The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-04
STRIKE FEVER SElzES MINERS
DGLE6ATEs ~ CONVENTION HOf
ron THE COVFgSg.


Drrtstsa net > sp~r,rd fn ssturaa,
scnaSroS. Pa MAY = The r~nfcrrndum
proposition that has b~en put ~ ~ John
Mitchell by people that he has listened q,
IN tho past u likely Ia H. rri~ctsd Nv hua
and . strike ~ tho tniird MIN" Work,fs
declared.
That ia tho talk one heara this evening
about tho Hotel Schadt shere hond1uartars
~ tho union have bron established AMI
where the leader. 81 tho United Min,
Workers have copyrighted
Nevertheless. there is 'suIl y hor- INT
q strike will h. nycrteI. II grows ont
Of thu strong pressure that thu com.
munity generally is bringing to boar on
the indiy idual deleEqtes, on tao hclirf that
Mitchell himself IL not iu favor NJ u labor
, fight to u finish. and on tho Decentralization
Of tho rank and hlo of the I rIiei Min'
Workers again 10 engage ~ such an o.
hausting strike IA that Of 1907. when th-v
were compelled to unde rgo hardship that
they still contemplate vita mi-gIyinys
limos equivalent TO horror.
The convention this Of. ernoon. WI. n
succeeded in tc#~lrg it-r.f away from t'a
leading strings ~ Mitchell sumr icntir -
start n dsbnte. with reporters in to hail,
that Mitchell had meant to drtrr uu'il IT,
morrow. developed a strik' -Cut, mont
which was u~nNypectcl hy nearly c,rry 1-s
except, perhaps, John Mitc'ic'i anl 80
district president, Of the organization
From 23l until i:3j o'clook iafdm nato-y
speeches were made one after another, WITH
scarce a man raising his voice in favor II
industrial peace Then John Mitchell
, arose aud made an address lasting ten
minutes, in which practically all thdt he
said was that 1t was up to the miners tn pass
upon this natter themselves. that he had
laid the case before them and II was for
them to decide whether they should accept
the proposition Of the operators and 90 back
10 work or show their resentment by de-
claring a strike,
some questions having been raised over
matters concerning which he had spoken.
Mitchell again took the floor and SPOKE for
nearly five minutes. What he sIid could
not I've heard through the thick doors of tbs
'""' '"' "''' W '' ''"' ~
was Cheered.
Nevertheless when the convention, two
minutes later, adjourned and delegates
were asked what position Mitchell had
| taken they nswered in n manner tint
showed that they were rather puzzled, that
his remarks were non-committa After
reaching his hotel at $50 o'clock this af'or-
noon, John Mitchell called the reporters
together and gave out the following state
ment:
As understood while in convention tho
sentiment secms very strong agains' a.
Cepting either the conditional and rsstri
tive arbitration scheme proposed by tho
operators or a renewal Of the award Of tbs
anthracite strike commission for three
years.
"The strike feeling has been intensified
by the unfortunate and unjustihable action
Of the State constabulary at Mount Carmol.
as by their conduct in other PARTS Of tbs
region since the suspension has been in
effect, or cours, 1t cannot b, stated post
lively wha. ths vote will be; thai viii nos
he known until Friday afternoon or Satur-
day"
A little later in talking to THE Sun Mr..
Mitchell said:
ANY one who offers a hint as to WIN
may probably take place in our delibera-
lions does 80 without authority, and IL [
were you l should not plaza much relian1o
in such statements"
When an intimation was made to Mr..
Mitchell that II seemed for a tins in "a,
open meeting thIs afternoon thG' thu COW
vention was getting awar from al C7ntrll
In its strike sentiment, h' shook hi@ h'lI
with a smile and Tcna~HeE NO; tar
was a. IL should ba. Th'y ara alloweI
the fullest opportunity TO express thur
views. II IL intended That thsJ shall al
feel that they have a voice in the decision.
The convention was at no Tins acting bJ-
yond control"
Mr.. Mitchell saii that the sessions OF
tomorrow will be executive and that titars
il no probability that the end will DO
reached before Saturday afternoon.
II is worthy Of some attention that all Of
the out Of town newspaper correspondents
in the city to-nigh hi seem to have gained the
same impression, that il. that n strike ap-
pears inevitable and will be declared before
the convention adiourns on Saturday.
Nevertheless some advocates OF peals
have another scheme which they will urg,
along with the referendum. That ia that
tho convention refer the matter back to the
scale committee with instructions to make
another attempt to arrive at an agreement
with the operators.
The two sessions OF the convention to-
day demonstrated that the character Of the
men composing 1t Is better thar has been
the case In almost any other convention
OF the union held in recent yeas. There
were fewer foreign miners among the dele
gates and they were we'll dressed and gen.
orally appeared prosperous. The morning
session, that lasted just half an hour. was Of
little consequence. but that OF the after
noon WINS unexpectedly important inasmuch
as II showed tho temper Of the convention.
and that the delegates were greatly exer-
oised over the refusal Of the orerators to
grant concessions Of any kind.
The statement given out by Mr.. Mitchell
TO the newspaper men is thought, read
the lines. TO be n direct tip TO the
men TO hold themselves in readiness to de-
a strike,
There are a few who think that 1t was given
out for the purpose Of warning the operators
hat unless they grant concessions at oncs