The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-10-07

and representatives # the operators
and the miners, came 70 an end at the
temporary White House, facing La
Fayette Square, at 40 o'clock this ar-
ternoon, with a failure to reach an
agreement. Apparently the rock upon
Which the conference split was racog-
milton Of the miners union. The presi-
dent had urged the contending parties
TO cease strife, in the interests of the
pubic welfare; the miners through the
president of their union, had express
ed q Willingness to submit differences
TO the arbitration o. 4 tribunal. to he
named by the president and to enter
INTO an agreement TO abide by terms
1Xed by the arbitration, for a period
oI from one to five yclrs, and the en-
PIoyer through the Presidents of the
tdlIoduS ana coal companies and a
Ieadlng independent mine operator had
~squarely refused arbitration. had de-
ounce the miners labor organiza-
dlon as a lawness and anarcbfstic
Dody, with which they could and would
nave no dealings, had demanded fed
eral troops to ensure complete protec-
ton 10 workers and their families in
Inc mining region anu court proceed
lngS against the miners union and had
otered, If the men returned to work.
TO submit grievances at individual COL
heries to the decision of the Judges of
the court of common pleas for the dis
tr1ct OF Pe~nnsylVan.-.. in which the
colliery was located. There the matter
closed.
Tonight both the miners and the op-
orators are still in the city, but tomor-
row they return to their several To-
caHties' each saying at a late hour
that the struggle will continue.
1t was a remarkable chapter in the
economic history of the country thai
was written today. For the first time
the president of the republic had in
tervened directly between the great
forces OF capital and labor, lin an effort
to avert what he himself regarded as
a great national calamity. The pun
pose was to bring the principals in th.
great controversy face to face, the
Whole country eagerly intent upon and
Watchful of their doings.
Technically the issues bstween the
tYa great forces, stand as they did be-
foR the president the rep
reSe1tatlVes of the ~contending forces to
the national capital and forgetting his
own acute suffering, besought them for
love of the great country wherein they
dWelt and out of pity for the countless
throng OF suffering poor, to adjust their
differences and work together In peace
for the commonwealth. What if any
thing will result from the conference
is for the indefinite future.
Today's conference began a few min
utes after II O'Clock. President Mitch
ell and his three district presidents o.
the miners union, were the first to put
J in appearance at the temporary White
: House, on Lafayette Square, where a
large crowd had assembled to witness
the coming of the chief participants
in the coal strike They had arrived
here about 1 O'Clock in the morning
and had put up at a small hotel near
the capital. They went i'm a street car
from the hotel to Jackson Place and
Pennsylvania avanu and walked the
half block, to where the president WAS
awaiting them. Their arrival was a
few minutes in advance of the hour
named for the conference, IL O'Clock,
The operators reached the temporary
White House at one minute past II. in
carriages. which the had taken OF
leaving thu private cars at the railroad
yard where they spent last night.
Each parry was escorted to separate
rooms on tne first floor and soon they
were ushered upstairs, the miners req
resentatives going ahead.
In the front room on the second
floor, they found the president await
ing them. 1t is the place in which h.
has transacted all business since his
return from his western trip. H. wa.
in a roller chair and had on a Oh essing
gown. After the intToductions he Smil-
irgly explainet his inability to receive
his guests in n NOR formal
Those who were p. esent at this time
VvS-S-
Neside1t Roosevelt. Attorney General
Knox. Secretary CIrtelyou. Carroll =
Wright. Commissioner of Labor: Pres
idents Baer, OF tn Reading. Thomas
of the Erie, Truesdale of the Delaware,
OF the Ontario and Western. and Fowler
of the ontario an Western railroads
Daniel Wilcox, vice-preSident of tbs
Delaware and Hudson railroad, repre-
senting President ELEPHANT, Joe
Markle. representing the independent
coal operators and President Mitchell!
of the mine workers union. with Tnos
Duffy. 7. d. Nichols and John Fahy-
presidents Of Districts Nos. :, l and 9
of the miners unioT. being the districts
where anthracite coal mines are in
Later Assistant Secretaries Loco anC
Barnes. who are sten~ographers, cam:
:nio the confereTce room. The preSi
dent entered at or"e on the business il
hand by reading the statement which
he had carefully prepared urging q Sc
Element of the strike in the i~nteIas-
of the public. His manner was ex
ceedingly serious and his voice shCwe'
his deep feeling. The president said:
"I wish to call your attention TO IN
fact that there are three parties affect
ed by the situation in the artnracst
trade: the operators, the miners an
the general public. 1 speak for naithe
the operators nor the miners, but tn
general public. The question at issu
which led TO the situation itself VITAL,
affects the public. As long as Their
= seemed 10 be a reasonable hope tina
! these matters could be adjusted be
: tween the parties, it did not seer
proper 10 me to intervene in any way
disclaim any right or duty TO inter
yene in this way upon legal grounds o
upon any official relations L bear [
the situation, but the urgency and IN
- terrible nature of the catasthrope i'm
pending over a large portion OF oU
people. in the shape Of a winter fu'