievances.
it shall be referred to the Judges Of
the court of common pleas of the dis
trict in which the colliery is situated
or final determination"
The following is the statement
made TO the president by the repre-
sentatives of the Miners union:
we, the "a accrcdfGtScd fr9epfte!sgissnta}qFRj "81
the anthracite coal mine workers,
were much impressed with the views
you expressed and the dangers to the
welfare of our country from a pro-
longation of the coal strike that you
so clearly pointed out. Conscious of
the responsibility resting upon us,
conscious of our duty to society, con-
SClouS OF our ODlSdIlOnS To lue l0V.-
600 mine workers whom we represent,
we have decided to propose resump-
tion of coal mining upon the lines
hereinafter suggested.
eve propose that the issues cu'-
minating in this strike shall be re-
ferred to you and a tribunal of your
own selection, and agree to accept
your award upon all or any of the
questions involved. If you will accept
this responsibility, and the repre-
sentatives of the coal operators will
signify their willingness to have your
decision incorporated in an agree
mcnt. for not less than one year or
more than five years, as may be mu-
tually determined between them
selves and their anthracite coal mine
workers, and will pay the scale of
wages which you and the tribunal APP
pointed by you shall award, we will
Immediately call a convention and
recommend a resumption of work. up
on the unders tanding that the wages
which shall be paid are to go into eff
feet from the day upon which work is
resumed"