The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-10-09
PRESIDENT FAILED
TO SETTLE STRIKE
Conference Between Coal Miners ard
Mine Owners a Failure.
1T is NOW A FIGHT TO A FINISH
Mr.. Roosevelt Urged Both Sides to
Settle Their Differences In the In.
terest of the Public welfare.

Washington. Specialize great coal
conference between the President aad
representatives OF the operators and
the miners, came to al end at the tenn
porary White House. facing Lafayette
Square. at ass O'Clock Friday after
noon. with a failure 90 reach an agree
ment. Apparently the rock upon which
the conference split vas recognition OF
the miners union. The PrCsiden: haG
urged the c~ontsndiIg parties TO cease
strife in the interests Of the public vel
fare; the miners. through the president
of their union. had expressed q will
lingneSs to submit differences TO the
arbitration of q tribunal to be named
by the President and to enter into an
agreement to abide by the terms fixed
by the arbitration foT 4 period of from
one to five years, and the employers.
through the presidents Of the railroad
and coal companies, and a leading indie
pendent mine operator. had squarely
refused arbitration. had denounced the
miners labor organization as a lawless
and a~narchistic body, with which they
could and would have. no dealings; had
demanded Federal troops 10 ensure
complete protection to workers and
their families in the mining region and
court proceedings against the miners
union. and had offered, if the men re-
turned to work. 20 submit grievances at
individual colliories to the decision o.
the judges OF the Court Of Common
Pleas for the district OF Pennsylvania.
In which the coliiery was located.
There the matter closed.
1t was q remarkable chapter in the
economical history OF the country that
was written. For the first time the
President of the republic had inter-
vened directly between the great forces
Of capitsl and labor in an effort to avert
what he himself regarded as a great
controversy face to face with the whole
country eagerly intent Upon and watch
full Of their doings. Technically, the
issues between the two great forces
stand as they did before the President
summoned the representatives of the
contending forces to the national cap
ital. and forgetting his " acute suf-
fering besoIght them for love of the
country wherein they dwelt and out Of
pity for the countless throng Of suffer-
ing poor, to adjust their differences and
work together in peace for the Com
monwealth. What, il anything, will re-
suit from the conference Is for the in
definite future.
Fhe conference opened a few minutes
after IL o'clock and two sessions were
held.
The immediate parties to the strike
say they will continue as heretofore.
Nyho orr kh4 :.I-a Ill.
take next no one is prepared to say.
One OF the operators, Is he left the
White House with closely set jaw, was
asked regarding this and replied: "If
any n knows what the President will
do not, that is o than l know"
Fourteen men, including the Presi-
dent, were in the second story in the
room at the temporary White House
during the monentous conference.
President Mitchell and three Of his dis
trict leaders represented the miners
and five railroad men and one indie
pendent mine operator the employers.
With the President were Attorney Gen
eral Knox, Commissioner of Labor
Wright and Secretary C%ortelyou. AL!
the cabinet, save Attorney General
Knox, kept aloof during the conference,
but between the two meetings and af-
terward several Of the Presidents ad-
visers called upon him to talk owe the
situation. What took place at the meet
Ing is set out in ample statements made
by each side and given out to the press
by themselves and also officially at the
White House.
During the conference the President
listened to both sides with the greatest
eagerness. Immediately after its ad.
journment, his physicians, Surgeon
General Rixey and DR.. Lung, insisted
on making an examination Of his
wound and redressing it. Apparently
mo Ill effects had resulted from the
excitement Of the day, and at a later
call, at 8 o'clock, Dr.. Lung announced
that the Presidents condition was sat
is~factory.
The Presidents statement is as fol-
lows:
u wish to call your attention to the
fact that there are three parties af-
fected by the situation in the anthra-
cite trades-the operators, the miners
and the general public. l speak for
neither the operators nor the miners.
: out Tor the general public. The QueS-
lions at issue which led to the trouble
between the operators and the miners,
n the situation itself vitality affects
the public. AS long as there seemed to
be a reasonable hope that these mat
tiers could be adjusted between thin it
did not seem proper to me to inter-
vene. l disclaim any right or duty to
intervene in this way upon legal
grounds or upon any ground other than
on account Of the nature Of the catas-
trophe to a large portion Of our people
IN the winter fuel famine, which Is
staring us in the face, | believe that
my duty requires ne to use whatever
influence l personally can TO bring to
an end a situation whic has become lit
orally intolerabie. | wish to emphasize
the character Of the situation and to
say that its gravity is such that | an
constrained urgently to insist that essa
n Of you realize the heavy burden of
responsibility upon you. We are upon
the threshold Of winter with an already
4~fck,n~ 1~al -