The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, October 09, 1902, Image 2
r
PRESIDENT FAILED
TO SETTLE STRIKE
Conference Between Coal Miners and
i *
Mine Owners a Failure.
IT IS NOW A FIGHT TO A FINISH
Mr. Roosevelt Urged Both Sides to
Settle Their Differences in the Interest
of the Public We!forp.v
%
Washington. Special.?The great coal
conference between the President ar.d
representatives
of the operators and
* ?hf> minp-s.'oame to na end at the tem
porary White House, facing Lafayette
Square, at 4:55 o'clock Friday afternoon.
with a faiiare to roach an agreement.
Apparently the reck upon which
the conference split was recognition 01
the miners' union. The President had
urged the contending parties to cease
trite in the interests of the public welfare;
Jhc miners, through the president
of their union, had expressed a willingness
to submit d:fterences to the
arbitration of a tribunal to be named
by the President and to enter into an
agreemeut to abide by the terms fixed
by the arbitration for a period of from
one to five years, and the employers,
through the presidents of the railroad
nd coal companies, and a leading independent
mine operator, had squarely
refused arbitration, had denounced the
miners' labor organization as a lawless
cd anarchistic body, with which they
t-ould and would have, no dealings; had
demanded Federal troops to ensure
complete protection to worxers ana
their families in the mining region an 1
court proceedings ag3inst the miners'
? union, and had offered, if the men returned
to work, to submit grievances at
Individual colliories to the decision of 1
^ the judges of the Court of Common
^ .Pleas for the district of Pennsylvania.
Jn which the colliery was located.
There tho matter closed.
I ft was a remarkable chapter in the
economical history of the country that
was written. For the first time the
President of the republic had intervened
directly between the great forces
of capital and labor in an effort to avert
what he himself regarded a6 a great
controversy face to face with the whole
country eagerly intent upon and watchful
of their doings. Technically, the
issues between the two great forces
stand as they did before the President
summoned the representatives of the
contending forces to the national capital.
and forgetting his own acute sufv
feriag besought them for love of the
*~~"Country wherein they dwelt and out of
nlVt.
ivi tvuaiicod 11111/115 ui JJUUCIing
poor, to adjust their differences and
work together in peace for the Commonwealth.
What, if anything, will re
?ult from the conference is for the indefinite
future.
*" - ^The conference opened a few minutes
after 11 o'clock and two sessions were
* ,
The immediate parties to the strike
ay they will continue as heretofore.
What course the administration will i
take next no one is prepared to say.
One of the operators, as he left the
White House with closely set jaw, was
asked regarding this and replied: "If
any one knows what the President will
do not. that is more than I know."
Fourteen men, including the President,
were in the second story in the
room at the temporary White House
during the momentous conference.
President Mitchell and three of his district
leaders represented the miners
and five railroad men and one independent
mine operator the employers.
With the President we^e Attorney General
Knox, Commissioner of Labor
Wright and Secretary Cortelyou. All
the cabinet, save Attorney Generai
Knox, kent aloof diminc th? i>nnfprpnc?
but between the two meetings and afterward
several of the President's advisers
called upon him to talk over the
situation. What took place at the meeting
is set out in ample statements made
by each side and given out to the press
by themselves and also officially at the
White House.
During the conference the President
listened to both sides with the greatest
eagerness. Immediately after Its adjournment,
his physicians, Surgeon
General Rixey and Dr. Lung, insisted
on making' an examination of him
wound and redressing it. Apparently
no ill effects had resulted from the
excitement of the day, and at a later
call, at 8 o'clock, Dr. Lung announced
that the President's condition was satisfactory.
The President's statement is as follows:
*I wish to call your attention to the
iact ioai mere are tnree parties affected
by the situation in the anthracite
trades?the operators, the miners
"y and the general public. I speak for
- neitner the operators nor the miners.
#but for the general public. The questions
at issue which led to the trouble
between the operators and the miners,
and the situation itself vitally affects
the public. As long as there seemed to
bb a reasonable hope that these matters
could be adjusted between thm it
did not seem proper to me to intervene.
I disclaim any right or duty to
intervene in this way upon legal
^'grounds or upon any ground other than
- on account of the nature of the catastrophe
to a large portion of our people
in the winter fuel famine, which is
staring us in the face, I believe that
my duty requires me to use whatever
influence I personally can to bring to
an end a situation whfc has become literally
intolerable. I wish to emnhasize
the character of the situation and to
say that its gravity is such 'hat I am
constrained urgently to insist that eaA
one of you realize the heavy burden of
responsibility upon you. We are upon
the threshold of winter with an already
existing coal famine the future terors
of which we can hardly yet appreciate.
The evil possibilities are so far reaching,
so appalling, that ii seems to me
that you are not only justified in sinking,
but required to sink, for the time,
any tenacity as to your respective
claims in the matter, u is my judgment
that the ituation requires that
/ou open the rommoi plane of the necessities
cf the pub'ic. With all the
earnestness there is in fne I ask that
9
with them. God knows the miners di
not escape being charged with every
thing done there. They speak abou
burnings. There was a reward offerei
for burnings. I can bring affidavits o
a hundred people if necessary that th<
lightning caused one burning that the:
charged to the United Mine Workers
Mr. President. I have admitted on mor<
than one occasion that there has beet
seme lawlessness, but I will say that i
large portion of such lawlessness ha,
been provoked by criminals who hav<
been brought into the anthracite re
gions to recruit the iron and coal po
lice. I want to say, Mr. President. ;ha
I feel very keenly the attacks raadi
upon me and my people, but I canu
here with the intention of doing noth
ing and saying nothing that would af
feet conciliation."
The President then asked the representatives
of the anthracite companies
whether they would accept Mr. Mitchtil's
proposition. They answered "No.*
In response to a future question fro~
the President they stated that t'nej
would have uo dealings whatever wilt
Mr. Mitchell, looking toward a settle
ment of the question at issue, and thai
they had no other proposition to mak<
save what was contained in the state
ment of Mr. Baer, which, in efTect. was
that if any man chose to resume wori
and had a difficulty with his emplovei
both should leave the settlement of th<
question to the judge of the Court o!
Common Pleas of the district in whiet
the mine was located.
About 5 o'clock the conference was
broken up.
there be an immediate resumption o;
operations in the coal mines in som<
such way as will without any neces
sary delay meet the crying need of th<
people. I do not invite a discussion o
your respective claims. I appeal t<
your patriotism, to the spirit that sink!
pprsonal considerations and makes in
dividuals sacrifice for the genera
good."
Upon the completion of the Presi
dent's remarks. Mr. Mitchell made i
statement as follows:
"Mr. Presidc-nt: I am much in re press
cd with what you say. I am much im
pressed with the gravity of the situation.
Me fe-el that vo un: -p 1 r.p
sible for this terrible state of affairs
Y.'c are willing to meet the gentlemei
representing the coal operators to tr;
to adjust our differences among our
selves. If we cannot adjust them tha
way. Mr. President, we are willing-tha
you shall name a tribunal who shall de
terminb the issues that have resulte;
in the strike and if the gentlemen rep
resenting the operators will accept th<
award or decision of such a tribunal
the miners will willingly accept it. evei
if it Is against their claims."
The President: "Before considerini
what ought to be done. I think it onl]
Jusc to both of you?both sides?am
desirable from my standpoint that yot
should have time to consider what
have stated as to the reason for m}
getting you together, and 1 shall tres
pass so far upon your good nature x
to ask that this interview cease now
and that you come back at 3 o'clock,
should like you to think* over what
have stated, not to decide now. bu
give it careful thought and return a
3 o'clock.
The conference then adjourned unti
3 o'clock. Upon re-assembling. Mr
Baer spoke as follows:
"Mr. President: Do we understanc
you correctly that we will be expectee
to answer the proposition submitted b}
Mr. Mitchell this morning?"
The President: "It wiil be a pleasure
to me to hear any answer that you art
willing to make."
Mr. Baer: "I have prepared an answer."
The President then asked Mr. Mitchell
of he had anything further to say.
Mr. Mitchell said: "The charge made
by the gentlemen that 20 murders have
been committed in the anthracite eca
regions during the present strike is un
t:ue. 'If thc-y will name the men and
will show that they have committee
the murders, I will resign my position
That is a fair proposition. Mr. President.
that is a fair example of how oui
organization and our people are maligned.
The truth of the matter is
as far as I know, there have been seven
deaths unfortunately. No one regrets
them more than I do. Three of then;
were comthitted by the coal and iron
police and no one else has been charged
Railroad Chartered.
Atlanta, Special.?A charter was
granted by the Socretary of State tc
the Tennessee, Georgia & South Carolina
Railroad Company, to build and
operate a line from Blue Ridge, Ga., tc
Charleston. Tennessee, a distance ol
200 miles. Tho road will connect witt
the Atlanta. Knexville & Northern, s
branch of the Louisville & Nashville
and the Atlantic Coast Line at Blu<
tuage, ana wiin tne soutnern nanwaj
Company at Charleston. Tenn. The
road Is capitalized at 13,000.000 anc
the right Is reserved in the charter tc
extend the capital to $5,000,000.
Street Car Strike Still Holds.
New Orleans, Special.?Tuesday*!
conditions of the strike of the employes
of the New Orleans Railwaj
Company, inaugurated Sunday, as considered
by the peace authorities, wen
satisfactory. No difficulties occurred
being due, it is believed, to the fact
that no effort was made to move an>
cars other than those carrying the
mails. Several mall cars delivered
mail to the sub-stations without difficulty
in the quarter below Canal street.
On the lines receiving power from the
Arabella barn, nothing could be done
with mail cars on account of trouble
on the wires.
Tobacco Company Registered.
London. By Cabie.?The BritishAmerican
Tobacco Company, Limited
was registered at Somerset House lasl
Monday. The capital of the companj
Is $30.0^0,000 which is divided into $7,ono
nrpfprrprf and $22,590,000 oi
common stock. The first directorate
will hold oifice until 1904. The head offices
of the company will be in London
The company oiTors no shares to the
public.
A dispatch states ih :t James M. Cat
lctt of Philadelphia. Pa., will establisl
a knitting mill at Wilmington. N. C.
The average woman doesn't care
any more for the privilege of voting
than the average man does for the
privilege of putting a baby to sleep.?
Chicago News.
Every man's value depends largely
upon his own estimate of himself.
> COLER NOMINATED,
t
i '
' New York Democrats .Name the State
[ Ticket.
A
! THE SLATE REMAINS UNBROKEN
s
Delegates Who Wished to Oppose
l The Ticket Prepared Were Ruled
[ Out of Order.
Saratoga. N. Y., Special.?A conren.
tion so sarenuous in its final hours aa
? to bring almost personal conilict. and
' yet terminating in such perfect har.
rr.ony as to allow the completion of
- the State ticket with less than a huni
dred delegates out of 450 in the hall
- was the result of the closing of the
t Democratic State convention. It began
? in the early incrning with a prepared
- slate of cahiiidates. The slate was not
; broken in any particular, but the right
; of objection to it was given to all the
delegates except when, in the case of
? one New York delegate, it was believed
r to be an infringement of the rules
i under which the convention was acting
The ticket nominated follows: Gov?
ernor, bird S. Color, Brooklyn; Lieutenant
Governor. Charles N. Bulger, of
f Oswego; Secretary of State. Farnk
? Mott, of Chntauqua; Comptroller. Chas.
- M.. Preston, of Ulster; Attorney Gen?
eral, John Cunneen. of Erie; State Enf
gineer and Surveyor, Richard W. Sherj
man. of Oneida; State Treasurer, Geo.
3 R. Finch, of Warren; Associate Judge
- of the Court of Appeals. John C. Gray,
1 of New York.
Naturally a great deal of the interest
- in the convention centred in the attii
tude it would take toward the seating
of Win. S. Devery, former head of the
- police departmont of New York, who
held a regular certificate of election
from the ninth district. It was not an
unexpected event that the convention
t decided to unseat him, and it was not
c sc unexpected that he and his follow)
ers were vociferous in their objec
tions.
| So thoroughly had Mr. Devery made
ap his mind that the convention would
^ have none of him that he did not at:
tend the meeting of the committee on
?ia?h?i0 v,,,t enpnf the earlier hours
I'lt'ucaiiato uuv
f of the morning m the rear of the con_
Tention hall among his alternates.
When the convention decided to adopt
, the roport of the committee by the vote
' of 422 to 211, then Mr. Devery walked
^ ojt of the convention after being allowed
to declare himself a good Demo.
crat, and proceeded to hold a massir.eeting
on the steps of the United
States Hotel.
s
Mr. Roosevelt as Peacemaker.
I Washington. Special. ? President
I Roosevelt has decided to make an eft
fort to get the anthracite coal mine
t owners and their striking employes together
in the interest of the public
1 g*od. This conclusion was reached after
. a series of conferences with his cabinet
advisers. The decision was arrived
1 a* when the lawyers of the cabinet in1
formed the President that*there was no
* way under the constitution and form
og government of the United States for
- Federal Intervention to end the strike.
; Every phase of the situation was canvassed
and the determiantion to have
the mine operators and President
Mitchell meet the President was reac-h
cd when it was found that no ether
method was open.
At the conclusion of the conference
? which was attended by Secretaries
1 Root. Shaw and Moody, Attorney Gen;
eral Knox and Postmaster General
' Payne, at the temporary White House.
' the following telegrams were made
public:
"White House, Washington, Oct. 1
"To George F. Baer, President Reading
nailroad System. Philadelphia: W.
H. Truesdale, Delware, Lackawanna
1 & Western Railroad, New York; E.
' B, Thomas, Chairman of the Board
1 Erie Railroad Company, New York;
J R. M. Olyphant, President Delaware
1 & Hudson Company, New York; John
Markle. New York:
"I should greatly like to see you on
5 Friday next, October 3. at 11 o'clock
> here in Washington, in regard to the
failure of the coal supply which has be1
come a matter of vital concern to the
? whole nation. I have sent a similar disf
patch to Mr. John Mitchell, president
1 of the United Mine Workers.
1 . "THEODORE ROOSEVELT."
? "John Mitchell, President United Mine
! Workers of America, Wilkesbarre
r Pa.:
? "I should greatly like to see you Fri1
day next, October 3, at 11 o'clock, a.
) m.. here in Washington In regard to
the failure of the coal supply, which
ha3 become a matter of vital concern to
the whole nation. I have sent a simi;
lar dispatch to the presidents of the
' anthracite coal companies.
"THEODORE ROOSEVELT."
j
, Attempted Suicide.
; St. Louis, Special.?Clarence Thurs,
ton, a son of United States Senator
[ Thurston, of Nebraska, an attache of
' the World's Fair offices in St. Louis,
. was found unconscious from asphyx'
iatlon in his apartments at a hotel
J early Wednesday. The door of his room
was tightly closed, the keyhole plugged,
the windows bolted and the gas
jets opened, indicating that an attempt
had been made at suicide. Thurston is
. 22 years of age, and has been in St.
? Louis about three months. He was
r taken to the City Hospital, where it
was stated he would recover. The atf
tempt at suicide is said to have been
due to financial troubles.
| Held For Murder.
Roanoke, Va., Special.?San Valentine.
Sam Hodge, Zan Holland and
James Price, the four negroes charged
' with the shooting of John Ruble, a
white mine guard, who was killed on
> Crane Creek, in Mercer county, W. Va.,
; on August 28 last, were given a prelim(
inary hearing before Magistrate Brown
. at Bluefield. and were sent on to the
grand jury for indictment Accomplices
in the shooting of Rube turned State's
evidence, and the testimony against
the men on trial was very strong.
TWO STATEMENTS GIVEN OUT.
Both Sides to the Disagreement Are
Still Firm.
! Washington, Special.?The statements
to the President were made in
' the following order: President Baer,
! of the Reading Railroad; President
juiicneu, 01 me uimea ivuue \v oncers,
President Thomas, of the Erie road;
Mr. Markley, an independent operator;
President Trusdale, of the Lackawanna
road; Mr. Wilcox, vice president
end general counsel cf the Delaware
o: Hudson road; Mr. Fowler, of
the New York, Ontario & Western
road. The statement by George N.
Baer. president of the Reading road
says:
"You distinctly say that you 'do not
Invite the discussion of your respective
claims and positions." But we as
aume that a statement of what is going
on in the coal regions will not be
irrelevant. We represent the owners
of coal mines in Pennsylvania. There
are from 15.000 to 20.000 men at work
mining and preparing coal. They are
abused, assaulted, injured and maltreated
.by the United Mine Workers.
Thoy can only work under the protection
of armed guards. Thousands of
other workmen are deterred from
working by the intimidation, violence
and crimes inaugurated by the United
Mine Workers, over whom John
Mitchell, whom you invited to meet
you. is chief. I need not picture the
daily crimes committed by the domestic
tranquility' which every constitution
declares Is the chief object
of government does not exist in the
coal regions. There is a terrible region
of lawlessness and crime there. The
constitution of Pennsylvania guarantees
protection to our property. In express
terms it declares the right of
acquiring, possessing and defending
property to be inalienable. When riot
and anarchy, to great to be appeasel
by the civil power, occur, the govern- j
ment of Pennsylvania is bound to call
out the State troops to suppress it. He
has sent troops to the coal regions.
Gradually the power of the law is asserting
Itself. Unless encouraged by
false hopes, order will soop be restored.
and then we can mine coal to
meet the public wants. If the power
of Pennsylvania is insufficient to reestablish
the region of law. the constitution
of the United States requires
the President, when requested
by the legislature and Governor to
suppress domestic violence.' You see
there is a lawful way to secure coal
for the puMic.
"The duty of the hour is not to
waste time negotiating with the
fomenters of this anarchy and insolent
defiance of law. but to do as was done
in the war of the rebellion, restore the
majesty of the law. the only guardian
of a free people, and to re-establish
order and peace at any cost.
"we decline to accept Mr, Miicneii s
offer to let our men work on the terms
he names. He has no right to come
from Illinois to dictate terms on the
acceptance of which anarchy and
strife shall ctase in Pennsylvania. We
shall stop his people from killing,
maiming and abusing Pennsylvania
citizens and from destroying property.
He must stop it. because it is unlawful
and not because of any bargain
with us.
"We will add to our offer 'to conj
tinue the wages existing at the time
j of the strike and to take up at each
! colliery and adjust any grievance.'
I thi3 further condition?if the employers
and employes at any particular
' colliery cannot reach a satisfactory
i adjustment of any alleged grievances.
! it shall be referred to the judges of
j the Court of Common Pleas of the disi
trict in which the colliery is situated
! for final determination."
The Miners' Side.
Washington. Special.?The following
is the text of the statement made
I to the President the official repre;
sentatives of the miners' unions:
Washington. D. Cv Oct. 3.
"Mr. President: At the conference
i this morning we, the accredited reprei
sentatives of the anthracite coal mine
workers were much impressed with
the views you expressed and the dangers
to the welfare of our country from
a prolongation of the coal strike that
you so clearly pointed out. Conscious
of the responsibility resting upon us,
conscious of our duty to society, conscious
of our obligations to the 150,000
mine workers whom we have the honor
to represent, we have after mo t
careful consideration and with the
hope of relieving the situation and
averting the sufferings and hardships
which would Inevitably follow in the
wake of a coal famine, decided to propose
a resumption of coal mining upon
the lines hereinafter suggested.
"Before doing so, Mr. President, we
desire to say we are not prompted to
suggest this course bcause of any
i doubts of the justice of our claims. In
1 deferring to your wishes, we are
. prompted by no fear on our part of our
I nhilitv In continue the contest to a SUC
cessful issue. Thanks to the generous
assistance rendered us by our fellowworkers
in this and other lands,
thanks to a justice-loving American
public, whose sympathies are always
on the sld? of right, we are able to continue
the strike indefinitely. But, confident
of our ability to demonstrate to
any impartial tribunal the equity of
our demar.ds for higher wages and improved
environment, we propose that
the issues culminating in the strike
shall be referred to you and a tribuna'
of your own selection, and agree to accept
your award upon all, or any of the
questions involved.
"If you will accept this responsibility.
and the representatives of the coal
operators will signify their willingness
to have vour decision incorporated in
an agreement, for not less than one
year, or more than five years, as may
be determined between themselves and
the anthracite coal mine workers, and
will pay the scale of wages which you
and the tribunal appointed by you
shall award, we will immediately call
a convention and recommend a resumption
of work, upon the understanding
that the wages which shall be
paid are to go into effect from the day
upon which work is resumed.
"Very respectfully yours,
"John Mitchell, President U. M. W. of
A.; John Fahey, John Duffey, D, D.
Nichols, district presidents."
'"A. i
GETS A NEW TRIAL
Supreme Court 'iands Down Opinion
in Wilcox Case.
MONTGOMERY WRITES OPINION.
Justice Clark Writes a Concurrent
Opinion?Disturbances at Trial in
Elizabeth City Sufticient Grounds.
Raleigh, N. C., Special?The Supreme
Court Tuesday gave Jas. Wilcox, convicted
of the murder of Nellie Cropsey,
at Elizabeth City, a new trial. The
opinion in the case is written by Justice
Montgomery. There is a concur*
ring opinion by Justice Clark. The
leading opinions in full follow:
No person ought to be taken or disseized
of his household liberties or
privileges or outlawed or exiled or in
any manner deprived of his life, liberty
or property but by the law of the
land. And that provision of our State
constitution applies as well to proceHnro
on/1 mnnnop r\f trial in niir rOlirtR
UU1 V/ HUU AAJUUMVA V t tl >Mt ?
of justice as to principles of law which
underline our society. Under law all
persons charged with crime are as
much entitled to a fair and unprejudiced
trial as they are to the protection
of their persons, their property or
their reputation. Thoy have a right
under the same constitution to have
counsel for defense, and any willful interruption
of such counsel while conducting
such defense, intended to disconcert
and embarrass, is not only unlawful
as obstructing and preventing a
fair trial, but is deserving of the condemnation
of all good citizens.
In this case the prisoner was arraigned
for murder and was convicted
of that crime in the first degree. The
evidence wos entirely circumstantial,
and while that character of evidence
may, in its very nature, produce a high
degree of moral certainty in Its application,
yet it Is never to be forgotten
that it requires the greatest degree ol
caution and vigilance in its application.
In reading the records in this case,
it hardly seems possible that the jury
could have given that cautious and
vigilant attention to the evidence
which the law requires of them, or to
a presentation of the prisoner's case to
them by his counsel that thought
which the importance of the case demanded.
In their immediate presence,
100 persons in their deliberate purpose
to preiudice the rights of the prisoner,
committed a great wrong against the
Commonwealth, and contempt of
court. On the outside of the court
house great impropertles took place
for the purpose of prejudicing the prisoner
with the jury. No such demonstrations
were ever witnessed in our
State before, and for the honor of the
Commonwealth, such ought not to be
! repeated.
In the statement of the case by his
honor, he said: "After the evidence
was all in, and while one of the counsel
was making the closing argument
for the prisoner, about 100 people
being about ODe-fourth of those present
in the court room, as if by concert,
left the room. Soon thereafter, while
the same counsel was addressing the
Jury, the fire alarm was given near the
court house, which caused a number
of other persons to leave the court
room. The court is of the opinion, and
so finds the fact, that these demonstrations
were made for the purpose of
breaking the force of the counsel's argument.
But the court does not find
that the Jury were influenced thereby.
There is no motion made by the prisoner
to set the verdict aside in consequence
of said conduct."
Sufficient excuse was made here by
counsel for the prisoner for failure to
make a motion for a new trial in the
court below to justify the Attorney
General in consenting to the agreement
to consider the motion as having been
entered at the proper time, which he
did. In such a case as this It is uo?.
in^ioronoohlo that th? ffidinr hv his
honor that the jury had been uninfluenced
by the conduct of the offender
should have been made. The disorderly
proceedings assumed such proportions
as to warrant this court in declaring
that the trial was not conducted
according to law. The propriety of
our ruling is strengthened by the circumstances
that contempt proceedings
were not commenced against those of- <
fending, and that no motion was made <
to set the verdict aside and dor a new
trial after such unheard-of demonstrations.
Counsel for the prisoner, in his
argument here, in response to a ques- \
tlon, stated that if the verdict had been '
6et aside the prisoner would have met
a violent death on the instant.
The prisoner must not only be tried I
according to the forms of law, these (
forms being included in the expression
"law of the land," but his trial must
be unattended by such influences and
such demonstrations of lawlessness
and intimidation as w.ere present on
noooclAn Pahnf mnet otonH
liic lUt'UiVl VLVWiUUi VVU1 I. AAAlAfcJl Otuuv*
for civilization^ for proper administration
of law is orderly proceedings.
There must be a new trial in this case.
The following is Judge Clark's <ron- i
currence of opinion:
"The judge having found as fact <
that the demonstration within and i
without the court room were made for '
the purpose of breaking the force of
counsel's argument, the magnitude and
nature of those demonstrations were
such as to require a new trial. The ad- .
ministration of justice must not only (
be fair and unbiased,?but it must be
abve any just suspicion of any influence
save that credit which the jury shall 1
ifive to the evidence before them. It Is '
of vital importance to the public wel- i
'are that decisions of courts of justice t
shall command respect, but this will be <
impossible of there is ground to believe ]
that extraneous influence, of any kind i
whatever, has been brought to bear." t
t
,
STRIKE TALK AT WRITE HOUSE.
President and Cabinet Review Coal
Famine Situation.
Washington, Special.?The President
Tuesday took initiative steps to
ascertain what, if anything, could be
done by Federal authorities to settle
the coal strike. The result was a
rather general expression of opinion
by the advisers of the President to the
effect that the Federal laws and constitution
did not afTord means of Federal
interference to end the strike,
but another conference will be heid
and the President will do all he < an
to properly and legally bring about a
settlement.
At the temporary White House a 1
conference was held with three cabinet
officers, Attorney General Knox,
Secretary Moody and Postmaster General
Payne. Governor Crane, of Massachusetts,
was also present. These
gentlemen met with President Roosevelt
first and after the subject had
been considered for some time, they
adjourned to another room and conferred
together for an ho jr. They all
returned later In the day and held
another conference with the President
and the strike situation was discussed
further.
President Roosevelt is deeply concerned
over the situation. The approach
of winter, with a coal famine
imminent and the distress and suffering
that must ensue unless coal becomes
available, presents a situation
which he thinks should receive the attention
of the administration if there
Is anything that can be done by the
government. Many appeals have been
made to him and many suggestions
have been received by him and-it was
with a view to ascertaining what
power the Federal authority could
evoke that caused the conference to
be held.
During the conference every phaze \
of the situation was discussed. The V
general opinion of the advisers of the 1
President was that the situation did
not present a case in which there
could be Federal interference by any
warrant of law. There has been no interference
with Federal authority in
the mining region either by stoppage
of the mails or resistance of United ..
States Court process. It was pointed *
out that there was no occasion for the 1
use of Federal troops, as Governor
Stone, of Pennsylvania, had not called S
on the government for assistance, nor
had he even exhausted the resources
of the State by calling out the full
strength of the State militia. The
question of the right to seek appointment
of receivers for the mines in
order that they might be operated was
discussed, but neither in the constitution
nor in any known law could any *
legal warrant be found for such action
though the discussion on such
lines went so far as the consideration
of how the properties could be relinquished
and control surrendered after
the object of supplying coal had
been accomplished, assuming the Federal
government could intervene
through receivers. The tenor of the
whole discussion was to the effect
that there was a lack of power in the
Federal administration to take any
action at the present stage of the
strike, although the seriousness of
the coal famine now and the much
greater evils soon to follow were considered
at length and with the wish
to discover some method of ending
the industrial deadlock.
Governor Crane's presence naturally
brought into prominence the proceedings
begun in the Massachusetts
courts to secure the appointment of
receivers for the coal properties, but
the opinion was expressed that tbo
situation could not be met successfully
by this method.
Cotton injured By Rain.
Washington, Special.?The Weather
Bureau's weekly summary of crop conditions
says: ReportB of injury from
rain to open cotton are very general
throughout the belt, with the exception
of the Carolinas and portions of Texas,
and sprouting and rotting in bolls are
largely reported, especially in the central
districts. Picking, though much )
interrupted, is well advanced and te?^
nearing completion in some districts.
Late cotton in central and norehern
Texas is making rapid growth, but will
not mature unless frosts are unusually
late, and under these conditions a
light top crop may also be gathered
in Alabama. A fine crop of Sea Island
cotton is promised in South Carolina.
Late tobacco has been materially improved.
Cloudy and rainy weather,
which has been very general throughout
the week, has been very unfavorable
for curing.
Tried to Kill Himself.
New York, Special.?In financial difficulty,
as a result of the coal strike.
Henry C. Scheel, a coal merchant of
this city, tried to kill himself by shooting.
The doctors say there is little
hope for him. Mr. Scheel is 45 years
old. He lives with his wife and three
children in a handsome residence and
has been generally thought to be prosperous.
A relative of Mr. Scheel said
he had a large sum of money?about
5200,000?tied up in litigation and that
his business was his source of revenue.
The disturbance in the coal market
had affected his business seriously,
causing him to become despondent
Receiver For Georgia Bank.
Macon, Ga., Special.?A Barnesville
special to The Telegraph says that a
temporarly receiver has been appointed
for the People's Bank, successor to
the Barnesville Savings Sank, which
failed a few months ago. The action
o fthe court is due to a proceeding un- \
dertaken by the United States Fidelity
and Guarantee Company on account
of a deposit of $3,800 made by the tax
collector of the county for whom the
company stood bond.
Stage Coach Robbed.
Middletown, N. Y.. Special.?The
stage coach "Pioneer," which makes
daily trips between Warwick and
Goshen, was held up and robbed by
three masked horsemen late Tuesday
afternoon. While two of the highwaymen
covered the driver with revolvers,
the third, with many threats, com pell*
ed the passengers to give up all their
money and valuable*. After the robbery
had beep completed, the robbers
spurred up their horses and escaped.
a