The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-16
Efforts OF Officials Tell, and Out
come Is Forecasted as Victory
for Compromise.
OVER 10000 VOTES CAST
Pennsylvania, Where Result Was
Feared, Swings Into Arbi-
tration Column.
INDIANA DOWNS STRIKE
Results, as Forecasted in Terre
Haute, Indicate Small Plurality
for Wage Reduction.

One hundred and fifty thousand miners Of
the soft-coal districts of Indiana. Illinois.
Ohio. Pennsylvania, Maryland Iowa. Michi-
| gan, West Virginia and western Kentucky
| laid aside their picks yesterday and de-
cded by a referendum vote whether they
! will strike on April l accept the ulti-
matum and reduction Of 5.55 per cent. in
wages offered by the operators. The polls
were opened at the various mining centcrs
from until o'clock yesterday afternoon.
Although the final result OF the vote will
not be known for several days reports from
Journal correspondents. Associated Press
| dispatches and other sources indicate that
| the strike has been voted down by an over
| whelming majority. Many. reports were
received last night from mining points
\ throughout the voting region. and. with the
| exception of Illinois. the vote favoring
| strike was i'm an insignificant minority. IL
| is confidently believed that the total vote
has swept away all danger OF an industrial
conflict with the miners by a two-thirds
| majority.
At Brazil. Ind heavy vote was polled,
| nearly all the miners voting. Every local
| gave the big majorities in favoH of the
] compromise. The Brazil local voted Ia
! against and % for the strike. At Sullivan.
/ Ind, the vote of the miners was. decidedly
| against a strike.
! Dispatches from Terre Haute late last
| night said that about 10000 miners OF the
4 total of 1900 voted against a strike. The
Hymera local voted 754 against TO 80 for
strike At Bicknel and New Port IL was
stated that two-thirds of the miners cast
I their votes in favor OF accepting the reduc-
/ ton.
Reports from the Pennsylvania field
/ stated that the strike was voted down by
J an almost unanimous vote. 1t is estimated
/ that q 600 out of the 1900 of the Pittsburg
/ district voted against strike.
In West Virginia the votes polled favored
the acceptance OF the reduction by an over
whelming tide. Within a radius OF twenty
five miles of Wheeling it was stated that
every vote was for the reduction.
Illinois, alone, showed in several mining
| centers a majority in favor OF the strike.
4 AT Westville the vote was 1.l97 for and 351
against the strike. The other districts Of
the State did not show up so strongly for
the strike. Fairmont showed a majority
/ of three votes against the strike. IL Is
/ believed that i'm that district il will be
an even break. At Altoona. however. the
| tide flowed the other way and 80 per cent.
! of the miners voted against going out ola
strike; An estimate OF the vote at Car
| bOndale placed a two-thirds majority I'm
| favor Of accepting the reduction.
! From Ohio reports IL would seem that
the miners OF that State voted almost urani-
/
| the home of the State president. W. II.
/ Haskins, and Vice President ID. H. Sullivan.
| the vote was unanimous, being 230 in favor
of the compromise.
The polls closed at O'Clock last night.
| but IL Will be several days before the result
| of the vote is known. Returns are ex-
| pected to arrive at headquarters. in the
| State Life building. this morning, where
| the canvass begins Tomorrow by the three
| tellers appointed by the convention when
assembled here two weeks ago. They are
| Nat Charlton, of Illinois, William Fitzsim-
mons. of Pennsylvania. and James Pritch-
| ard, of Ohio. Several local unions will send
| watchers TO be present at the counting.
CANVASS ON THURSDAY
The work of canvassing the returns will
begin tomorrow morning, when it is ex-
pected all or at least greater part of the
] returns will be received. Although the
definite figures of the vote will hardly be
known tonight, il is thought that the re-
| suit can be well foretold after a days work.
Approximately lsc 600 miners were entitled
to vote on the proposition yesterday. but IL
is said that not more than 10000 have been
counted on TO vote. The miners voted in
dividually with their local unions. When
the polls closed last night the votes were
counted by tellers selected by the locals.
| The secretaries of the locals were supplied
with blanks on which they transcribed the
| then mailed to the Headquarters of the or
! ganZation here, where the total number
| of votes will be counted. A majority OF
the individual votes will decide the issue.
Since the convention adjourned here sine
die two weeks ago there has been great
| change in sentiment among the miners and
there is now much confidence felt that the
strike has been voted down. Telegraphic
| reports from all parts of the districts in
| volved point to overwhelming vote in
| favor Of accepting the reduction. However.
! the reports cannot be taken evidence.
for they not direct from the miners
I themselves. The miners are somewhat re-
| ticent about discussing the result of the
| vote.
The national officers OF the United Mine
| Workers have made efforts to secure the
| acceptance of the compromise. Circular
| letters, recommending that the compro-
mise be accepted for the preservation OF the
| organization were sent TO more than 1900
| locals. Both Vice President Lewis and
! Secretary Wilson have been among the
miners speaking publicly In favor OF the
reduction.
Although the officers are not expressing
themselves on the result of the vote. IL is
| known that they feel relieved by the evi-
dent change OF sentiment within the past
two weeks, and do not believe there will
| be strike in the soft coal districts.
The result of the referendum vote Will
probably not be fully known until Friday
| or Saturday.