Finally，onOctober3，therepresentativesofboththeoperatorsandtheminersmetbeforeme，inpursuanceofmyrequest。TherepresentativesoftheminersincludedastheirheadandspokesmanJohnMitchell，whokepthistemperadmirablyandshowedtomuchadvantage。Therepresentativesoftheoperators，onthecontrary，camedowninamostinsolentframeofmind，refusedtotalkofarbitrationorotheraccommodationofanykind，andusedlanguagethatwasinsultingtotheminersandoffensivetome。Theywerecuriouslyignorantofthepopulartemper；andwhentheywentawayfromtheinterviewthey，withmuchpride，gavetheirownaccountofittothepapers，exultinginthefactthattheyhad“turneddown“boththeminersandthePresident。
Irefusedtoaccepttherebuff，however，andcontinuedtheefforttogetanagreementbetweentheoperatorsandtheminers。Iwasanxioustogetthisagreement，becauseitwouldpreventthenecessityoftakingtheextremelydrasticactionImeditated，andwhichishereinafterdescribed。
Fortunately，thistimeweweresuccessful。Yetwewereonthevergeoffailure，becauseofself-willedobstinacyonthepartoftheoperators。Thisobstinacywasutterlysillyfromtheirownstandpoint，andwell-nighcriminalfromthestandpointofthepeopleatlarge。TheminersproposedthatIshouldnametheCommission，andthatifIputonarepresentativeoftheemployingclassIshouldalsoputonalaborunionman。Theoperatorspositivelydeclinedtoacceptthesuggestion。TheyinsisteduponmynamingaCommissionofonlyfivemen，andspecifiedthequalificationsthesemenshouldhave，carefullychoosingthesequalificationssoastoexcludethosewhomithadleakedoutIwasthinkingofappointing，includingex-PresidentCleveland。TheymadetheconditionthatIwastoappointoneofficeroftheengineercorpsofthearmyornavy，onemanwithexperienceofmining，one“manofprominence。”“eminentasasociologist。”oneFederaljudgeoftheEasterndistrictofPennsylvania，andoneminingengineer。
Theypositivelyrefusedtohavemeappointanyrepresentativeoflabor，ortoputonanextraman。Iwasdesirousofputtingontheextraman，becauseMitchellandtheotherleadersoftheminershadurgedmetoappointsomehighCatholicecclesiastic。MostoftheminerswereCatholics，andMitchellandtheleaderswereveryanxioustosecurepeacefulacquiescencebytheminersinanydecisionrendered，andtheyfeltthattheirhandswouldbestrengthenedifsuchanappointmentweremade。Theyalso，quiteproperly，insistedthatthereshouldbeonerepresentativeoflaboronthecommission，asalloftheothersrepresentedthepropertiedclasses。Theoperators，however，absolutelyrefusedtoacquiesceintheappointmentofanyrepresentativeoflabor，andalsoannouncedthattheywouldrefusetoacceptasixthmanontheCommission；althoughtheyspokemuchlessdecidedlyonthispoint。Thelabormenlefteverythinginmyhands。
ThefinalconferenceswiththerepresentativesoftheoperatorstookplaceinmyroomsontheeveningofOctober15。HourafterhourwentbywhileIendeavoredtomaketheoperatorsthroughtheirrepresentativesseethatthecountrywouldnottoleratetheirinsistinguponsuchconditions；butinvain。ThetworepresentativesoftheoperatorswereRobertBaconandGeorgeW。Perkins。Theywereentirelyreasonable。Buttheoperatorsthemselveswereentirelyunreasonable。Theyhadworkedthemselvesintoaframeofmindwheretheywerepreparedtosacrificeeverythingandseecivilwarinthecountryratherthanbackdownandacquiesceintheappointmentofarepresentativeoflabor。Itlookedasifadeadlockwereinevitable。
Then，suddenly，afterabouttwohours’argument，itdawnedonmethattheywerenotobjectingtothething，buttothename。Ifoundthattheydidnotmindmyappointinganyman，whetherhewasalabormanornot，solongashewasnotappointed/as/alaborman，or/as/arepresentativeoflabor；theydidnotobjecttomyexercisinganylatitudeIchoseintheappointmentssolongastheyweremadeundertheheadingstheyhadgiven。IshallneverforgetthemixtureofreliefandamusementIfeltwhenIthoroughlygraspedthefactthatwhiletheywouldheroicallysubmittoanarchyratherthanhaveTweedledum，yetifIwouldcallitTweedledeetheywouldacceptitwithrapture；itgavemeanilluminatingglimpseintoonecornerofthemightybrainsofthese“captainsofindustry。”Inordertocarrythegreatandvitalpointandsecureagreementbybothparties，allthatwasnecessaryformetodowastocommitatechnicalandnominalabsurditywithasolemnface。ThisIgladlydid。IannouncedatoncethatIacceptedthetermslaiddown。Withthisunderstanding，I
appointedthelabormanIhadallalonghadinview，Mr。E。E。Clark，theheadoftheBrotherhoodofRailwayConductors，callinghiman“eminentsociologist“——atermwhichIdoubtwhetherhehadeverpreviouslyheard。Hewasafirst-classman，whomIafterwardputontheInter-StateCommerceCommission。IaddedtotheArbitrationCommission，onmyownauthority，asixthmember，inthepersonofBishopSpalding，aCatholicbishop，ofPeoria，Ill。，oneoftheverybestmentobefoundintheentirecountry。ThemanwhomtheoperatorshadexpectedmetoappointasthesociologistwasCarrollWright——whoreallywasaneminentsociologist。IputhimonasrecorderoftheCommission，andaddedhimasaseventhmemberassoonastheCommissiongotfairlystarted。InpublishingthelistoftheCommissioners，whenIcametoClark’sappointment，Iadded：“Asasociologist——thePresidentassumingthatforthepurposesofsuchaCommission，thetermsociologistmeansamanwhohasthoughtandstudieddeeplyonsocialquestionsandhaspracticallyappliedhisknowledge。”
ThereliefofthewholecountrywassogreatthatthesuddenappearanceoftheheadoftheBrotherhoodofRailwayConductorsasan“eminentsociologist“merelyfurnishedmaterialforpuzzledcommentonthepartofthepress。ItwasamostadmirableCommission。Itdidanoteworthywork，anditsreportisamonumentinthehistoryoftherelationsoflaborandcapitalinthiscountry。Thestrike，bytheway，broughtmeintocontactwithmorethanonemanwhowasafterwardavaluedfriendandfellow-worker。OnthesuggestionofCarrollWrightIappointedasassistantrecorderstotheCommissionCharlesP。Neill，whomIafterwardmadeLaborCommissioner，tosucceedWrighthimself，andMr。EdwardA。Moseley。Wilkes-Barrewasthecenterofthestrike；
andthemaninWilkes-BarrewhohelpedmemostwasFatherCurran；I
grewtoknowandtrustandbelieveinhim，andthroughoutmyterminoffice，andafterward，hewasnotonlymystanchfriend，butoneofthemenbywhoseadviceandcounselIprofitedmostinmattersaffectingthewelfareoftheminersandtheirfamilies。
Iwasgreatlyrelievedattheresult，formorethanonereason。Ofcourse，firstandforemost，myconcernwastoavertafrightfulcalamitytotheUnitedStates。InthenextplaceIwasanxioustosavethegreatcoaloperatorsandalloftheclassofbigpropertiedmen，ofwhichtheyweremembers，fromthedreadfulpunishmentwhichtheirownfollywouldhavebroughtonthemifIhadnotacted；andoneoftheexasperatingthingswasthattheyweresoblindedthattheycouldnotseethatIwastryingtosavethemfromthemselvesandtoavert，notonlyfortheirsakes，butforthesakeofthecountry，theexcesseswhichwouldhavebeenindulgedinattheirexpenseiftheyhadlongerpersistedintheirconduct。
ThegreatAnthraciteStrikeof1902leftanindelibleimpressuponthepeopleoftheUnitedStates。Itshowedclearlytoallwiseandfar-
seeingmenthatthelaborprobleminthiscountryhadentereduponanewphase。Industryhadgrown。Greatfinancialcorporations，doinganation-wideandevenaworld-widebusiness，hadtakentheplaceofthesmallerconcernsofanearliertime。Theoldfamiliar，intimaterelationsbetweenemployerandemployeewerepassing。Afewgenerationsbefore，thebosshadknowneverymaninhisshop；hecalledhismenBill，Tom，Dick，John；heinquiredaftertheirwivesandbabies；heswappedjokesandstoriesandperhapsabitoftobaccowiththem。Inthesmallestablishmenttherehadbeenafriendlyhumanrelationshipbetweenemployerandemployee。
Therewasnosuchrelationbetweenthegreatrailwaymagnates，whocontrolledtheanthraciteindustry，andtheonehundredandfiftythousandmenwhoworkedintheirmines，orthehalfmillionwomenandchildrenwhoweredependentupontheseminersfortheirdailybread。
Veryfewofthesemineworkershadeverseen，forinstance，thepresidentoftheReadingRailroad。Hadtheyseenhimmanyofthemcouldnothavespokentohim，fortensofthousandsofthemineworkerswererecentimmigrantswhodidnotunderstandthelanguagewhichhespokeandwhospokealanguagewhichhecouldnotunderstand。
Again，afewgenerationsagoanAmericanworkmancouldhavesavedmoney，goneWestandtakenupahomestead。Nowthefreelandsweregone。Inearlierdaysamanwhobeganwithpickandshovelmighthavecometoownamine。Thatoutlettoowasnowclosed，asregardstheimmensemajority，andfew，ifany，oftheonehundredandfiftythousandmineworkerscouldeveraspiretoenterthesmallcircleofmenwhoheldintheirgraspthegreatanthraciteindustry。Themajorityofthemenwhoearnedwagesinthecoalindustry，iftheywishedtoprogressatall，werecompelledtoprogressnotbyceasingtobewage-earners，butbyimprovingtheconditionsunderwhichallthewage-earnersinalltheindustriesofthecountrylivedandworked，aswellofcourse，asimprovingtheirownindividualefficiency。
Anotherchangewhichhadcomeaboutasaresultoftheforegoingwasacrassinequalityinthebargainingrelationbetweentheemployerandtheindividualemployeestandingalone。Thegreatcoal-miningandcoal-carryingcompanies，whichemployedtheirtensofthousands，couldeasilydispensewiththeservicesofanyparticularminer。Theminer，ontheotherhand，howeverexpert，couldnotdispensewiththecompanies。Heneededajob；hiswifeandchildrenwouldstarveifhedidnotgetone。Whattheminerhadtosell——hislabor——wasaperishablecommodity；thelaborofto-day——ifnotsoldto-day——waslostforever。Moreover，hislaborwasnotlikemostcommodities——amerething；itwaspartofaliving，breathinghumanbeing。Theworkmansaw，andallcitizenswhogaveearnestthoughttothemattersaw，thatthelaborproblemwasnotonlyaneconomic，butalsoamoral，ahumanproblem。Individuallytheminerswereimpotentwhentheysoughttoenterawage-contractwiththegreatcompanies；theycouldmakefairtermsonlybyunitingintotradeunionstobargaincollectively。Themenwereforcedtocooperatetosecurenotonlytheireconomic，buttheirsimplehumanrights。They，likeotherworkmen，werecompelledbytheveryconditionsunderwhichtheylivedtouniteinunionsoftheirindustryortrade，andtheseunionswereboundtogrowinsize，instrength，andinpowerforgoodandevilastheindustriesinwhichthemenwereemployedgrewlargerandlarger。
Ademocracycanbesuchinfactonlyifthereissomeroughapproximationinsimilarityinstatureamongthemencomposingit。Oneofuscandealinourprivateliveswiththegrocerorthebutcherorthecarpenterorthechickenraiser，orifwearethegrocerorcarpenterorbutcherorfarmer，wecandealwithourcustomers，because/weareallofaboutthesamesize/。Thereforeasimpleandpoorsocietycanexistasademocracyonabasisofsheerindividualism。Butarichandcomplexindustrialsocietycannotsoexist；forsomeindividuals，andespeciallythoseartificialindividualscalledcorporations，becomesoverybigthattheordinaryindividualisutterlydwarfedbesidethem，andcannotdealwiththemontermsofequality。Itthereforebecomesnecessaryfortheseordinaryindividualstocombineintheirturn，firstinordertoactintheircollectivecapacitythroughthatbiggestofallcombinationscalledtheGovernment，andsecond，toact，alsointheirownself-
defense，throughprivatecombinations，suchasfarmers’associationsandtradeunions。
Thisthegreatcoaloperatorsdidnotsee。Theydidnotseethattheirpropertyrights，whichtheysostoutlydefended，wereofthesametextureaswerethehumanrights，whichtheysoblindlyandhotlydenied。Theydidnotseethatthepowerwhichtheyexercisedbyrepresentingtheirstockholderswasofthesametextureasthepowerwhichtheunionleadersdemandedofrepresentingtheworkmen，whohaddemocraticallyelectedthem。Theydidnotseethattherighttouseone’spropertyasonewillcanbemaintainedonlysolongasitisconsistentwiththemaintenanceofcertainfundamentalhumanrights，oftherightstolife，libertyandthepursuitofhappiness，or，aswemayrestatethemintheselaterdays，oftherightsoftheworkertoalivingwage，toreasonablehoursoflabor，todecentworkingandlivingconditions，tofreedomofthoughtandspeechandindustrialrepresentation，——inshort，toameasureofindustrialdemocracyand，inreturnforhisarduoustoil，toaworthyanddecentlifeaccordingtoAmericanstandards。Stillanotherthingthesegreatbusinessleadersdidnotsee。Theydidnotseethatboththeirinterestsandtheinterestsoftheworkersmustbeaccommodated，andifneedbe，subordinated，tothefundamentalpermanentinterestsofthewholecommunity。Nomanandnogroupofmenmaysoexercisetheirrightsastodeprivethenationofthethingswhicharenecessaryandvitaltothecommonlife。Astrikewhichtiesupthecoalsuppliesofawholesectionisastrikeinvestedwithapublicinteres