The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-10-03

ests of Humanity, Beyond That He
Cannot Go.
Washington, October president
Roosevelt will make an effort to bring
the anthracite coal mine owners and
their striking employees together, in
the interest of the public good. This
conclusion was reached after a series
Of conferences with his cabinet advis-
ors yesterday and today The decis-
| ion was arrived at when the lawyers
of the cabinet informed the president
that there was no way, under the con-
stitution and the form of government
OF the United States, for Federal in
tervention to end the strike This
| phase of the situation was canvassed
and the determination to have the mine
operators and President Mitchell meet
| the president was reached when it was
found that no other method was open.
| At the conclusion of the conference to-
| day. which was attended by Secretaries
Root. Shaw and Moody, Attorney Gen
Payne at the temporary White House.
| the following kilograms were made
| public:
| White House, Washington Oct. Il.
| George F. Baer, president Reading
Railway system, Philadelphia, Pa. e
Nv. H.. Truesdale, president Ira
ware, Lackawanna and western Rail-
road Company, 26 Exchange Place,
] New York.
e B. Thomas, chairman of the
board, Erie Railroad Company, 81 Cort
landt street, New York, N. Y.
Thomas P. Fowler, president New
York O. & w. Railroad Company, sc
| Beaver street, New York
''R. NJ. Olyphant, president d. & H.
| Company, New York.
John Markle, 527 West 34th street
New York.
| II should greatly like to see you on
| Friday next, October 3rd, at IL o'clock
a. m here in Washington, in regard
| to the failure of the coal supply, which
| has become a matter of vital concern
to the whole nation. 1 have sent a
similar dispatch to Mr.. John Mitchell,
| president of the United Mine Workers
| of America.
| THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
| John Mitchell, president United
Mine Workers of America, Wilkes
| barre, Pa.
II should greatly like to see you OH
Friday next, October 3rd, at IL O'Clock
a. m. here in Washington, in regard
| to the failure Of the coal supply, which
| has become of vital concern to the
whole nation. 1 have sent a similar
dispatch to the presidents of the an
thracite coal companies.
| THEODORE ROOSEVELT
| AT the meeting Friday, the line OF
4 annr0aph toward fha caff1Qnoanf m 10
strike will be an appeal by President
Roosevelt to both sides to come to-
| gether as men and not to allow false
pride or feeling OF obstinacy to stand
| in the way of the termination of the
| great strike, which is fraught with
such threat of misery to thousands of
| people. It is stated by one of the pres
ident's advisors, that beyond this, the
| president cannot go; he has no powers
of compulsion to bring into play
| against either side and he must rely
| upon his persuasive abilities and his
| appeals to their sense of humanity, if
| anything tangible is to be accomplish
ed.
The president intends to lay before
his hearers the situation, as it appears
to him, with. all the prospective hor-
| rors that will follow fuel famine and
| will urge them in the interests OF hu-
| manity to open the mines and supply
| the demand for coal. The president has
taken this action becausn he feels it
to be his duty to do so, as the executive
head of nation, threatened with great
peril.
| The president has, in sense taken
upon himself the burdens of an arbitra-
tor in this great dispute, between capi-
tai and labor and though he arbitra-
ton is not compulsory and is not even
known under the name of arbitration,
| in any OF the invitations issued today,
it is the hope of the president and his
advisors that it will be effective.
| Just how, no one can say, though
there is the suggestion of a temporary
arrangement which will tide over the
cold weather. 1t is stated by mem
ber of the cabinet, that there is no po-
litical purpose in this effort, but that
the president is moved to exert his in
f1uence solely in the interests of the
people.
In the other attempts, it is said, the
/ operators felt that politics was thu
most prominent motive. In this con-
nection the story is revived of the set
tlement of the strike in 1900. The op-
orators claim that when the strike was
settled, under stress Of a political
edgency, the way was paved for the
present strike. They also claim that
the strikers have hoped that political
influence would again be exerted in
their behalf and the operators compell-
ed to make further concessions. The
4 efforts of Senators Ouay and PenrOSe