The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-21
ALL NEWSPAPER MEN ARE
 ALLOWED ID STAY IN HALL
Mitchell Makes Impressive Speech and Concludes With Plea to Men to Accept Plan Proposed
 By the President.
VGLKEsBARRE. Pa, october 2o.-

NAAM The anX1ouSly aWdiltu SOhfSAA7 HW ton of the 145oOO striking miners met today but did not reach vote on the proposed plan of settlement. It is expected to do so tomorrow.
 There were 6e2 delegates present in the Nesbitt theatre where the convention was held, and they were empowered by their local unions to cast S67 votes for or against President Roosevelts proposed plan of arbitration. The great majority of the delegates were uninstructed, the few who were not being engineers, fire men and pumpmen, who fear that the five thousand strikers of those classes may not get back their old places now held by non-union men. This question of the engineers, firemen and pumpmen proved the only stumbling block in the way of almost immediate adoption of the Presidents plan, which carries with it resumption of work.
 At one time today it seemed certain that the convention was about to adopt the recommendation of President Mitchell to end the strike, but the steam mens plea was too earnest and the final vote went over until tomorrow when it is next to certain the vote to declare the strike off will show big majority for it.
 The leaders of the strikers, except MT. Mitchell, were hardly hearG at all in the convention today. the anxious engineers being allowed to give full expression to their feelings. But tomorrow it is pre- dicted the leaders will be heard and one of them, a high district officer, said tonight there would not be more than fifteen votes recorded against the plan which the President of the United States has proposed and which all the highest officials of the mine workers in this re- zion earnestly have recommended.
 Two Sessions Held.
 There were two sessions, forenoon and afternoon, today, and the net result was permanent organization with MT. Mitchell in the chair and his speech lay ing the Presidents plan before the dele gates. his eloquent impromptu speech ad- vooatng it's adoption and another on the appointment of a committee on resolu- tions. This committee. as MT. Mitchell said to the delegates, would prepare formal statement to the public telling fully and carefully why the convention
 
 should so decide; and why the strike was declared off, if that was the outcome of their deliberations.
 The question before the convention when it adjourned for the day was on the adoption of the resolution embodied in President Mitchelrs opening speech to call off the strike and leave all questions to the Presidents commission. The sur prise of the convention today was the de- cision to admit newspaper men 10 all the sessions, open or executive, when even union miners waiting by the hundreds on the outside could not get into the the atre. Twice the newspaper men won a victory by big majorities. First when a petition from them asking to be allowed to remain, motion to grant the request was carried, and later when a motion was made to reconsider the first vote to admit them. The pleas which won were that the reporters represented the peo- ple: that public opinion had helped the strikers, and that the best way to get an accurate report of this convention of im- mediate and vast national import was to let the press representatives stay there on the spot. Even the suggestion of press committee of delegates to give the news to the correspondents was turned down by the convention.
 Nichols Opens Session.
 District President T. D. Nichols of Scranton called the convention into ses- sion at 10:20 twenty minutes after the time set for it's beginning. On account Of pressure of business at strike headquar- ters President Mitchell was unable to be present until the afternoon session. The call for the convention was read and the district secretaries, John T. Dempsey or Scranton, John P. Gallagher of HazIeton and George Hartlein of Shamokin were apponted committee on credentials Owing to the late arrival of some of the delegates the reports were not quite com ,,lete and it was decided to proceed no Further until the reports were corrected and passed upon finally by the conven- lion. All this consumed about forty-five minutes. The work of this committee was done in an hour. The routine pro- ceedings were followed by singing, the suggestion having been made that the convention be entertained for a while by some of the sweet Welsh singers of the orcanization" A delegate from the Wy eming valley caused a storm of esthusi- asm by singing song entitled Give Three Cheers for Mitchell for the Strike That We Have Won" Songs ana short speeches by other delegates followed. and the striking mine workers Tor the time being seemed to have forgotten thefr troubles. At 1O:45 adjournment was taken 1lntil o'clock in the afternoon.
 The afternoon session began at 2:10 f'alock with only the accredited dele