The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-06
AS SEEN BY wELLMAN.
Scenes and Incidents of the Presi-
dents Strike Conference.

Scenes and Incidents of the Presi-
dents Strike Conference.
In a dispatch from washington to the
Chicago Record Herald, Walter Well
man, that papers special correspondent
describes the conference called by Pres
ident Roosevelt in connection with the
coal strike last Friday GS follows:
John Mitchell the 30-year-old Illinois
miner boy, uneducated, poor and hum
Bile, was more than a match as gentle
man or as leader or as Strategist for
any one of his powerful antagonists He
out-shone them all in all RESPECTS. and
won the plaudits of President Roose-
velt and of every other public man WHO
attended the conference or who was in
formed of the details of the session.
The railway presidents came to town
in a gorgeous special train. While here
they lived in their private cars. They
drove to and from the White House in
carriages.
John Mitchell and his lieutenants ar
rived in the smoking car of a night
train. They walked down Pennsylvania
avenue to d cheap but tidy hotel. carry
ing their grips in their hands. They
rode to the White House in the street
cars.
But when the true test of manhood, of
patriotism and of faithful discharge of
their trusteeShiD came on in the pres
ence of the president and all the oeo-
pie of the United States, it was the man
of the pick and shovel. not the high.
salaried corporation manager, who car
ried away the honors
In the first place Mr.. Mitchell placed
Immediately before the president his
simple, plain, unconditional proposal fer
arbitration. He responded to the presi-
dents appeal for action with a proposal
to act. If the coal famine must be ra-
lieVed he offered the means of relieving
it.
Without making charges against his
antagonists, without any attempt to
confuse the issue. but driving straight
to the heart of the question in which
the American neoDle are so vitality IN
terested, he offered arbitration.
He would leave everything in the
hands of the president of the United
States and go back to work. He would
exact no onerous conditions. He would
make it easy for the other side to meet
him. Though without fear that his men
could win the victory if the struggle
were continued he recognized the pso-
ple's rights and was ready for peace
This done he took his seat.
The reply of the railroad presidents to
this proposal of fair and amicable set
t1ement was scornful rejection. a re-
fusal to have anything to do with the
man who offered it. personal abuse OF
/ him. and a cOunter-prOpOSitiOn which
| President Roosevelt declined seriously
to entertain because manifestly it was
not offered in good faith. but as a de-
vice to confuse the situation and render
] the conference abortive.
President Roosevelt and every one of
| his advisers here thinks this proposition
| of tise miners an eminentIy fair one.
They all think it proposition which
should have been accepted. They have
no hesitation in saying that the onus OF
refusal, of failure to take a single stel
| toward peace when an honorable peace
was offered. must rest upon the heads
| Of the presidents of the coal railways.
The corporation managers were as uH-
| fortunate in the manner as in the sub
stance of their reply. They not onls
declared again that they had nothing tC
| arbitrate, but they made their declara-
ton in an offensive way. Not conteni
with saying they would have nothing te
do with any proposal that came from
Mitchell or the union, they INDUCED ir
so much personal abuse of that gentle
man and his organization that on sew
eral occasions President Roosevelt
found 1t necessary to interfere. He felt
outraged that guests of his should come
to his council table and indulge in sucf
a TRADE upon another guest.
He mad asked them in plain language
so plain that gentlemen should have ha5
no difficulty in understanding it, to leave
their differences outside the door. He
did not want to listen to their conten
ton. Mr.: Mitchell implicitly obeyed the
presidents request. Messrs. Baer
Truesdale. Thomas ct al. did not
Mr.. Mitchell did not interrupt the rail.
way presidents. They frequently inter.
rupted him. He was calm and cour
teous during all their attacks upon him
attacks which were unjust. in some re
spects untruthful and in all respects ou
of place. They were spiteful Detulan
and childish.
One of the presidents advisers VIII,
was present during the conference sait
to the writer:
More amazing effrontery I have neve
seen come from mortal man. TIE railwa,
managers We're arrogant and disgusting
More than once 1 feared that Presiden
Roosevelt would lose his temper and Civ
them the reproof which they well merited
But ne kept himself admirably in hand
despte the great provocation.
| The most marvellous display of self
, control l have ever seen was that o
President Mitchell. He bore insult an,
abuse without word of angry response
/ His black eyes flashed fire, but he bore tn
ordeal as became the occasion and
/ gentleman. The contrast between him an
his opponents was most striking. He wol
the admiration of everyone as a man. O
, pose and balance"
The gentleman who uttered these word
is one of the most famous men in tn
+ United States I an not at liberty to US
his name, much as I should like to do SC
: 1t seems almost incredible and yet it
, true that President Roosevelt and his ad
Nlsers gained the impression that the Goa
railway presidents had come to Washing
> ton with a deliberate plan to rouse tn
: anger of either President Roosevelt O
: President Mitchell, and by thus causin
: the conference to break up in bad bloc
5 to be able to go before the country wit
= The statement: There, you see. we can
= do business with such people as these
: IL TINS was not their deliberate purpos
: their manners belied their minds Tha
e they were not successful was due to th
Y great efforts which both the President c
0 the United States and the chief of til
= miners made to perserve their dignity
s President Mitchell said tonight to frien
that it was the most trying ordeal throug
e which he had ever passed.
= In any other presence under any othe
= circumstances" he added r should nc
G nave endured it for one moment Ths
charged me with encouraging laWl eSsnes
r Wnen every man knows I have done a
= within my power to discourage it. The
I gave list of 20 murders for which the
: CONTINUED on PAGE SixA