Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-10-09
co DIFFERENCE FAILED.
Mine Operators and Strikers Are
Still as Far Apart as They
Ever Were.
COAL BARoNs" ILL-TEMPERED
Indulge in Bitter Trades Against the
Miners Union and Criticise
Roosevelt.

Baer Says Operators We're Led into a
Trap and President Shakes
His Fist at Him.
Washington, Oct. President
Roosevelt has asked John Mitchell to
use his influence to get the miners TO
return to work and promises the ap-
pointment Of a commission to investi-
gate their grievances.
Washington, Oct: EN- an earnest
effort to expedite the adjustment of
the coal strike problem another con-
ference over the situation was held
at the White House yesterday and adj
journed after three hours of delibera-
ton. No statement was given out as
to the conclusions reached, and ey-
cry participant absolutely refused to
discuss what had taken place during
there were present at the conference
Secretary Of War Root, Secretary of
the Navy Moody, Attorney General
Knox, Postmaster General Payne and
Colonel Carroll D. Wright, United
States commissioner of labor.
Washington, Oct. 6-There will be
no call for an extra session of congress
to deal with the coal strike situation
at this stage.
the gist of the statements presented to
President Roosevelt by John Mitchell
Of the miners union, and President
Baer of the Reading Railway COM
pany:
John Mitchell, president of the
United Mine Workers, to President
Roosevelt-We propose that the issues
eliminating in this strike shall be re-
ferred to YOU and a tribunal of your
own selection and agree to accept your
award upon all or any of the questions
involved.
George E. Baer, head of the coal
trust, to President Roosevelt-The duty
of the hour is not to waste time nego-
tiating with the fomenters of this an
archy and insolent defiance of law, but
to do as was done in the war of the
ebellion-restore the majesty of the
law, the only guardian of free people,
and to re-establish order and peace at
any cost.
Conference Failure.
President Roosevelt's effort to con-
ciliate the anthracite coal operators
and mine workers through a confer
ence at the White House proved a
failure John Mitchell, national presi-
dent of the miners union, was concil-
iatory and showed a sincere desire to
settle the strike through the presi-
dents mediation.
The coal operators were ill-tempered
and defiant. They openly criticised
the president and asserted that he
could settle the strike at once by order
ing federal troops to protect non-un-
ion miners. Besides indulging in vi
ciOus TRADE against the mine work
ers' union, which they characterized as
a lawless combination. they charged by
insinuation and even openly that the
president was rot performing his duty.
GEORGE F. Baer. president of the Phil
adelphia and Reading railroad, with
brutal candor charged the president
with playing politics.
Markle Flaunts Cartoon.
John Markle. the richest individual
mine operator in Pennsylvania, at one
stage of the conference pulled from his
pocket a copy Of an illustrated paper
containing cartoon in colors repre-
senting union miners numbering nom
union men with Justice standing in
the background in an attitude of help
lessness, her eyes bandaged and her
sword trailing the grounl Markle
f1ourished this before the presidents
eyes and said it was an accurate pict-
ure of conditions in the PENNSYLVANIA
anthracite fields.
The operators acted throughout as
if they felt offended and insulted be-
cause President Mitchell and three 9th
er officers of the Mine Workers union
were present at the conference. They
seemed to feel that if the president of
the United States had anything to say
to them about the coal strike he should
have arranged to say it without the
presence of the labor leaders.
Roosevelt's Temper Aroused.
President Baer charged, in petu-
liant manner, after President Mitchell
had expressed a willingness to sub
NIT to arbitration that the coal oper-
ators were led into a trap. This was
the first utterance that aroused the
presidents temper. His face flushed a
deep crimson and shaking his fist at
Baer he holly resented the insinua-
ton that he had been a party to de-
ception of any sort. He said that he
did not know of Mr.. Mitchelrs purpose
to offer to submit to arbitration. The