The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-02-06
MINERS TO PREPARE.
United Mine Workers in
National Convention
Rejected Proposition
to Sign Scale.

Indianapolis, Ind, Feb. 1.-The Unit
ed Mine Workers, in their national
convention this afternoon, rejected the
proposition of the operators to re-
sign the present scale and adopted
resolution which was equivalent to
declaring a strike for April 1 in all
mining districts, including the anthra-
cite. The resolution adopted was:
Resolved. that this convention in
dorse the action of the scale COM
mittee in refusing 10 accept or recon-
mend the acceptance of the PROPOSE
ton submitted by the operators, and
that no contract be signed in any
distric, until we all get settlement
or go down in defeat together"
1t was presented by W. d. Ryan, of
Illinois, inGorsed by President Mitcn-
ell and Vice President Lewis.
In commenting on the adoption of
the resolution Secretary Wilson urged
chat the miners provide funds tor
war"
'In my opinion the vote that has
just tean taken means a stCppage OF
work on Aprli /, 1t means war; ne
ldeclared in speech to the colven-
ton.
Pleas for caution and careful con-
lsideration of the strike resolu ion went
for naught. The delegates were keyed
10 hurl defiance at the operators ana
they did so.
The action means strike in the
coal fields after the expil zion of the
present scale agreement on March 81.
The results of this action by the
miners delegates cannot he estimated.
II means tAe most gigantic industrial
upheaval the country has ever known.
The mine workers met in extra
ordinary session Thursdty ,.fternool
to consider the situation regard ng the
signing of an agreement for The COM
petitive district between themselves
and the operators. President Mitchell
called the session to order Immediate
lily after the joint conference had de-
cided that no agreement coud be
reached.
w. d. Ryan, chairman of the joint
! scale committee and secretary of the
| Illinois miners, sounded the strike"
note in the convention. He offered a
motion TO refuse the proposition M lde
by the operators and to sign no agree
ment in any district unless an agree
ment was signed in ALTO win vic
tory together, or together go down
in defeat.
Patrick Dolan, of Pennsylvania,
counseled caution and a careful con-
sideratlon of the merits of the res
olution. He said agreements had been
made under anxious auspices in the
past and might be again. His voice
rose in plea for the women and chill
dren and miners to whom would be
brought intense suffering and priva-
tons as the reasonable expectations
Of bitter strike.
Vice President Lewis spoke against
an amendment to the RYAN motion
giving the districts power to sign
, agreements independent OF the whole
organization. He contended that ii
the miners organization was divided
on the matter their forces would be
weakened. He also supported the
Ryan motion to precipitate strike.
Chairman Traer called the confer
ence to order at lis o'clock and an
nounced the report OF the scale COM
mittee.
Secretary Scroggs announced that no
agreement had been reached on the
, principal point submitted. Some de-
, tails of the deliberations of the scale
committee were read, as well as the
demands of the miners convention and
the substitute proposition of the oper-
ators.
Following the completion of the
reading of the scale committees re-
, port, Chairman Traer asked the pleas
J ure Of the convention. A demand for
an immediate vote on the reception
of the report was made by w. d. Ryan
of t liners and the vote was taken.
Its alt was in favor of the adop-
tiCn of the report Of the scale COM
mittee.
President Mitchell asked II the op-
orators had any other offer 20 make.
#. t. Robbins replied that the OPP
orators had gone to the limit.
President M tchell, replying to, Mr..
: Robbins, said that inasmuch as 1t
had been sought to place responsible
Iity for the disagreement on the min
ers, he felt reply from the miners
was necessary.
Working conditions" said Presi-
dent Mitchell, "are better than former
ly, but the same conditions benefited
the operators as well as they did the
miners.
"I'm not willing to agree that the
miners may never hope to receive
better conditions than they now have.
: Every mill. every railroad, every fac
49,. Il. .... 10 it.. f,.II1o.L