Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-04

own selection, and agree to accept your
aMalu upon all or any of the questions IN
, u.eo' II you Will accept this RESPONSE
| piiity, and the Representatives of the cca;
operators will signify their willingness to
| nave your decision Incorporated in an agree
nieht Ior not less than one year or more
man nve years, as may be mutually de-
| termned between themselves and the An
! tnracite Coal Mine Workers, and will pay
| the scale OF wages which you and the .ribu-
nal appointed by you. shall award, we will
| mend a resumption of work upon the I'M
oerstandlng that the wages which shall be
PAID are to go into effect from the day
| upon winch work Is resumed.
very respectfully yours,
JOHN MITCHELL,
President U. M. w. of A.
JOHN FAHY,
THOMAS DUFFY,
I'd. D. NICHOLS.
District Presidents U. NJ. w. Of A.
Statement of President Thomas.
| Statement of Mr. E. B. Thomas, president
Of the Erie railway:
mo one can more fully realize the gravity
OF the situation or the grave responsibilities
resting upon them than men who for
months have been seeking to protect their
property under their charge as we'll as the
| lives OF loyal employees, from the attacks
OF misguided men, melted by people foreign
to the state and to the industry We are seek
ing 10 defend We are doing all in our
power, and with increasing success, to mine
coal. Mr.. Mitchell and his lieutenants are
DONG all IN their power to prevent it. We
ask that such efforts cease or failing, that
the state OF Pennsylvania. and if she is
unable. the powers of the United States
shall be exerted to afford full protection
| to employees, not only while at work. but
| to and from their homes. as well as to their
iamliies; and that the reign of terror, riots,
intimidation and murder which for months
| has prevailed in the anthracite region, shall
cease A record of twenty killed, over forty
| injured, with constant and increasing de
s.luc.ion OF dwellings,, works, machinery
| and railroad by mob Violence with no
proper enforcement of law order by the
proper officials, is not the time to act on Mr..
MltcneilS suggestion Of this morning to ar
pirate with men not in our employ There
| are over 1900 loyal EMPLOYEES at work I'm
| and around the anthracite mines and since
| this conference has been called open threats
are current in that region that such men
VIII neither be permitted to work or live in
| that country. We are contendng for the
right of the American citizen to work with
| out regard to creed nationality or associa-
| ton TO seek to prevent this is a crime,
I and we cannot by Implication sanction such
| course. We ask the enforcement of law
and order in the state, that we be permit
| ted to deal with our employees free from
foreign interference, convinced that under
| such conditions we can fully perform our
| full duty to the pubica our owners and to
| our employees ] fully concur in the sug-
| gestion Of Mr.. Baer. which can be pursued
| in case of failure to agree with our en-
| ployes but In many years of such dealing 1t
| has never yet been requisite to call in as
sistanee to fairly and satisfactorily deal
| with our own men,.
John Markle's Statement.
Statement of Mr., John Markle. the indie
pendent coal mine operator:
| Il have listened With deep interest to the
| remarks that you made before a few min
utes after II O'Clock this morning and do
| thoroughly appreciate the seriousness Of the
| situa ton In the anthracite coal, field of
| Pennsylvania. AS you disclaim any right
OF duty to intervene in your official capaci-
| ty, but are using your personal influence,
| and as you admit this matter is beyond
| the merits of the issue between the coal
| presidents and operators on side and
| the miners on the other, and you expires the
| fact that the Situation has become literally
| intolerable.' and as you further state the
| evil possibilities are so far reaching so ap-
| palling. that it seems to me that you are
| not only justified in sinking but required to
| sink for the time being any tenacity as to
| your respective claims to the matter at
issue between you. In my judgment the sit
uation apparently requires that you meet
| upon the common claim of the necessities
| of the public. With all the earnestness in
| me I ask that there be immediate re-
| sumption of operations in the coal mines
| in some such way as will, without a days
| unnecessary delay meet the crying need Of
| the public
IT fully indorse these remarks from you
| and as an American citizen and a citizen
| of the commonwealth OF Pennsylvania
| now ask you to perform the duties vested in
| you as the President of these United States;
| to at once squelch the anarchistic condition
| Of affairs existing in the anthracite coal re.
| gions by the strong arm of the military at
| your command. record of twenty-ons
murders a long list of brutal assaults,
| houses and bridges dynamited. daily act OF
violence now taking place, and several wash
| cries burned down. are actual evidence of
this condition of lawlessness existing there.
| Are you asking US to deal with set Of out
laws? I can hardly conceive Of such a
thought The respectable citizens of these
United States will insist upon the officers
| in power giving to the citizens of Pennsyl-
| vania law and order, and the right to work
| If they so desire.
"Mr. President, represent the individual
| coal operators and in addition thereto we
a majority of the anthracite coal workers,
| including some seventeen thousand men
| who are now working, endeavoring against
| great odds to relieve the public of the pos
appeal to you Mr.. Mitchells organization
| Is a small minority OF the total number Of
| workers in the anthracite coal field and he
| is holding a large majority by intimidation,
coercion and attempts at bodily harm. If
| you desire anthracite coal to be placed in
| the market quickly. take the necessary
| steps at once and put the federal troops in
| the field, and give to those desiring to work
| proper protection. BY proper protection is
| meant that the men desiring to work shall
| not only be allowed to do 80, but shall be
| protected while doing do; at their homes,
while going to and from their work, and at
| the operations where they are employed;
| and in addition to this. while the men are
absent from their homes at work their fam
| lilies in their homes must also be protected.
You do this ther, citizens Of the United
States whom Irepresent seem to feel that
| they have a right to ask this of you) and
I will assure you that anthracite coal will
| be rapidly placed in the market to relieve
the seriousness of the situation.
please remember. Mr.. President, that
| there is large idle. class Of men now in the
anthracite coal fields taking every kind OF
unlawful act to prevent those who desire to
| work to relieve the situation in the anthra-
! cite coal market. Please remember, that in
the field now are only three Thousand Ma
| tional Guard; please remember that the to-
| tai National Guard Of the state of Pennsyl-
| vania is only about ten thousand.
| "Mr President. condition exists, not q
| theory, in the anthracite coal fields be-
tween a set of professional agitators and
their co-workers on the one side lamar
chistic In their acts), and the operators and
a majority of the workingmen on the other,