The Red Cloud chief., 1902-10-24
MINERS CON YEkE
Six Hundred and Sixiy-two DEL
gates at Convention
MEN ARE OF ONE MIND
viii DecIar re strike OG-yoicc of Mitch
ell Raised In Favor OF Peace-En-
gineers Cause Delay, Hut Rnti-
f~ication Expected

A Wilkesbarre, Pa. October 20, dis
patch says: The ~anxiously awaited
convention of the l45. 900 striking min
ers met today but did not reach a vote
on the proposed plan of settlement.
IL Is expected to do so tomorrow.
There were 662 delegates present in
the Nesbit theatre where the v
ton was held. and they were empow-
cred by their local unions to east SGT
votes for or against President Roose-
velts proposed plan of arbitration.
The great majority OF the delegates
were uninstructeJ. the few who were
being engineers, firemen and pump
men. who fear that the 5000 strikers of
those classes may not get back their
old places now held by n%on-union men.
lhis question of the engineers, firemen
and pumpmen prove the only STUN
bling block In the way OF almost i'm
mediate adoption of the presidents
plan, which carries with il n motion
declaring the strike off. and n general
resumption of work through the 49,
mile strip of the hard coal mining re-
gion.
AT n time today IL seemed certain
mat the convention was about to
adopt the recommendation of Presi-
dent Mitchell to end the strike, but
the steam mems plea was too earnest
and the final vote went over until to-
morrow. when II Is next to certain the
vote to declare the strike off will show
a big majority for IL.
The leaders of the strikers. except
Mr.. Mitchell, were hardly heard at all
IN the convention today, the anxious
engineers being allowed to give full
expression to their feelings. But to-
morrow. IL is predicted. the leaders
will be heard and one of them, a high
district officer, said today there would
not be more than fifteen votes re-
corded against the plan which the
president of the United States has
proposed to them, and whiyh all the
highest officials of the mine workers
In this region earnestly have recon-
mended. There were two sessions. fore
noon M afternoon, today. and the
net result as regards the progress Of
the convention towards It's great OBJ
Ject was a permanent organization,
with Mr.. Mitchell in the chair, and his
speech laying the presidents plan be-
fore the delegates. his eloquent i'm
promptu speech advocating It's adop-
ton. and the appointment OF a COM
mittee on resolutions.
The question before the convention
when 1t adjourned for the day was on
the adoption OF the resolution embodied
In President Mitchell's opening speech
to call of the strike and leave all Ques-
lions to the presidents commission.
The surprise OF the convention to-
day was the decision to admit news
paper men to all the sessions, open or
executive, when even union miners
eagerly waiting by the hundred out in
the street could not get into the thea
ter. Twice the newspaper men won a
victory by big majOrities. First. wen,
on a petition from them asking to be
allowed to remain, a motion to grant
the request was carried. and later
when a motion was made to reconsider
the first vote to admit. Tho pleas which
won were that the reporters represent
cd the people; that public opinion had
helped the strikers and that the best
way to get an accurate report of this
convention of immediate and vast ma
tional import was to let the press rep
Iesentatives stay there on the spot.
Even the suggestion of a press COM
mittee of delegates to give the news to
the correspondents was turned down by
the convention.