Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1902-10-09
WAS BARREN Of RESULTS.
The White House Conference Over
the Miners Strike Accom-
plished Nothing.
PARTIES WIDE APART IN THEIR VIEWS.
The Rock They Split Upon Was Recog-
milton of the Miners Union, Which the
Coal Operators Are Uneompromisingly
Opposed to. Denouncing 1t IS an An
archistic Body.

Opporeu TO, Dehouncihx IL - SA <.AA
archistic Body.
Washington, Oct. 4.-The great coal
conference between the president and
representatives of the operators and
miners came to an end at the tenn
porary white house, facing Lafayettc
square, at ASS o'clock Friday after
noon, with failure to reach an
agreement. Apparently the rock upon
which the conference split was rec
ognition of the miners union. The
president had urged the contending
parties to cease strife in the inter-
ests of the public welfare. the mi
ners, through the president of their
union, had expressed a willingness to
submit their differences to the arbi-
tration of tribunal to be named by
the president and to enter into an
agreement to abide by the terms
fixed by the arbitration for period
of from one to five years; the en-
ployers, through the presidents of the
railroads and coal companies and a
leading independent company mine
operator, had squarely refused arbi-
tration, had denounced the miners
labor organization as lawless and
anarchistic body with which they
could and would have no dealings,
had demanded federal troops to in
sure complete protection to workers
and their families in the mining re-
gion and court proceedings against
the miners union, and had offered, if
the men returned to work, to submit
grievances at individual collieries to
the decision of the judges of the
court of common pleas for the dis
trict of Pennsylvania in which the
colliery was located. There the mat
ter closed. Friday night both the
miners and the operators were still in
the city, but to-day they return to
their several localities, each saying
at late hour that the struggle will
continue.
A History-Mal<ing Day.
Tt was remarkable chapter in
the economic history of the country
that was written Friady. For the
first time the president of the repub-
lie had intervened directly between
the great forces of capital and labor
in an effort to avert what he himself
regards as a national calamity. The
result was to bring the principals in
the great controversy face to face,
with the whole country eagerly in
tent and watchful of their doings.
Technically the issues between the
two great forces stand as they did
before the president summoned the
representatives of the contending
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 diff
ferences and work together in peace
for the common veal. What, if any
thing, will result from the conference,
is for the indefinite future.
The Strike VIII Continue.
The immediate parties to the strike
say they will continue as heretofore.
What course the administration will
take next no one is prepared to say.
One of the operators, as he left the
white hou:e with close-set jaw, was
asked regarding this and replied: 'If
anyone knows what the president will
do next, that is more than 1 know"
Fourteen men, including the presi-
dent, were in the second-story front
room at the temporary white house
during the momentous conference.
President Mitchell and three of his
district leaders represented the mi
ners and five railroad presidents and
one independent mine operator the
operators.
The Conferees Arrive.
conference began few minutes
after eleven o'clock. President
Mitchell and his three district presi-
dents of the miners union were the
first to put in an appearance at the
temporary white house on Lafayette
square, where rye crowd had as
sembled to witness the coming of
the chief participants in the coal
strike The operators reached the
temporary white house at one minute
past eleven in carriages. Each party
was escorted to separate rooms on
the first floor, and soon after they
were ushered up stairs, the miners
representatives being ahead. In the
front room on the second story they
found the president awaiting them.
He was in a roller chair and had on
dressing gown. After the introduce
tions he smilingly explained his ina
bility to receive his guests in a more
formal manner.
First Session a short One.
The president entered at once on
the business at hand, and read a
statement which he had carefully pre-
pared, urging a settlement of the
strike in the interest of the public.
His manner was exceedingly serious
and his voice showed his deep feeling.
The Presidents Appeal.
81 wish to call your attention to
the fact that there are three parties
affected by the situation in the an
thracite trade: The operators, the
miners and the general public. l
speak for neither the operators nor
the miners, but for the general pub
lie. The questions at issue which led
to the situation affect immediately
the parties concerned-the operators
and the miners; but the situation it,
self vitality affects the public. As
long as there seemed to be reason
able hope that these matters could be
adjusted between the parties, it did
not seem proper for me to intervene
in any way. / disclaim any right or
duty to intervene in this way upon
legal ground or upon any official re-
lation that I bear to the situation;
but the urgency ard the terrible ma
ture of the catastrophe impending
over a large portion of our people
in the shape Of a winter fuel famine