Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 297, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 December 1919 — COAL STRIKE COMES TO END [ARTICLE]

COAL STRIKE COMES TO END

MINERS VOTED WEDNESDAY TO ACCEPT TERMS OF PRESIDENT WILSON.

Indianapolis, Dec. 10.—The coal miners’ strike is ended. With but one dissenting vote the general committee of the United Mine workers of America in session here this afternoon voted to accept President Wilson’s proposal for immediate return to work pending a final settlement of their wage controversy with the operators by a commission to be appointed by him. Telegrams were sent out to -the four thousand locals of the union tonight by international officials of the mine workers, instructing the men to return to work immediately. Full instructions with regard to the agreement will be sent out tomorrow morning. Operators tonight predicted full resumption of operation Friday and shipment of coal from the mines beginning Monday morning. Miners, operators and government officials alike were highly gratified over the settlement tonight and all sides appeared confident of a final satisfactory settlement of the fight by the commission. The action today ends a tie-up of the' coal industry of more than five weeks duratiofi and one which was more far reaching in its effects than any other in the history of the country. As a result of the strike the ocuntry was fast approaching a complete shutdown of industry and widespread suffering among its one hundred million inhabitants. The decision of the miners came after many hours of debate, in which the radical element in the general committee made incendiary speeches against operators and others interested in settlement of the strike and for a time threatened to defeat all efforts to settle the strike at this time. The conservative element, led by Acting President John L. Lewis and Secretary Treasurer William Green, gained control of the situation this morning and succeeded in putting down practically all opposition by the time the question came to a vote. One concession was made to the radicals, the convention agreeing to the calling of a general convention of the miners at a future date, at which time the action of and reasons for the general committee will be fully explained. The opponents of acceptance of the president’s plan made their fight principally on the theory that only a general convention of the mine workers had power to call off the strike.

Members of the general committee tonight steadfastly refused to make public the name of the delegate who cast the one dissenting vote. Two statements were given out following the adjournment of the conference by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, who first submitted the president’s proposal to Acting President Lewis and Secretary Treasurer Green at a conference in Washington last Saturday, and came to Indianapolis Monday to await the outcome of consideration of the plan by the miners* general committee. Mr. Palmer’s first statement expressed his gratification at the decision of the United Mine Workers and commended Mr. Lewis and Mr. Green for “their wise and patriotic action.” Two statements were given out by the international officials of the miners, one of them having been prepared during the meeting this afternoon to announce the decision. The other statement was dictated to newspaper men by Acting President Lewis. Mr. Lewis’ statement declared that the action of the general committee was taken with consciousness of the responsibilities of the miners to the nation during “this acute industrial crisis and firm in the conviction that the word of the president of the United States will secure for the miners just consideration of their merited claims.” He stated that the international convention of the miners would be reconvened in Indianapolis and a supplemental explanation given the delegates from all of the 4,000 locals. Mr. Lewis declared that the action taken today should “demonstrate to the people of bur country that the United Mine Workers of America are loyal to their country, and believe in the perpetuity of our democratic institutions. No greater demonstration of such facts ficould be given than our action in accepting the proposal of the president of the United States.