Bismarck daily tribune., 1902-10-04
NOTHING IS Settled YET.
Strike Leaders and Coal Operators
Meet to Confer with the President
Regarding Strike.
No Settlement Had Been Reached at
the Time Of the Close Of the
Second Conference.
--
Urgent Appeal Made by the President
to the Parties to Settle Their
Differences.

Urgent appear Ma0e Dy the TfeSlOenC
to the Parties to Settle Their
Differences.
Washington, Oct. 4.-The second
step in the presidents effort to effect
q settlement between the anthracite
coal magnates and the miners was
taken during the day. At 11:1o
O'clock, ten minutes after the hour
fixed for the conference, every person
who had been invited to participate.
with the exception of President Oily
phant Of the Delaware and Hudson,
who sent as his personal representa-
tive David Wilcox, vice president and
general counsel of the road, and Pres
tdent Cassatt Of the Pennsylvania
railroad, was present in the second
story room of the temporary execu-
tive mansion, where the president,
since his return from Indianapolis, has
transacted such necessary public busl-
ness as could not be postponed. The
president, during the conference, was
seated ih large invalid chair, mis-
left leg extended at full length, rest
ing upon cushion. The president
greeted most cordially each of rs
guests as they appeared and when all
were assembled he stated to them in
brief preliminary way his object in
eallfng them together. The president,
fully realizing the Importance of the
Communicate that he was to make,
had prepared a carefully worded pa
per setting forth In detail his position
ON the pending controversy. The pres.
ident said:
II wish to call your attention to
the fact that there are three parties
affected by. the situation in the an
thracite trade-the operators, the
miners and the general public. ]
speak for neither the operators nor
the miners, but for the general pub
lie. The questions at issue which led
to the situation affect Immediately the
parties concerned-the operators and
the miners; but the situation itself
vitality affects the public. AS long as
there seemed toLbe a reasonable hope
that these matters could be adjusted
between the parties it did not seem
proper to me to intervene in any way.
Duty Demands Some Action.
IT disclaim any right or duty to in
tervene in this way upon legal grounds
or upon any official relation that 1
bear to the situation; but the urgency
and the terrible nature of the catas-
trophe impending over a large portion
of our people in the shape of winter
fuel famine impels me, after much
anxious thought, to believe that my
duty requires me to use whatever in
huence personally can to bring to an
end situation which has become lit
orally intolerable. / wish to empha-
size the character of the situation and
to say that it's gravity is such that I
am constrained urgently to insist that
each one of you realize the heavy bur
den of responsibility upon him. We
are upon the threshold of winter, with
an already existing coal famine, The
future terrors of which we can hardly
yet appreciate. The evil possibilities
are SO farreaching, so appalling, that
1t seems to me that you are not only
justified in sinking but required to
sink for the time being any tenacity
as to your respective claims in the
matter at issue between you. In my
Judgment the situation imperatively
requires that YOU meet upon the com
mon plane of the necessities Of the
public. With all the earnestness there
is in me I ask that there be an i'm
mediate resumption of operations in
the coal mines in some such way as
will without days unnecessary de
lay meet the crying needs Of the peo-.
pie. 4 .f. 5
i do not invite discussion of your
respective claims and positions. / ap-s
peal to your patriotism, to the spirit
that sinks personal consid GRAFTON and
makes individual sacrifices for the
general good. +.
Given Time to Consider.
When the president had concluded
the reading of his statement he said
he did not expect that either party
would be ready to submit propositions
at this time, but he asked them to
take into, consideration what he had
said and to return at 3 o'clock. He
said he hoped that some proposition
might be presented at that time which
would furnish the basis of an adjust
ment. n IS X, I. !. Il
The conference then terminated. Ii
had lasted less than fifteen minutes
The representative of the railroads
came down stairs first and went to
their carriages. They refused to say
anything except that they would meet
again at 5 o'clock, They would not
even say where they were going to
make their head dquarters. When asked
where they could be seen President
Baer remarked to the newspaper men
Gentlemen. what we want Ii to get
some place where you can't hnd us
and where we will not be interrupted b
They then drove away.
President Mitchell and his party
followed soon after, refusing to say
anything. "a little later Attorney
Knox left the White House