The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-10-21
MINERS IOVO7E FOR PEACE
General Sentiment Expressed
at Wilkesbarre Convention.
MITCHELL URGES ACCEPTANCE.
Firemen and Engineers Favor Hold.
ing Out Until Former Employees Are
Assured Old Positions, but Are in
Minority-Admit Reporters.

Wilkesbarre, Oct. 21-The anxious
ly awaited convention of the $4,000
striking miners met yesterday but did
not reach a vote on the proposed plan
OF settlement 1t is expected to do so
today. There were 662 delegates pres
ent in the Nesbitt theater, where the
convention was held, and they were
empowered by their local unions to
cast SGT votes for or against President
Roosevelt's proposed plan of arbitra-
tion. The great majority of delegates
We're uninstructed, the few being engi-
neers, firemen end pumpmen. who
fear that the 5000 strikers of those
classes may not get back their old
places, now held by nonunion men.
This question of the engineers, fire
men and pumpmen proved the only
stumbling block in the way of almost
immediate adoption of the presidents
plan, which carries with it declaring
the strike off and general resump-
tion of work through the 175-mile strip
of the hard coal mining region. AT
one time 1t seemed that the conven-
ton was about to adopt the recon-
mendation Of President Mitchell to
end the strike, but the steam mems
plea was too earnest, and the vote
went over until today, when it is next
to certain the vote to declare the
strike off will show big majority for
it.
The leaders Of the strikers. except
Mr.. Mitchell, were hardly heard at all
in the convention yesterday, the anx-
ious engineers being allowed to give
full expression to their feelings. But
today the leaders will be heard, and
one of them, high district officer,
said that there would not be more
than fifteen votes recorded against
the plan which the president of the
United States has proposed to them
and which all the highest officials Of
the mine workers In this region earn
estly have recommended.
There were two sessions, forenoon
and afternoon, yesterday, and the net
result as regards the progress Of the
convention towards its great object
was permanent organization, with
Mr.. Mitchell in the chair, his speech
laying the presidents plan before the
delegates, his eloquent impromptu
speech advocating Its adoption. and
the appointment of committee on
resolutions. This committee, as Mr..
Mitchell said to the delegates, would
prepare formal statement to the pub
lie, telling fully and carefully why the
convention decided to continue the
strike. if 1t should so decide. and why
the strike was declared off, if that was
the outcome of the deliberations.
The question before the convention
when it adjourned for the day was on
the adoption of the resolution embod-
led in President Mitchell's opening
| speech to call off the strike and leave
| all questions to the presidents com.
mission. The surprise Of the conven.
ton was the decision to admit newspa-
per men to all the sessions open or
executive, when even union miners
eagerly waiting by the hundred out on
the street could not getintot the theater.
The pleas which won were that the re-
porters represented the people, that
public opinion had helped the strikers
and that the best way to get an accu-
rate report of this convention was to
let the press representatives stay
there on the SPOT