The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-02-20
THE MINFR.

There IS, perhaps, no portion 0fthe work
iDgmen Of our country who have received
so htue attention as those who work 10 our
mines 70 looking over the columns Of
newspapers supposed e be devoted to the
interest w those who toll We seldom ind
-:-gle paragraph devoted 20 the miner. All
other ira eS, occupations and interests are
locked after, and their grievances brought
10 notice and remedies, ~ reforms suggested.
but the mirer 4 lsft % take care Of himself
The reason Of this is 10 De found in The fact
that a. a class. the miners are isolated from
other workingmen. They work under
ground, and, for the most part, never come
~ contact with men Of other employments.
therefore, but little IL known Of their con
diuon, and their wants, aud their views.
we have frequently referred to the mioing
interests il general way, using such infor-
nation as we CHANGED to get. What We have
been able to gather, far tue most part. was
in connection with the mining interests of
Ihu west II we have uot given attention 10
the miners IF the east-the Anthracite coal
miners Of Pennsylvania, It has been because
VIZ were destitute Of the positive information
necessary 10 make Us feel safe, writing any-
fing on the subject For some time past
1fa bave been revolving in our mind the
question how best 10 reach the miners 81
the country, and make ourselves familiar
With all their wants. We nave spent some
httle lime in most of the mining distries
ana learned considerable Of the miner as We
could see him, but our know edge was super
fetal, il was q Surface" knowledge. thar
served-us but poorly when We cxme to write
on this subject.
We had gone over the coal fields Of east
vFn Psnnsy lvsnia. We had gone into the
cabins 81 the miners, and had become per
fectly familiar with the fact that no class Of
workingmen ID cur country were % poorly
paid, 90 hard worked and enjoyed 50 few Of
the comforts Of life. We knew too, that
they wers crushed beneath the iron heel of
monopoly. We knew that every effort made
BY them 70 increase their wages, or 70 shake
Of the obnoxious rule of the tYrant, was met
by bitter, and unreleuting opposition ADD
persecution. We knew that the charges Of
murder and riet made against them were
without he shadow Of foundation. We
knew that the sending OF the military into
the mining districts, and the creation az
speciai force were all the work Of interested
parties who were operating for rise in The
price Of coal, or % maintain existing prices, /
and took this means Of throwing the blame
upon the miners. We knew that long de-
tailed accounts Of strikes among tie miners I
and ne stoppaee Of the coilleres, we're pub |
hshed in the Phi.sd lphia ana NV York
papers, when every miner was Il work. and 1
90 strike was tbougnt OF. We knew that
all this was eEto deceive the public, by
creating the impression Of short soppls of
coal, and thereby run Up The price. We
knew that the high price Of coal had been I
blamed upon the miner because Of the high |
price oemanard tor mining We knew that
the price OF cuai advanced IA Poll delphla, I
New York, and elsewhere, because If these
stores, when n fact reduction Of wages 1
hah taken place We knew that when coal
was ~orth 81 ,50 e s. per ton at the mines,
Ita'y for II aikei, il was selling IL PhlladeI-
phla and New York for $40 10 $l2 per ton.
We knew that John Mcgee, not citizen Of
the state, Wbo died recently worth $40, 000,-
600, bought the odious Tloea county law
through tue Pennsylvania legislature, un-
der the lperAiions Of which huucreds Of
miners with ls.S's families. aid sick mothers /
With new burn babes were turned out Of
doors, with no shelter TO pro,ect them fron
the winry blast, but their scaBty bedaing
hung over the bushes BY tbs way eide. Aud
all because the miners had the manhood to /