Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-10-15

Iron Company; E. B. Thomas, chairman
Pennsylvania Coal Company, Hillside
Coal and Iron Company; w. Fl. Trues'
dale, president Delaware, Lackawanna
and Western Railroad Company; I. P.
Fowler, president Scranton Coal Com
pany, Elk Hill Coal and Iron Company;
R. M. olyphant, president Delaware
and Hudson Company; Alfred Walters,
president Lehigh Valley Coal Company.
HOW PROPOSITION Is RECEIVED.
President Mitchell last night issued
the following statement:
II fully appreciate with what anxiety
the people of our country are awaiting
the end OF the coal strike. The coal
operators have not addressed the miners
union or Its officers In making their pub
lie statement. 1t is therefore impossible
for me to state the attitude of the
miners at this time. l am now, as l
always have been, deeply solcitous for
the interests of the public and the well
fare OF the mine workers who have been
on strike for the past five months. A
formal statement defining our position
and intentions will be issued just as
soon as we are In possession of the full
meaning of the proposition of the opera
tors"
Among the strikers there is much op-
position to the proposal of the opera
tors. They consider 1t more plan Of
dictation than arbitration. When Presi-
dent Mitchell proposed to President
Roosevelt that the miners were willing
to submit all their differences to arbitra-
tIon he did not dsine the classes and
the professions OF the men to compose
1t, and the strikers generally denounce
the clauses classifying these men.
Three clauses were objected to.
They are:
The operators proposal to have men
Of certain specified professions appoint
ed arbitrators instead Of allowing Presi-
dent Roosevelt to choose them without
dlctation.
The clause declaring that the finding
OF the commission shall be in force for
three years. The strikers approve al
lowing the commission to fix the time.
That the finding be operative from
the day the miners return to work, in
stead of the operators proposal to have
the commission fix the time for its be-
ginning.
From Washington 1t is announced
that the terms proposed by the opera
tors are regarded as nsolent In tone and
manifest spirit of opposition to the
mine workers which might we'll afford
the latter ground for suspicion. But
for all this they have placed their
case In the hands OF the president, and
the president expects the mine workers
to place their confidence In him.
There is strong intimation at the
capital that the operators will not insist
upon defining the character of the COM
mission II It obstructs the way to set
Element. II President Mitchell and the
Mine Workers accept the proposition Of
the operators, the president will an
nounce the commission as soon as he
can obtain the acceptance OF the men
selected.
MARKLE REFUSED TO SURRENDER.
All the anthracite presidents were In
New York city yesterday. They and
the whole business community are wait
ing to sec what President Mitchell will
do. The operators feel that, they were
compelled to bow to the gathering storm
OF public opinion, and some are sore and
angry. On the other hand, they think
their proposition has shaped a situation
which had become untenable for them
In way which puts Mitchell and the
United Mine Workers at disadvantage
1t was learned that John Markle posi-
lively refused to agree to the PROPOSE
tion. The club of corporation interests
raised by J. Pierpont Morgan over the
heads of objecting presidents could not
be used with effect on Markle, and he
stubbornly declined to sign the paper.
When asked why he did not stand with
his associates Mr.. Marke said
81 have nothing to say. don't think,
so ask me no questions"