The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-02
Five Coal Road Mngnates and One
independent Operator Included
I'm the Presidents List.
NO OUTSIDERS WILL ATTEND
HEART-TO-HEART TALK EXPECTED
TO HAVE GOOD RESULTS.
other Phases Of the Coal situation
> Throughout the Country-Conditions
In the Anthracite Field.

WASHINGTON. Oct 1.-President Roose-
welt will make an effort to bring the an
thracite coal miners and their striking en-
ployes together in the interest of the pub
lie good. This conclusion was reached
after a series Of conferences with his Cab
met advisers covering yesterday and to-
day. The decision was arrived at when
the lawyers of the Cabinet informed the
President that there was no way, under
the Constitution and the form of govern
ment of the United States, for federal in
tervention to end the strike. Every phase
of the situation was canvassed and the
determination to have the mine operators
and President Mitchell meet the President
was reached when it was found that no
other method was open. At the conclusion
of the conference to-day, which was at
tended by Secretaries Root. Shaw and
Moody. Attorney General Knox and Post
master General Payne, at the temporary
White House. the following statement was
issued, in the form of letter in duplicate,
addressed to George f. Baer, president
Reading Railway system, Philadelphia; w.
III. Truesdale, president Delaware & Lack
awanna Railway Company. 26 Exchange
place. New York; E. B. Thomas, chairman
of the board. Erie Railway Company, p
CortIandt street. New York: Thomas p.
Fowler. president New York, Ontario G.
Western Railroad Company. 66 Beaver
street, New York; E. NJ. Oliphant. presi-
dent Delaware & Hudson, New York-and
John Markle, 81 West Thirty-fourth street,
New York:
II would greatly like to you on Fri
day next, Oct. 3. at IL o'clock a. m, here
in Washington, in regard to the failure of
the coal supply, which has become a mat
ter of vital concern to the whole Nation
1 have sent similar dispatch to Mr.. John
Mitchell. president of the United Mine
Workers of America.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
The following letter was sent to John
Mitchell president of the United Mine
Workers of America, wilkesbarre Pa:
IT should greatly like to see you on FRI
day next. Oct. 3, at IL o'clock a. m, here
in Washington in regard to the failure of
the coal supply, which has become a matter
of vital concern to the whole Nation.
have sent a similar dispatch to the presi-
dents Of the anthracite coal companies.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
LINE OF APPROACH.
At the meeting on Friday the line of ap-
proach toward the settlement Of the strike
will be an appeal by President Roosevelt
to both sides to come together as men and
not to allow false pride or feeling of OBJ
stinacy to stand in the way of the termina-
ton OF the great strike. which is fraught
with such threats OF misery to thousands
of people. 1t is stated by one of the Presi-
dents advisers that beyond this the Presi-
dent cannot go. He has no powers of COM
pulsion to bring into play against either
49,
abilities OF his appeals to their sense of
humanity II anything tangible is to be ac-
complished.
The President intends to lay before his
hearers the situation as 1t appears to him.
with all the prospective horrors that will
follow fuel famine, and will urge them
I'm the interests of humanity to open the
mines and supply the demand for coal. The
President has taken this action because he
feels IL 20 be his duty to do as the
executive head OF a nation threatened with
great peril. The President has in a sense
taken on himself the burdens of an arbi-
traitor In this great dispute between capital
and labor. and though the arbitration Is
not cImPurSoly con n - anu rhs, - NOT even known un-
invitations issued to-day. IL is the hone of
the President and his advisers that ii will
be effective Just how one can saw
though there Is the suggestion of a tenn
porary arrangement which will tide over
the cold weather.
IL is stated by a member of the Cabinet
that there Is no political purpose in this
EFFORT but that the President is moved to
exert his influence solely in the interests
OF the people In the other ATTEMPTS IN ia
said. the operators felt that politics was
the most prominent motive.
In this connection the story Is revived of
the settlement OF the strike in 1900. The
operators claim that when that strike was
settled under stress of a political exigency
the way was paved for the present strike
They also claim that the strikers have
hoped that political influence would again
be exerted in their behalf and the operators
compelled to make further concessions.
The efforts OF Senator'S Quay and Penrose.
of Pennsylvania. and Senator Platt OF New
York. and Governor Stone. of Pennsylvania
have been pointed out a verification of
the claim of the operators All this they
have asserted Is due TO the settlement
which was made in 1900. All these various
questions have been discussed during the
past few days. together with the legal sit
uation and the power of the federal ad-
mnistratfon in the premises and the con-
clusion was reached that the President
could do more by bringing the interested
parties together than in any other way.
NO OUTSIDERS
There will be one present at Fridays
meeting at the temporary White House but
the principals. II is true that Friday is
Cabinet day and that II o'clock, the hour
appointed in the invitations for the meet
ings OF the magnates. is the usual hour of
assembling of the Cabinet but according TO
the present understanding that Cabinet
meeting will be postponed The purpose of
the President is plainly TO relieve the in
vited guests from the feeling Of reserve that
might naturally be created IL they appeared
before the whole Cabinet. including some
exceedingly clever lawyers whom the coal
people might not TO meet in a busi-
ness way i'm the absence of their own legal
advisers. So the absence OF the Cabinet
Uill give the President an opportunity to