The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-01-07
CONSERVATIVES
ARE I'm CONTROL
United Mine Workers Convention Elk
pected to Vote to Accept Agree
ment Made by officers
With Government

II United Press Leased Wire Service.J
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 7.--Defeat
for the radical element OF the United
Mine Workers of America appeared
certain today.
What appeared to be the closing
session OF the convention opened TINS
morning with conservatives IN fuiI
control. The turning point came late
Yesterday when Secretary Green
made strong plea for endorsement
OF the terms under which the coal
strike ended.
When Green concluded his expla-
nation of the fight, he and Actlns
President Lewis had put up before
they bowed to the, will of the gov
eminent" the delegates rose to their
feet and demanded that an immedl-
ate vote be taken to endorse their
officials and to accept the awards OF
President Wilson's commission
President Lewis, however. said
there were delegates present who
still had something to say and ne
was one Of them"
"But il this convention wants to
vote on the motion to accept the
awards and close debate. l am will
ing TO remain quiet" stated Lewis.
Radicals tried to prevent Lewis
from speaking. But the majority
voted to give him the floor. At
suggestion of one delegate President
Lewis deferred his talk until today.
Oficials Felt confident today as
they went into session that the MINER
delegates would vote to accept the
agreement made by their officers with
the government and to abide by the
awards of the commission.
Plan Is Ratified.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 7-Unlteu
Mine Workers of America meetlns
today ratified the plan under which
1.-THE recent coal strike was ended, py
Ia vote of 1853 to 221.
The vote came at the END OF
stormy session in which the radical
element of the union sought to block
approval of the project.
Under terms of the settlement,
President Wilson's commission OF
three men will fix basis of wages
for bituminous miners.
Radicals and obstructionists among
the delegates staged an eleventh
hour attempt to prevent the vote of
endorsement.
The convention hall was the scene
of widest confusion, Secretary Wp.
Greene, acting chairman of the con-
Ivention, raped his gavel for twenty
minutes to restore order.
Frank Harrington, president of the
Illinois district and chairman of the
wage scale committee, FLASHED with
Green over putting the question to a
vote.
Following the report of the creden-
ltials committee, President Lewis was
given the floor. Lewis attacked re-
lcalcitrant delegates. who he said, for
the past thirty days have denounced
and insulted" the officials OF the
miners organization.
| Your officers were only given
lseventy-two hours to agree or go to
ljail' said Lewis THAT would not be
long enough to hear the credential
committees report, let alone conven-
ition."
Lewis brought the convention to
| it's feet when he declared:
IF / had my way and could set up
a government to replace this one and
had full control, the first thing !
would insist upon would be that the
American flag must still wave from
| the dome of the capitol at Washing
ton
az stand for a better America; "a
better citizenship and a greater recog-
milton OF rights of men who toll. And
this is only possible through the
proper channels
Lewis called the conventions at
tention to the great loss of life
among the miners during other
strikes.
This strike, brothers, was settled
without the loss Of one miners life"
Lewis said.
A A A q q G. q q & q q Q q q q q