The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-10-09
MINERS UNION OBSTACLE
Barons Emphatic in Their Contention
that Miners Must Return to Work
Without Concessions-Sit
uation is Left Un-
changed.

A Washington special says: The
great coal conference between the
president and representatives OF the
operators and miners came to an end
at the temporary white house facing
Lafayette square at 4:55 o'clock Fri
dav afternoon, with failure to reach
an agreement.
Apparently the rock upon which the
conference split was recognition Oh
the miners union. The president nad
urged the contending parties to cease
strife in the interest Of the puolic
welfare; the miners, through the pres
ident of their union, had expressed a
willingness to submit differences TO
arbitration of tribunal to be named
by the president and to enter into an
agreement to abide by terms hxed Dy
the arbitration for a period OF from
one to five years. and the employers.
through the presidents of the rallroad
and coal companies and leading lnoe
pendent mine operators had squareiy
refused arbitration, had denounced the
miners labor organization as a law
less and anarchistic body with when
they could and would have no deal
inss had demanded federal troops to
insure complete protection to workers
and their families in the mining re-
gion and court proceedings agalnss
miners union and had offered, if the
men returned to work, to submit grlev-
ances at individual collieries to the de-
cision of the judges Of the court OF
common pleas for the district of Penn
sylvania in which the colliery was To-
Gated. There the matter closed.
Remarkable Chapter Written.
It was a remarkable chapter in the
economic history of the country that
was written during the day. For the
first time the president OF the republic
had intervened directly between the
great forces of capital and labor in an
effort to avert what he himself re-
garded as a great national calamity.
The result was to bring the principals
in the great controversy face to face
with the whole country, Lerly intent
upon and watchful of their .doings.
Technically the issues between the
two great forces stand as they did
before the president summoned the
representatives Of the contendlng
forces to the national capital, and
forgetting his own acute suffering. be-
sought them for love of the great
counary wherein they dwelt and out OF
pity for the countless throng Of suffer
ing poor, to adjust their differences
and work together in peace for the
commonwealth. 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 eE-
treme 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 hears be-
tween the morning and afternoon ses-
sions, taken to enable the miners and
operators to prepare written responses
to the presidents appeal.
The immediate arties to the strike
say they will continue as heretofore.
What course the administration will
take next no one is prepared to say.
One of the operators. AS he left the
white house, with closely set jaw, was
asked regarding this, and replied:
IF any one knows what the presi-
dent will do next, that is more than l
know"
Fourteen Men Present,
Fourteen men. including the presi-
dent, were in the second story front
room at the temporary white house