The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-04
Solution of Brand New 20th Cen
fury Problem Must Now
Be Attempted.
What the Washington Statesmen
Are Saying of the Outlook
= for Trouble.
Riots in the Large Cities Are Feared
When Cold Weather Be-
gins to Pinch.

Rnisatna. Washington.
Washington, Oct. 4-The political as
poets of the coal strike are of wide sig
nifcance, for the. stand now finally taken
by the operators in refusing arbitra ton
must hasten the time when the American
people will decide definitely what shall
be done with the trusts. The president
acted for the people. and his appeal Tor
prompt settlement was as promptly re-
pulsed. Still acting for the people, whose |
rights as his statement OF yesterday |
pointed out, are paramount, he Is ex-
pected to take further action. The trust
question has been put forward many
years, legislatively' speaking, and the
country Is setting out a most lmpor-
tant epoch. 1t is to attempt the solution
of brand new twentieth century prop
lem.
That for some time at least, the trusts
are to be a dominant political issue can
not be doubted. For the first time the
wholes people. practically, are vlctlns oi
trust oppression. The occasional expert
erce of little communities here and there
has now become the fate Of the public ana
out Of the mass Of rumor and controversy
now going on there is to come some wen
digested plan for putting under proper
public control the vast aggregatlons OF
capital chara cterstic Of these later days.
The political party which soonest sees
the remedy and applies it, Will establish
itself as strongly in popular confidence
as the republican party was established
In the days following the civil war:
President Roosevelt is keenly alive 10
the political possibilities Of the situation
and while he does not permit them TO
control his action, he may be depended
upon so to take advantage of the sltua-
tion as to bring the republican party Tor
ward again as the sure reliance OF the
at time Of DnbliC menace ana
distress. Another day for creative and
constructive craftsmanship is at hand.
Men in all parties realize that crisis Is
at hand, and that the trust question mas
been suddenly put forward as a very real
issue
The president is said to entertain the
fear that as cold weather be-
gins to pinch. there will be riots In the
large cities Of the north. especially New
York, Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago,
and that it will be his duty to order out
the federal troops to quell them. 1t would
not be surprising II such disturbances.
the result Of widespread suffering,
equaled the historic New York bread
riots III the early part of the last CEN
fury. The presidents sympathies are
believed to be with the strikers, and his
feelings may be imagined II he Is COM.
PEELED to order out troops to protect the
property Of men who he thinks are on
the wrong side in, this. con troversy, and
suppress the innocent victims Of their
obstinacy. The operators doubtless fore
see the trouble, for late reports say they.
are very anxious to furnish supplies OF
coal for the Philadelphia and New York
poor.
Yesterdays conference failed because
the roads, true to their original position,
fatty declined to treat with MITCHELL the
president of the Miners Union. In other
words, the struggle continues to be d.
rected against the principle of unionism
1nrNf ri
strengthen the position Of the miners with
the public He was willing to submit the
controversy to arbitrators selected by
President Roosevelt, and abide by then
decision, even if unfavorable The great
mass Of the people. in making up their
minds regarding the merits Of this strike
will not go behind this simple fact tina,
the miners were willing to arbitrate anc
that the operators were not.
President Baer's detailed statement o.
what the operators would do is simply
an elaboration Of the proposition sub
mitted weeks ago, and provides that II
case Of dispute between the miner and hi:
boss, the judge of the court Of appeals ir
the county where the mine Is located
should be selected as arbitrator his de
cision to be final. This proposition Il
simply evasion of the proposition o
the miners that their union should b.
recognized In the settlement of these dis
putes. The moral victory is with tn
STRIKERS whose arDltraClOn proposal vii
strike the country generous and en-
titled to more generous treatment
Since the operators have thrown dow
the gauntlet to the president, who is act
ing for the whole people, they cannot com
plain of any action he may take. Tha
he will act, is generally believed It
not improbable that he may issue pub
lie statement, setting forth the situatio,
This has not been fully decided upon b,
is discussed In administration circles
is probable that the president will wa
few days to ascertain the effect upo
the country Of yesterdays events. Con
pulsory arbitration Is one of the mea:
ures proposed.
Secretary Root to-day denies the sto1
widely published this morning that he ha
n conference last night at the Arlingtc
hotel with the operators or with M
MITCHELL, To-day l asked high govern
ment official, fully conversant with tt
facts whether the conference would er
the presidents connection with the cas-
He replied:
IF were you, would not say in pri,
that it would end it,