The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-08
COAL STRIKE IS MENACE
UNTIL THE BALLOTS Of
REFERENDUM ARE CAST
Nearly 100000 Miners Will Vote
and Verdict Will Decide
Weighty Matter.
MEASURE NOT OPPOSED
Delegates Ratify Plan to Refer the
Question to the Individ-
ual Locals.
MEASURE NOT OPPOSED

Whether a strike OF United Mine Workers
in the great soft coal regions OF the coun-
try will take place on the first of next
month, or peace will be maintained between
miners and operators of the competitive
States, now rests with the men in the
mines, where joint contracts expire April l.
BY action of the miners national conven-
tion yesterday, the question was referred
for a final decision to a referendum vote
of the locals.o the organization in those
States. Because their scales are based upon
the scale, fixed by the miners of the cen
trail competitive field, the States in which
contracts expire April /. were included in
the referendum vote. They are central
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland.
western Kentucky, Michigan and Iowa
and, with the four competitive States, en-
brace. according to the last report of Sec
retary w. B. Wilson, approximately 17S5O0
miners, who will be allowed a vote on the
issue
There was little opposition in the con-
vention yesterday to giving the outlying
States, which are dependent upon the COM
petitive scale for their settlements a refer
endum vote the question. While these
scales vary from that of the competitive
districts they are ruled by the scale of the
competitive States. Consequently. a strike
would affect them almost as much as the
competitive miners and. ii was felt, they
were almost as vitality concerned.
POLLS OPEN MARCH Is.
On March Is the miners will cast their
votes to strike or to accept the compromise
Of a $50 per cent. reduction offered by the
operators The individual votes of the men
will oe counted by the locals to which they
belong and returns will then be sent TO
Indianapolis, where the total individual
vote will be counted by tellers appointed
by the convention yesterday. The canvass
will begin on March II and ii will be sew
eral days before the final vote is known
A majority of all individual votes cast will
rule the action of the organization
The tellers, who will begin the count here
March H. are Nat Charlton, of Illinois,
William FitZsimmons, of Pennsylvania
and James Pritchard. of Ohio. Each dis
trict is entitled to send one watcher at its
own expense, If ii so desires.
Hopes are entertained by the national Of
fcers and leaders of the United Mine
Workers that the threatening strike may
be averted by the vote of the miners. Ac-
cording TO the last report of Secretary Will
son LIS, $50 miners will be entitled to vote in
the issue. 1t is expected that not more
than 10000 votes will be cast. In the cen
tral Pennsylvania district there are 29O3S
miners credited to vote. An estimate
nlaCeS
compromise, while four-fifths of the paid
up membership of "A 452S of the Pittsburg
district are counted on to vote against a
strike.
RESULT IN DOUBT
1t is belived that in Ohio the vote will
be about evenly divided among the 1850
miners entitled to the ballot Indiana,
in which there are 2O,S36 paid-up miners.
it is thought, will go against the strike by
a two-thirds vote. In Illinois, however,
the tide will flow the other way. 1t is one
of the strongest States OF the organization
and the miners are bitter against re-
duction. OF its 47,6S1 miners who will be
given vote on the question over two
thirds are expected 10 favor the strike
The vote OF outlying States is uncertain.
IL is thought the Southwest will favor the
COMPROMISE rather than a strike In any
event the result of the referendum vote
will be close unless there is a rernarka bic
change in sentiment before the middle OF
the month.
At the session of the convention yesterday
morning the special committee appointed
TO outline the policy OF the organization
during the critical situation presented the
resolution which recommended the refer
endum vote. The committee comprised
the three national officers of the organiza-
ton James Cantwell and James Houston,
of the Indiana block district; William
I<ackey and William Blakey, of the In
diana bituminous district; w. II. Haskins
and ID. IL. Sullivan. OF Ohio; Herman Perry
and Thomas Reynolds. of Illinois. and Pat
rick Dolan and William Little, or western
Pennsylvania
PASS REFERENDUM RESOLUTION.
The resolution reads:
We. your committee. appointed for the
purpose OF drafting for presentation TO
CONTINUED ON PAGE .. COL. q