New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-04
40 AGREEnENT

10 AGREEMENT
The conference over the coal strike arranged
10y President Roosevelt ended without even an
approach 10 an agreement. aud it has 10 be adj
mitted that the resulting correspondence does
not otfer much hope OF an agreement hereafter.
Yet as we shall point out, there is one sugges-
tiOn in Mr.. Baer's letter which contains such a
possibility. The Presidents preliminary adj
dress 10 his visitors was well fitted TO deepen
their sense of the gravity of the occasion, and
if any faint Of selfish obduracy survived among
them TO remove that obstacle 10 a fulflment of
has desire He simply expressed the belief that
hiS duty required him 60 exercise his personal
influence ITO end situation which has become
intolerable"-the personal inference. that is TO
say, which actually and properly belongs to a
President of the United States at all times, and
in an extraordinary degree when. wholly indie
pendent of political and official relations. he
speaks in the name and interest Of the general
public The word "intOlerable" is often used
carelessy TO define situation which is incOn-
Venient but can be borne In this instance il
was used with sober precision, and those who
heard ii from the Presidents lips are without
excuse if they failed 10 recognize the weight il
carried.
i'm the day evidence that some OF the operators
do not fully comprehend the responsibility they
bear, the extraordinary and unprecedented
crisis which confrOnts the country, and the ap-
palling calamity which is imminent. There is
cold logic in their demand that order shall be
restored and the law enforced i'm the mining re-
gions by the employment of all the military re-
sources which may be requisite for that pur-
pose. We have said often. and now repeat. that
the conditions existing there are an outrage and
a disgrace 10 Pennsylvania and that they ought
10 be ended forthwith by the armed forces Of
that State. But il appears 20 us that the Oper-
atOrs assume more than they can prove when
they charge deliberate. direct and criminal re-
spOnsibility for those conditions upon the strik-
ers as a body and the union management.
Adopting that posture they absolutely refused
to have any dealings whatsoever with Mr..
Mitchell looking toward a settlement Of the
issue. and consequently 20 accept or even con
slider his proposition. Now. the proposition
which Mr. Mitchell made was that the case
should he submitted 10 arbitratOrs chosen by
President Roosevelt. and that. pending their de
cision. if the operators would agree 10 abide by
IT, work. having been begun at once (by decree
of a miners conventions detail sure TO be ac-
complshedl. should continue at the old scale Of
hours and wages. Except in a remote sense
that would not he a recognition OF the union. in
asmuch as the union would take no part in con
stituting a board Of arbitration. II would seem
inclv satisfy the demand made only two or
three DAYS ago IN his second letter 10 Mr..
Mitchell by Mr.. Abram s. Hewitt. a large en-
ployer Of miners a man Of the clearest intelli-
cence and stanch defender Of property rights.
There can be little doubt that Mr.. Mtchelrs
offer will be generally regarded as fair, and
that the curt refusal Of the operators even 10
take il into consideration will be as generally
condemned The public has rights Of an i'm
perative character. one of them If that order
shall he restored and peace preserved in Penn
sylvania. The other is that coal shall be mined.
The former ought 10 be defended instantly and
continuously. without regard 70 the latter. But
il Is clear that peace and order would he re-
stored AT once if Mr.. Mitchell's offer were
cepted, and that AT the same time coal would
he mined at the highest possible rate Of pro-
duction That Is the practical fact which In
tensely concerns the country, and unless we are
much mistaken the country will say that the
sure and immediate means of meeting an
overwhelming necessity ought to have been
adopted.
We said AT the outset that n possibility of
relief was suggested in the correspondence II
= ltuiN III Alt DIbl1oNal Oh AfSlAeAt DacA "
the Reading Railway. 10 which the other OPP
orators assented that, Mr.. Roosevelt sum
marizes il. If any man chose 10 resume work
land had a difficulty with his employer. both
should leave the settlement Of the question to
the judge of the Court OF Common Pleas Of the
district in which the mine was located" This
in semblance may be regarded as an Offer OF
arbitration, though we do not know whether
Mr.. Baer so regards IT, IL IL looks only TO an
indefinite succession OF individual applications
and decisions il means little or nothing under
existing circumstances. But it appears 20 us
that the Presidents understanding OF its mean
ing differs from the Interpretation which may
fairly be put upon these words, appearing in
Mr.. Baer's statement as given 10 the press over
his signature; IF the employers and employees
at any particular cOlliery cannot reach sat
''isfactory adjustment Of any alleged grievance
Iii shall be referred to the judges of the Court
'Of Common Pleas OF the district in which the
'colliery is situated for final determination" In
that declaration we should be glad TO discern
the basis Of an equitable settlement
But whether continuation Of the deadlock is
inevitable or not one thing is imperative-the
reign OF law. Governor Stones duty remains
what it has always been. We trust he viii dis
charge il more faithfully hereafter.
THE IRISH OUTLOOK.