Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-08
TELEPHONES.
coal STRIKE SITUATION.

In the White House conference oSei .ie
,oa1 question last week the operators ~
.o,ent,v said to the President, in effect
,,,.. 81 he would do his duty. and take
Federal military possession OF lhe feiiii-
sylvania fields they would be aoie 10
resume mining. and that this they wouio
do. They claimed that they could secure
sufficient miners to work the mines II nc
men were ranteed protection also ula'
many Of the men on strike were ANXIOUS
4 - rc+,,rn ~ work hut were terrcrlzed INTO
tdIeness by the strike managers. ana iheii
sellow-miners who were under the more
immediate influence Of the leaders. But
she President declined to violate his oa1n
of Office and the Constitution. lie recos-
nized that there was no CONSTITUENCIES
warrant for Federal Initiative interfer-
ence.
Now, however. Governor Stone is throw
ing the whole military force OF his state
INTO the coal regions. He has taken
step which the operators lmportuned inc
President to tale-nay. even tried to bni-
6oze him into taking-and which they
E affirmed would enable them to secure all
I The mine labor that might be needed. The
ii presumption is that the military OF Penn
syIvania is ample to give protection 10
all miners who desire to go to work, but
sc it IS not Governor Stone can call upon
the President for reinforcements and 1t
will be the duty of the latter to furnish
d Them. With such a call the inhibition
to the ground.
We should hate to see it come to that
complexion bu. the situation is as stat
I'd, and hence there is no reason to doubt
y that the operators will speedily have an
opportunity to prove their claim. If Gov
error Stone carries out his announced
policy they unquestionahly will have.
But can they prove it? Have they not
reckoned without their host in asserting
that the only bar to resumption OF min
ing was fear on the part of large major
ity OF the miners? We shall see II
W sterday's advices from the side Of the
miners are correct the enforcement of
peace will bring the strike no nearer
settlement than it has been from the be-
ginning And il the operators fail to
establish their claim that they would be
able to resume under military protection,
they will not have helped their cause
with the TAXPAYERS of Pennsylvania.
coal fields do not seem to afford any rea-
son for believing that the miners are not
as determined as ever not to yield to the
requirements Of the operators.
Yet in the meantime President Roosevelt
has appealed to Mr.. Mitchell. president of
The United Mine Workers to in
duce the miners to return to work imme-
iiately, promising that in that event he
will at once appoint a Commission to in
vestigate thoroughly into all the matters
at issue between the operators and min
ers and will do all within his power to
obtain a settlement of these questions
in accordance with the recommendations
OF the commission Without entering
again upon discussion Of the demands
Of either side and the principles for
which each is contending. we could wish
to see Mr.. Mitchell respond favorabiy to
the appeal. That would appear the quick
est and best way of relieving public dis
1ress. and it does not seem that it would
necessarily involve any sacrifice OF prin-
| cple on the part of those he represents
\ it would increase popular sympathy with
The miners and put the operators more
han ever on the defensive, with the re-
suit that In the long run public sentiment
would force the operators to do justice. In
our view AR. Mitchell has an opportunity
to perform great public duty and SER
vice. and score moral victory for the
mine-workers. which would be far-reach-
ing IN the way of permanently benenung
that class.