Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-10-04
STRIKE WILL CONTINUE
Coal Operators lnsolently Re.
fuse to Arbitrate and De.
mand Troops
MlTcHELL,s OFFER is sPuRNED
He Agreed to Leave the Matter With
the President to Be Settled by Him
or Committee Appointed by Him
Statements Of the Operators and
Mitchell Given Out.
OFFER is sPuRNED

Mitchell. Given Out.
-
! ference held between President Roose-
welt, the coal operators and the repre-
sentatives of the United Mine Workers
Association, came to nauSht. The strike
| is no nearer settlement than it was
before the meeting of the operators.
The conference failed because the pub
| lie be damned was the attitude the
operators assumed. The president APP
pealed to them and to Mr.. Mitchell as
the representative of the miners to re-
sumo the operation Of the mines to
meet the crying needs Of the people. He
appealed to their patriotism, ito the
spirit that sinks personal consldera-
| tons and makes individual sacrifices
for the general good"
| President Roosevelt had no sooner
finished reading his appeal than John
Mitchell rose and offered to order the
miners back into the mines tomorrow
and leave all differences between them
l.
ton selected by the president. He also
stated that the miners would abide by
any and all decisions by such a board
of arbitrator, even should the decisions
be against them on every point at issue.
The coal operators took four hours to
consider the presidenUs appeal and Mr..
Mitchell's offer. Then they returned to
the white house to announce that they
4 NY,. hnI
any board of arbitrators, nor would
| they recognize the right of Mitchell to
make any suggestions to them thru the
President of the United States.
They rested on the statement that in
dividual miners could appeal to the
courts of appeals of their respective
districts If they had grievances. These
coal operators We're the same at the
white house that they have been in
New York and Philadelphia. absolutely
Indifferent to the rights of the public.
In effect their reply to the president
| was: ",The public be. damned.
These six railroad men and mine OPP
orators have in the most public manner
possible assumed full responsibility fs.s'
the coal famine and the untSgAls ss1g
it may bring upon the millions of peo-
pie for whom President Roosevelt spoke
yesterday. But this responsibility will
be placed upon those who are higher
than these officials, who are merely
their Representatives.
The greater part of this Responsible
ty will have to be assumed by j. Pier
pont Morgan, who Is the representative
Of the financial interests in control of
the railroads represented. 1t will be
Interesting to know how Mr.. Morgan
will explain the action Of his agents.
President Roosevelt is disappointed
at the outcome of this conference. from
which he hoped much. He felt that he
was fulfilling a great public duty in
calling all parties to this serious con-
troversy to confer with him, and try to
reach a settlement of some kind in the
interest of suffering humanity. He is
disappointed at the failure. but more
disappointed in the men who are the
representatives of the combinations of
capital and in control of the coal mines
and coal railroads, clothed with the
power to deprive the American people
of a great necessary element OF health
and comfort.
i~se After the conference was over Pres
lident Roosevelt gave out a statement
embodying formal report of the pro-
ceedings. 1t contained no comment and
no hint of the presidents feelings on
the subject. 1t contained the statement
made by the president at the morning
and the replies of Mitchell and the
railway presidents at the afternoon ses-.
sion. The attitude of the operators
was such that 1t was seen to be useless
20, ~ tor md of aC mn
ties had made their statements. some
of which were of great length the con-
ference broke up. Following is an alb
stract of the statements in reply to the
president:
Mr. Baer then read his statement,
which is in substance as follows:
ITO the President Of the United
States: We understand your anxiety
as forcibly expressed in the statement
you read to us this morning to bring
about an immediate resumption of OPP
erations in the coal mines in some such
way as will, without days unneces-
sary delay, meet the crying needs of the
people We infer that you desired US
to consider the offer of Mr.. Mitchell
verbally made this morning, expressing
and speaking for the United Mine
Workers. to go back to work, If you
would appoint commission to deter
mine the questions at issue.
You distinctly say that you do not
invite discussion of your respective
claims and POSITIONS But VIZ assume
that statement of what is going on in
the coal regions will not be irrelevant.
We represent the owners of coal mines
in Pennsylvania There are from fiji
teen to twenty thousand men at work
mining and preparing coal. They are
abused, assaulted, injured and mall
treated by the United Mine Workers.
They can only work under the protec-
ton of armed guards. Thousands of
ether workmen are deferred from work.
ing by the intimidation, violence and
crimes inaugurated by the United Mine
Workers, over whom John Mitchell
whom you invited to meet you, is chief.
II need not picture the daily crimes
committed by the members of this or
ganization. The domestic tranquility
which every constitution declares is the
chief object of government does not ex-
list in the coal regions. There is ter
rible reign of lawlessness and crime
there. Only the lives and property of
the members of the secret oath-bound
order which declared that the locals
should have full power to suspend OPP
erations at collieries until the nom
lunion men Joined their order are SAFE
Every effort is made to prevent the
mining Of coal and Mr.. Mitchell's
men dynamite bridges and tracks, mob
.rainmen. and by all manner OF yio-.