Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-10-04
THE CONFERENCE
Continued from page 1.)

l need NOT picture the daily crimes
! committed by the members of this or
! saniZation. The domestic TRANQUILITY
which every, constitution declares is
/ the chief object of government does not
exist in the coal regions. There is a
| terrible reign of iawlessness and crime
| there. Only the lives and property oi
i the members of the secret oath bound
order which declared that the locals
+ should have full power to suspend
| operations at collieries' until the nom
| union men joined their order. are safe
Every effort is made to prevent the
mining of coal and when mined. Mitch
ellis men dynamite bridges and tracks.
mob trainTlen and by all manner OF
relieve the public.
The constitution of PENNSYLVANIA
guarantees protection to life and prop
erty. In express terms it declares the
right of acquiring, possessing and de-
Tending property to be inaliable'' -
When q riot and anarchy too great TO
be appeased by the civil power occurs,
the governor of Pennsylvania is bound
TO call out the state troops to suppress
it, We must fearlessly use the whole
power vi tIlt SUITE W DIotttt lie anu
property and to establish peace--not
an armed truce but the peace of the
Law which protects every man at work
and going to and from work. He has
sent troops to the coal regions. Grad
ually the power of the law is asserting
itself. Unless encouraged by false
hopes. order will soon be restored. and
then we can mine coal to meet the
public wants. If the power of Penn
syivania is insufficient to re-esta blish
the reign of law. the constitution of
the United States requires the Presi-
dent when requested by the Legislature
and the Governor to suppress domes-
tic violence" You see there is a law
full way TO secure coal for the public.
The duty of the hour is not to waste
time negotiating with the fomenters 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 guardian of Il free people and
to re-establish order and peace at any
cost.
The government is contemplate fail
urc If ii can only protect the lives and
propcrty and secure the comfort of the
people by compromising with the violdt-
ors of law and the instigators of violence
and crime. just now it is more important
to teach ignorant men, dwelling among
ms. misled and used as tools by citizens of
other states that at whatever cost and
inconvenience to the public Pennsylvania
will use the whole power of government
10 protect not only the man who wants
to work but his wife and children while
he is at work. and to punish every man
who by instigation or by overt acts at
tcmpts to deprive any man of his liber-
ty to work.
Under these conditions We decline to
accept Mr. Mitchelrs considerate offer 10
let our men work on terms he names He
has no right to come from Illinois to dis
tate terms. on the acceptance of which
anarchy and crime shall cease in Penn
sylvania. He must stop his people from
killing. manning and abusing Pennsyl-
vania citizens and from destroying prop
erty He must stop it because ii is un-
lawful ard not because of any bargain
with us.
We will add to our offer. Ito continue
| the wages existing at the time of the
| s .rike and to take UP at each colliery
and adjust any grievance this further
condtion-if the employers and employees
at any particular colliery cannot reach a
satisfactory adjustment of any alleged
grievances it shall be referred to the
Judges of the court of common pleas of
| the district in which the colliery is sit
| uated fer final determination.
| (SignedD George F. Baer, President Phila-
| delpha & Reading Coal and Iron Co.
| 4 I.l,t y, nd
| Temple Iron Co.