Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1902-10-10
1T ENDS in FAILURE.
Conference Over the Coal Question
Proves Futile.
President Mitchel's Offer to Arbi-
trntc Is FIatly Refused by Repre-
Senthtivcs of Opcrntors-Presi-
DENT Roosevelt disappointed.


trate Is FIatly Refused by Repre-
sentntivcs of Opcrntors-Presi-
DENT Roosevelt Disappointed.
Washington, Oct. 4. - The great
coal conference between the presi-
dent and representatives of the OPP
orators and the miners came to an
end at the temporary white house,
facing Lafayette square, at 4:55
o'clock Friday afternoon with fail
ure to reach an agreement. Appa-
rently the rock upon which the con-
ference split was a recognition of the
miners union. The president had
urged the contending parties to cease
strife in the interests of the public
welfare; the miners, through the
president of their union, had ex-
pressed willingness to submit diff
ferences to arbitration of tribunal
to be named by the president, and
to enter into an agreement to abide
by terms fixed by the arbitration
for period of from one to five years,
and the employers, through the pres
dents of the railroad and coal COM
panies and leading independent
mine operator, had squarely refused
arbitration, had denounced the
miners labor organization as law
less and anarchistic body with which
they could and would have no deal
ings, had demanded federal troops
to ensure complete protection to
workers and their families in the
st,ir Il
ings against the miners union, and
had offered if the men returned to
work to submit grievances at individ-
ual collieries to the decision of the
judges of the court of common pleas
for the district of Pennsylvania in
which the colliery was located. There
the matter closed. Both the miners
and the operators are still in the
city, but to-day they return to their
several localities, each saying at n
late hour that the struggle will con-
tinue.
No Middle Ground Possible.
What, if anything, will result from
the conference, is for the indefinite
future. The views of the contenders
in the great industrial struggle were
so extreme and wide apart that there
was no middle ground possible and so
the conference came to an end without
any agreement for its continuation
The conference had lasted six hours
including a recess of three hours be-
tween the morning and afternoon ses.
sions, taken to enable the miners and
operators to prepare written responses
to the presidents appeal. The imme.
diate parties to the strike say they will
continue as heretofore. What course
| the administration will take next nc
one is prepared to say. One of the
operators as he left the white house
with closely set jaw was asked regard,
ing this and replied: "If any one knows
what the president will do next, that
is more than / know" 1t was an
nounced at the white house that the
president had no comment to make or
the conference.
Conference Ends.
The operators made it plain thai
they would not listen to any PROPOSE
tion emanating from Mr.. Mitchell. i
was five minutes to five o'clock wheI
the conference ended. The operator,
came downstairs and held brief con
sultation and then left in their car
riages for their train, where they me
number of newspaper men, to whom
they furnished copies of the statement
they had made to the president.
| Statement by Mitchell.
| During the evening President Mitch
ell, of the Mine Workers union, die
tated d formal statement concerning
the proceedings of the conferenc,
and its results, in which he an
nounced that the strike would con
tinue as n result of the failure of tn,
conference. /.
Little Hope In Legal Action.
The president is naturally disap
pointed at the failure of his well-meant
efforts to bring about a settlement oi
the strike, but he is not discoura ged
1t is true he has little faith in tn,
possibility of legal action, and equally
remote is the likelihood of the EN-
ployment of force. Until the stat,
authorities confess their inability t,
cope with the situation, federal fore,
cannot be eXerted.
Congress May he Called.
With legal action impossible an,
military force out of the ques tion
there still remains to the presidcn
the power to convene congress in eX
traordinary session, and it would no
be surprising if this extreme remed,
should be resorted to, even upon tn,
eve OF an election. just what con
gress could or would do is as yet
matter of surmise. a law enforcin,
compulsory arbitration would not b.
unconstitutional, and in the presen
state of public feeling would .b
passed by congress in almost IN
twinkling of an eye.
Suggestions of Eminent Domain.
There are suggestions of even NOR
radical measures, such as the exer
else of the right of eminent domain
in the coal region or the appoint