The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-10-14

~NN
President Roosevelt as to his duty and
the limitations of his authority, at
( tempting to BULLY his way through,
and says in substance, The public BE-
ID" as William II. Vanderbilt did on
another famous occasion. President
| Mitchell shows an earnest and honest
| desire to have the strike settled in JUS
tice to all concerned and adopts a tone
Of Cancellation and concession. PreSi-
| dent Roosevelt, having taken hold Of
| this grave matter which affects the
whole country, must now either yield
to the insolence of Baer, or do some
thing to assert whatever authority and
influence his high office may afford
him. Baer has made it impossible for
President Roosevelt to act on the fair
and even liberal proposition of Presi-
dent Mitchell, by which the strike could
have been settled in a very few days.
It cannot be doubted that this result
would have been accomplished by a
ribuna composed of honorable. inn
partial and capable arbitrators. Now
what can President Roosevelt do? One
course, at least, is open to him which
might prove effective. 1t would certain
ly indicate that the president is deter
mined to every possible means
Of protecting the public from the bull
headed rule-or-ruin policy of Baer and
his rapaciouS gang. President Roose-
welt might issue today a call for con-
greSS to convene in extraordinary Ses-
sion at the earliest m practicable
for the purpose of taking the tariff off
of coal of all kinds and giving US a
chance to call upon outside countries
for as great a supply of coal as they
send us. To do this would be to serve
notice on the coal trust and all other
trusts that whenever they use the tariff
to protect their eXtoritions, the tariff
that shields their wicked schemes u
fall as flat as the walls of Jericho past
Observation-Disclosures Journal.
President Roosevelt's good Offices
have failed and the coal strike will run
it's course, probably, until the miners
are starved into submission or some
method is discovered of dealing with
the operators by law If the American
Press report is not in error, the miners
came out of the conference at Wash
ington yesterday far stronger than
when they went in. The proposition
made by their representative, Mr..
Mitchell, to refer the settlement of the
question involved in the strike to a
committee to be appointed by the presi-
dent and its prompt n positive re-
lection by the operators, coupled with
the statement that they would not lis
ten to any proposition of any character
emanating from Mr.. Mitchell" will win
thousands of friends and supporters for
the miners mons the conservative peo-
pie Of the country. The case as It
stands now is far bigger than Mr..
Mitchell and the people whom he inn
mediately represents. 1t has got be-
yond q mere point in etiquette between
the coal baronS and the spokesman for
the miners, or the question of the alb
Stract right of outside men and or
CARNATIONS to interfere in the manage
ment of great enterprises in which they
have no property interest. Public senti-
ronr{ will hn. fonrn nyQryv h "a m in o. "
against the operators than ever, in
view of their high and mighty attitude
yesterday, and public sentiment, when
thoroughly aroused, affects legislation,
controls elections n influences courts.
News and Courier.
The conference between the coal OPP
orators and the representatives of the
strikers called by President Roosevelt
has served one good purpose-it has en-
abled the country definitely to &C
the responsibility for the continuance
of the coal famine. That responsibility
now rests wholly and absolutely upon
the operators. The offer Of the repre-
Sentatives Of the strikers to submit
the whole matter in dispute to a court
of arbitration to be named by the pres
ident absolved them from all blame in
the matter. President Roosevelts
statement of the case was admirably
worded and such as becomes the dig
nifty of his office and as was abundant
ly warranted by the situation. The re-
ply thereto of the operators was, TO
put it mildly, insolently d~isrespectful.
Take this from the statement of OPP
orator Markle as a sample:
Il now ask you to perform the duties
vested in o as the president of these
United States; to at once squelch the
anarchistic condition of affairs exist
ing in the anthracite o regions by
the strong arm of the military at your
command. Are you asking US to deal
with a set of outlaws? l can hardly
conceive of such a thought. If you de-
sire anthracite coal to be placed in the
market quickly. take the necessary
steps at once and put the federal troops
in the field, and give to those desiring
to work proper protection. You do this
(the citizens Of the United States whom
7 represent seem to feel that they nave
a right to ask this of YOU'D, and I will
assure you that anthracite coal will be
rapidly placed in the market to relie-e
h seriousness Of the situation"
This surely was the acme OF impu-
dence and OF arrogance. If the presi-
Dental leg had been in a condition to
permit of it, we are persuaded the
American people would have heartily
~applauded Roosevelt if he had kicked
Mr.. Markle dow the back stairs The
fact that each one of the operators de-
manded federal troops shows which
concerted attemp. to induce the presi-
dent to begin the use Of the larger
standing army for the purpose for
which it was increased, viz: to over
awe and intimidate b in its contest
with canital virginia Pilot