Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1919-11-12
Injunction Stands Until the
Strike Order Withdrawn.


Washington, Nov. Eleventh
hour efforts by Samuel Gompers to
settle the coal strike were met to-
night by emphatic declarations from
the government that injunction pro-
ceedings would be dismissed the in
stant the strike order was withdrawn
and not before.
This final decision was given to Mr..
Gompers, heading delegation of
high labor officials, at the close of the
third conference of the day with At
torney-General Palmer and after Mr..
Gompers had talked over the tele-
phone with John L. Lewis, acting
head of the United Mine Workers of
America, at Indianapolis.
The aged president of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, fighting
hard to have the government drop its
injunction suit set for hearing to-
morrow, plainly showed that he was
under a severe strain as he left the
department of Justice, fatty and
bluntly refusing on his way out to
say one word about the trio of con-
ferences or hope of ending the strike
of more than 100000 miners before
the United States could press its suit
against officers of the miners 'organi-
cation.
Palmer Wont Talk.
Acknowledgement Palmer, to
whom Mr.. Gompers referred all re-
quests for information refused to see
newspaper men.
1Mr. Palmer wishes me to say that
he will have no statement tonight
other than he made as he left the
cabinet meeting" his secretary an
nounced.
There were only eighteen words
in the statement Mr.. Palmer dictated
to newspaper men as he left the
White House after the cabinet meet
ing and earlier brief conference with
President Wilson.
'"The injunction proceedings
against the coal miners leaders will
be dismissed the instant the strike or
der is called" the attorney-general
said, and his utterance stood tonight
as the final word from the govern
>ment on the eve of what may prove
the beginning tomorrow of the great
est labor union litigation in the his
tory of the country.
Hearing Today.
Through the day, although it was
on the lip of all official Washington
that the government and the miners
were considering new plans for
ending the struggle without further
resort to law, the feeling grew that
hearing on the restraining order, set
for tomorrow morning in the federal
court before Judge Anderson at In
dianapolis, would be postponed with
out prejudice to either side"
The department of justice will not
ask for postponement, but whether
it might oppose the request if miners
asked for more time, not an unusual
proceeding, officials declined to say.
"The only thing that can stop the
proceeding started by the United
States is for the miners to call off the
strike" the attorney-general reiter-
ated, time and again.
Gompers Wants Peace.
The persistency with which Mr..
Gompers presented plea after plea to
the attorney-general indicated his
earnest desire to bring peace to the
coal fields before the battle is waged
more heatedly in the federal courts.
Accompanied by Matthew Woll, vice.
pTSSluGIlG anu lain 1NOlIlSolI ,oSC-
etary of the American Federation of
Labor, Mr.. Gompers saw Mr.. Palmer
before the latter went to the White
House for word with the president
and to outline the strike situation to
the ecabinet.
The second meeting took place i'm
mediately after cabinet session an
journed. 1t lasted an hour, and when
the labor leaders departed they were
far more cheerful than they seemed
tonight. Mr.. Gompers told the attor-
ney-general they would return later,
and Mr.. Palmer intimated that Mr..
Gompers would talk meanwhile with
Lewis.