The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-18

Last night Mr.. Mitchell WlreQ the
ing reply to the President:
Dear Sir-I am in receipt of your tele-
gram of Oct 16, which reads as follows:
Replying thereto, | beg to inform
you that your recommends tons were sub
mitted TO the members of the executive
boards of Districts l. and United Mine
Workers OF America, and they nave unani-
mously agreed to call delegate convention
to be held next Monday. and will recon-
mend to the convention that all men now
on strike return to the positions and work.
ing places formerly occupied by them, and
submit to the commission appointed by you
all questions at issue between the opera
tors and mine workers of the anthracite
coal fields.
"In connection with this subject We are
glad to know that the managers of the
coal companies have decided to recede from
the untenable position which they so long
occupied. and accept a modified PROPOSE
ton for the arbitration of the coal strike
and to give you full latitude In the selec-
bered that we proposed on Oct. to place
the whole matter In your hands and to &C
cept verdict of tribunal or your own
selection. 1t will also be remembered that
the company managers at that time
refused to accept the arbitrament OF
the President of the United States
and preferred that OF the local
commonplace judges. We proposed to
leave everything to you without condition
or reservation. having the utmost faith in
your impartiality and good judgment. In
their refusal to accept gO'd re-
accountable for the very conditions which
you were trying to remedy, and to in
struct you as to your duties concerning
them.
Eight days later they again appeared
before you, dropping the Common Pleas
judges, and proposing to abide by the de-
cision Of a tribunal appointed by you, but
att tn iha wi
narrow limits the character and vocation
OF the men you were to name. TO this
proposition, as the operators made 1T. we
were unalterably opposed. First, because
our respect for you as man, and our
ideas as to what is due to the dignity or
your office, demanded that we should not
be a party to a request of you TO accept
this great responsibility accompanied by
detailed and impertinent restrictions as to
the manner in which you should meet IT;
second. because careful analysis of their
proposition disclosed to us, as it did to you
and the public, that the restrictions were
too narrow to enable you to secure under
them well-balanced and thoroughly i'm
partial tribunal.
MINERS GRATEFUL.
But now that you have yourself removed
these objections by broadening and
strengthening the commission we feel con-
fident that our convention will declare its
willingness to have all questions between
the employing companies and the IS per
cent. of their employees, who are members
of our organization, determined by the
board of eminent and impartial men chosen
by you. We feel grateful to you, Mr.. Presi-
dent. for the patriotic efforts which you
have made to bring about an honorable set
Element of the strike; efforts which you
continued despite the remarkable spirit and
conduct which you at first found in the
company managers.
1--WE were in a position to sympathiZe
with you, inasmuch We had long been
forced to endure arrogant insults and false
witness from the same source. Our graft
tude Is due to you and to the American peo-
pie and the press who have supported you
and us in the long struggle which We hope
is now about to close. During all these long
months in which our motives have been
assailed, we have refrained from saying
any word or taking any action which would
tend to render reconciliation more difficult,
but now 1t becomes a duty to defend our
selves against the ISLANDERS which have
been heaped upon us, and to proclaim
| that we have from the first favored practi-
cally the method which is now employed to
break the deadlock.
IF our proffer of arbitration or impair
tial investigation had been accepted six
months ago, instead of now there need
eager. Mr.. President, to respond to the peo-
pies demand for coal that during the pro-
gress Of the strike we have more than
once offered arbitration. but we have in
| variably been met with the reply, We
| will not permit outsiders to dictate to US in
the management of our affairs. We have
| ayers of the companies have been COM
PEELED by you and a thoroughly aroused
public conscience to recede from this posi-
| ton, we are proud that the firmness and
| the heroic endurance of our men and wom-
| en- in support of their rights and of a
vital American principle, have won the
OPERATORS FORGIVEN.
| 1.-THE poor. underpaid mine workers of
these coal regions, who toll hard from
early morning until late at night for a
livelihood nobly supported by organized
labor in this and other lands. have taught
| these corporation managers useful lesson
| in civic and social duty. We exult over
these tributes to the dignity of labor. be-
cause it is the triumph of right and of good
| public policy. We do not, however, exult
over our opponents; we appeal to them now
| as we have from the first, to turn their eyes
to the future and to cooperate with us in
| an effort to establish better relations be-
| tween employer and employees for the ad-
| vantage of both. We forgive them their ar
| rogant refusal to deal with us, and in this
| hour when they are forced to acknowledge
| their inability to operate their mines with
| out our consent and cooperation We hold
| out the right hand of friendship and ask
| them to join with us in securing AMIGA BILE
| relations and wholesome conditions in this
| region.
1--WE forgive them even the false accusa-
| ton which they have made against US They
| charged us with being criminals, rioters
| and Anarchists, and our organization they
| denounced as 1awless and irresponsible
| They know, and did know that their
charges were untrue and without founda-
| ton, in fact. They knew that every officer
| of the United Mine Workers, from the
its membership the imperative need of re-
| speeding the law, that every man who com
| mits a deed of violence is an enemy TO oul
cause has been our watchword. Despite
| these admonitions, supported WITH all oul
influence, there have been a few crimes
| and a number of misdemeanors chargeabls
to those on strike. But Mr.. President, We
| make the unqualified declaration that tn,
| imported guardians of law and order, the
| companies coal and iron police. have com
| mitted more unprovoked murders durinf
this strike than can be charged to the grea
| army of men who have been in idleness fo
| the past five months. We have repeatedly
| and in language not susceptible OF miscon
struction. condemned transgressions of Law
| on the part of those on strike; we chal
| lenge the coal companies TO point one pub
lie utterance on their part in which the,
have even deprecated violence committe,
by their hired guards.
UNFAIR AND UNMANLY.
I'VE declare that 1t was unfair and un
manly for the coal road presidents to in
suit us while we were your guests ant
charge our organization with responsible!
for acts of lawlessness during the strike
1t would be just as logical TO charge tn