The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-01-09
LOOKING into HISTORY
COLONEL 7. ROOSEVELT
AND COAL STRIKE
Hitherto Unpublished Details of
The Drastic Plan He Had
In Mind
IAssociated Press pisp,tch, !

view 1OTh, JANUARY O.-t1ltneftO
unpublished details Of the drastic"
plan President Roosevelt had decid-
ed 10 adopt to settle the anthracite
strike Of 1902, said to have been
known only to two members of his
cabinet and few persons who were
to take part in its execution appear
in the fifth installment of the COL
onels own letters edited by Joseph
Bucklin Bishop in the January issue
OF Scribner'S- Magazine. The article
also gives some intimate sidelights
on Roosevelt's attitude toward union
labor.
After twenty persons had been
killed and about forty injured dur
ing the rioting in the coal fields and
the approach of winter brought with
il the prospect of a nation wide fuel
famine. the mayors of large cities
and governors of several states ap-
pealed to the president, Mr.. Bishop
says, to interfere in the interest of
the public welfare and safety. A
cording to his biographer, Mr.. Roose-
welt had decided, in case the oper-
ators persisted in their refusal to
accept commission, "to assume pow
ers which the Constitution did not
specifically give him. and to use the
United States army to suppress all
violence and disorder.
Writing to Robert Bacon on Octo-
Der 5, 1902, shortly after confer
ence in Washington OF the mine OPP
orators and the strike leader, the
late John Mitchell. in futile effort
10 settle the trouble by the appoint
ment of a commission of investiga-
ton or arbitration, he said:
Situation Was Bad.
"The situation is bad, especially
because il is possible it may grow
infinitely worse If when the severe
famine, I dread to think of the suf
fering in parts Of our great cities
especially, and | fear there will be
fuel riots of as bad a type as any
bread riots we have ever seen. OF
course once the rioting has begun.
once there is resort to mob vi
olence, the only thing to do is to
maintain order. II is Il dreadful
thing to be brought face to face with
necessity of taking measures, how
ever unavoidable. which will mean
the death of men who have been
maddened by want and suffering"
In a letter to Senator Lodge he
wrote that he was feeling" his way
to solve the difficulty and was de-
termined not to be drawn into any
violent step which would bring re-
action and disaster afterward." At
another time, he said: Most en-
phatically | shall not compromise
with lawlessness. l have been told
on excellent authority. that the dis
order has been very great and OF
an evil kind On equally good au-
thority, | am told the exact con-
trary / shall speedily find out for
myself. stand against socialism;
against anarchic disorder"
His Drastic Plan.
Colonel Roosevelt's drastic plan
of action which Mr.. Bishop says he
makes public with the late presi-
dents permission and authority, in
Guided his appointment Of an investi-
eating or arbitrary commission
without regard to whether or not the
operators asked for it or agreed to
abide by it's decisions. He asked ex-
President Cleveland in case he were
to appoint such a commission, If lie
would accept a plae on it, and. ac-
cording to Mr.. Bishop, Mr.. Cleve-
land replied favorably.
This commission was only part O
the presidents plan" says Mr.. Bish-
Cd. "The investigation which it was
to conduct would take time. In or
Ger that mining operations might be
resumed as speedily as possible, the
president consulted with Senator
Quay, who was all-powerful in
Pennsylvania politics, and was as
sured by him that whenever the
president desired him to do so he
would have the governor Of the
state notify the president that he
could not keep order in the coal re-
sion and needed federal interior
ence
"The president then informed Ma
jor General John NJ. Schofield that in
case of federal interference he wish
ed to send him to the coal regions
with the regular army troops with
instructions to act as receiver Of the
mines, take full charge, put down all
violence, and disregard any orders
from the operators. He asked the
general. if in case the operators went
to court and had writ served on
him. would he do as was done un-
der Lincoln, simply send the writ on
TO the president? After little
thought the general replied that he
would. Roosevelt said: All right,
] will send you
President Roosevelt, it was said,
had all preparations made for start
ing the troops within half an hour
after the request for federal aid was
received. The plan was not execut-
ed. Mr.. Bishop says, because at the
last moment the operators changed
front and consented to the appoint
ment of a commission. Whether OF
not they got wind Of the president S
purpose has never been revealed, but
some powerful influence was respon-
slble for their sudden reversal
Farm Loan Act Validity.
tfI,