The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-21
Followed Later by the Statement that
All striking Miners Might Not BE
Given Work at Once.
COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTIONS
APPOINTED AFTER DAY SPENT
IN sPEECHMAKING.
Little Doubt that the Strike VIII
Be Declared on To-day with
Few Dissenting Votes.

WILKESBARRE. Pa. Oct. 2o.-The
anxiolvly awaited convention Of the $4,000
striking miners met to-day. but did not
reach vote on the proposed plan of set
tlement. Il Is expected to do so tomorrow.
There were s62 delegates present in the
Nesbitt Theater. where the convention was
held, and they were empowered by their
local unions to cast s67 votes for or against
President Roosevelt's proposed plan of ar
bitration. The great majority of delegates
were uninstructed, the few who were being
engineers. firemen and pumpmen. who fear
that the 5000 strikers of those classes may
not get back their old places. now held
by nonunion men. This question of the
engineers, fremen and pumpmen proved the
only stumbling block IN the way of almost
immediate adoption of the Presidents plan.
which carries with ii declaring the strike
of. and a general resumption of work
through the 175-mile strip of the hard coal
mining region
at one time to-day IL seemed certain
that the convention was about to adopt the
recommendation of President Mitchell to
end the strike, but the steammen's plea
was too earnest and the final vote went
over until tomorrow, when II is next to
certain that the vote to declare the strike
of will show a big majority for it. The
leaders OF the strikers. except Mr.. Mitchell,
were hardly heard at all in the convention
to-day. the anxious engineers being al
lowed 10 give full expression to their feel
ings. But tomorrow. 1t is predicted, the
leaders will be heard, and one OF them,
a high district officer, said to-day there
would be not more than fifteen votes re-
corded against the plan which the Presi-
them and which all the highest officials
ly have recommended.
There were two sessions, forenoon and
afternoon, to-day, and the net result as
regards the progress OF the convention to-
ward its great object was a permanent or
ganization. with Mr.. Mitchell In the chair.
and his speech laying the Presidents plan
before the delegates. his eloquent i'm
promptu speech advocating its adoption and
the appointment Of committee on resolu-
tons. This committee. as Mr.. Mitchell
NAL statement to the public telling fully
to continue the strike. IL 1t should so de-
eide: and why the strike was declared of.
IL that were the outcome of their delibera-
tions.
The question before the convention when
IL adjourned for the day was on the adop-
tion of the resolution embodied in President
Mitchelps opening speech to call off the
strike and leave all questions to the Presi-
dents commission. The surprise OF the
convention to-day was the decision to ad-
nit newspaper men to all the sessions, open
or executive. when even union miners
eagerly waiting by the hundred on the
street could not get into the theater. Twice
the newspaper men won victory by big
majorities. First. when a petition from
them asking to be allowed to remain, a
motion to grant the request was carried,
and later when motion was made to re-
consider the first vote to admit The pleas
which won were that the reporters repre-
sented the people. that public opinion had
helped the strikers and that the best way
to get an accurate report of this convention
OF immediate and vast national import was
to let the press representatives stay there
on the spot. Even the suggestion of a press
committee of delegates to give the news to
the correspondents was turned down" by
the convention.