Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-15
CALL OFFER UNFAIR
Miners UnOfiCiGlly Declare Arbitration
Proposal Framed To Undo UniSn.
WANT W0RKlNGMAN PUT ON COMMISSION
Say Operators Must Have Representative BY
Terms and Union Ehould klss,
eoMPERs VOICES COMPLAINT IN CIRCULAR
Picks Many Holes in Offer and Calls IL
Insult to President.
| Mr.. MITCHELL KEEPS ABSOLUTE SILENCE
VIII Confer with Lieutenpnts and Mag
Take Vote or submit Counter
|
Say Operators Must Have Representative BY
Terms and Union Should klse
VOICES COMPLAINT IN CIRCULAR
Picks Many Holes in Offer and Calls IL
Insult to President.
Mr.. MITCHELL KEEPS ABSOLUTE SILENCE
VIII Confer with Lieutenpnts and Mag
Take Vote or submit Counter
Proposition for strike Set
Element to Roosevelt.

wILKEsBARRE, Pa, Oct. 1I-From .
thorough canvass OF the situation as It
exists tonight, there is every indication
that the new arbitration plan proposed
by the presidents OF the coal companies
for ending the miners strike will not be
accepted in it's present form. There Is
a division OF opinion among the strikers.
but there is no doubt that a majority feel
a commission selected along the lines sug-
gested by the operators will notSbe fair as
the president is unduly limited in making
II up.
The miners, It Is safe TO say, however,
will abide the advice Of their national pres
ident. in whose judgment they have the
utmost confidence. President Mitchell de-
clines to say how he personally looks upon
the proposition. but tonight he gave to the
press the following statement:
Il fully appreciate with what anxiety
the people of our country are awaiting
the end OF the coal strike. The coal opera
tors have not addressed the miners union
or its officers in making their public state
ment 1t is therefore impossible for me
to state the attitude OF the miners at this
time.
'I am now, as 1 have always been. deeply
solicitous Of the interests Of the public
and the welfare OF the mine workers who
have been on strike for the last Ave months.
formal statement defining our positions
and intentions will be issued just as soon
as we are in possession Of the full meaning
OF tine proposition Of the operators"
This statement was made at 8 o'clock,
after a silence lasting all day. He had no
intention of making it until the corre-
spondents representing newspapers all
over the country called on him in body
and informed him that the general public
desired to have an answer to the propo-
sition OF the operators.
He was afterward asked many questions
regarding the attitude OF the men ana the
probability Of the acceptance or rejection
of the new offer. but he had no reply to
make. He denied that he had any bnowl-
edge Of what the new offer Of the OperAtoFs
was until 1t became public property and
also denied that he was In telephone COM
| munication with President Roosevelt.
His attention was called to the fact that
most of the information from Washington
indicated that the proposition would be ac-
cepted and that the strike was near an
end but be stoutly maintained that neither
his officers nor rank and file Of the men
had done anything to cause such an i'm
preston.
Fnhy Not Buying Gold Bricks.
The district presidents also maintain ST.
lence as TO their personal opinion on the
proposition, excepting President Fahy. who.
after he arrived from Boston today. in
reply to a query said: THE strike can
not be settled without the consent OF the
men. We are not dealing in gold bricks
Of any kind, and you can make any deduc-
tion from this that you want"
There will be a conference tomorrow be-
tween Mr.. Mitchell, the three district pres
idents and Secretary Treasurer Wilson. BY
this time 1t is expected the sentiment Of
all the strikers will be known and action
will be taken accordingly.
There is talk Of a convention being called
but there is nothing definite on which tC
base this idea
When Mr.. Mitchell was asked II he and
the district officers had power to end the
strike, he said that 1t is a rule OF the or
ganization that no settlement can be made
by the officers of the union without Jh'
consent of a delegate convention.
1t is practically certain that Mr.. NTH
ellis advice will be followed In the con
ference, and while he has not said word al
to what he will do. IL is freely predicted
by those who understand the situation
that he will advise a refusal Of the propo
sition.
The rank and file OF the miners view
the new proposal In different lights. ThOs
who are opposed to accepting the offer
look upon the operators move as a counte
proposition to Mr.. Mitchell's offer to ar
bitrate made in the White House at Wash
ington. They compare the two offers an,
pick out what they allege to be many flaws
Their greatest objection is that the opera
tors dictate to the president from wha
"a -. N..NN -
and they charge the operators with lac
Of faith towards the president when the
do not give him a free hand.
Another objection to II is that the pres
ident is limited to four men in selectin
the jurist on the commission. Neither ar
, they sure, they say, that labor would b
represented, because the proposal doe
not specifically say so and they add tina
they have no assurance that "a man c
prominence, eminent as a soeiologist
; would cover this objection.
: Many OF the strikers think the proposi
tion ahould be accepted and that the
should trust TO President Roosevelt to d
the best he can under the conditions lai
down by the coal road presidents. An al
gument was made by one miner at the HaI
hotel today that Mr.. Mitchell could nj
we'll afford to turn down the propositio
after already onering 70 permit the pres
. dent to select the members Of the com
mission. He thought the president woul
appreciate the trust put in him and 90
; that the miners had fair play. Others
the same class thought that not much hsrl
could be done by accepting the propos
j. tion. but that in the end much good Woul
/ result.
/. There is still a third view held by miner
J; and that is 10 refuse 10 accept the pIa
n offered and make a counter proposition en-
d bodying some OF the suggestions contains
IN the operators offer.
One proposition suggested was that u
N operators. the miners and the presidei
each select a number OF men to act as
board. This was mentioned TO PTesidel
m Mitchell, but he would make no CONNER
on It.
Comparing President Mitehell's offer ma,
C, TO the president OF the United States u
DAYS ago with that OF the operators ma