Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-05-28
UNLAWFUL COMBINATIONS.

Fair play is one thing /; and combina-
lions to coerce men against their will to
do or not to do a certain thing With re-
spect to labor, is quite another. 1t is
tyranny of the most hateful kind, and
none the less so because, for instance,
miners laboriug under real or supposed
attempt TO carry q point by
and Intimidation. We were dis
posed to let the miners at Grass Valley
the grounds OF their complaint on
the score of fair play and having done
this, we are ready to point out any
errors which these miners may commit.
II is a well known rule that he who asks
equity must do equity.
Now, if q company of miners do MT
want to use Giant Powder, or ruy other
explosive agent. they can let it alone,
and are free even to refuse to work
where it is used, if they think it un-
necessarily endangers health and life.
1t may be a perfectly clear case to them
that they ought to adhere to certain
usages and customs. But in asserting
this right they cannot go further and
dictate to proprietors what shall, or
shalt not, be done with respect to the
management of the mine. suppose the
stockholders and managers of n mine
decide to use II particular explosive
agent, aud, on the score Of economy, to
have holes drilled in n certain name
rs to size and depth, and blasts let OF
in q particular way? Now, this may be
against all the asages of old-fashioned
miners. If they do Mt like the plan and
believe it is injurious to health, they
have the right to protest and set forth
objections. But the attempt of any
combination Of miners to decide that
the proprietors Of the mine shall not
have tho right to try rs many expert
ments as they please, or manage n mine
in any way which seems best on the
score Of economy in working, is not
only absurd, but it is criminal. The
propricto-s OF many of these mines have
vast sun invested. They do not, as we
understand the case, propose to reduce
| the price OF labor at all, and In some
| cases they have increased the wages.
| But they propose TO use Giant Powder,
| or any other force which they can find,
by which greater economy OF working
| will be attained, and thereby unpro-
ductivc property made productive.
We know nothing, except by hear
say, Of the yelative merits OF single
hand drilling and the old method. But
suppose the owners happen TO be con-
WINGED that the new plan is the best ?
That settles the question so far. Then,
if n set Of men refuse to work by the
new plan, it is the right Of the proprl-
etors to employ new men who will work
after the plan prescribed. And there is
not u mine in the State which cannot be
stocked, on II few hours notice, with
laborers glad to accept the now system,
at even less wages. Now, while these
facts are patent, it is useless for u body
of miners, however just their griev-
ances, to attempt to dictate the mining
policy Of tho State, or Of a single town
in it. If single hand drilling and Giant
Powder are the best methods OF mining,
no combination, no strikes, and no
threats ending in violence, will stop the
new method from being adopted. And
if the system is not a good one, if the
new explosive agent cannot be used with
safety and economy as TO health and
money outlay, no amount of writing up
in the newspapers, and no pushing OF a
now invention, from motives Of Self-iu-
terest, will ever make il successful. The
danger is that men confederated to-
rether to talk over real ar fnncied grew
nnces, will 20 beyond all warrant, and
by arbitrary dictation not only lose the
sympathy OF well disposed persons, but
instiga,c ou,ragcs of 4 criminal charac-
ter. And when thisis done, tho cause of
the miner is utterly lost. There is
| work enough to be done. Every in
| veution which'seems Mt first to abridgc
labor, creates in fact II demand for more
labor. If by improved methods mining
can be done cheaper, not by cheapening
labor, but by employing any known
| artificial forces, then new mines will be
opened and new sources OF wealth de-
| veloped. The Cornish miners may have
a contempt for all innovations upon
| ancient usagcs. But this will not him
| der mining experiments in this country
from being carried to the very verge
| of human possibilities.
\ wrong is never rightcd by COM
hitting n greater one. II is absurd to
dictate any particular plan of mining
as the one which shall always prevail
without modification. We cannot say
but that in less than 90 years every
process of mining now known, will be
repudiatcd for something vastly better.
Somebody may discover II plan to mine
and work rock which contains no more
than So of precious metal to the ton,
at n profit. If such q discovery were
made, no combination could stop the
introduction Of the new method for n
single month. The Cornish miners, or
any other class Of men, could state
their grievances, and could refuse to
work, but their places would be filled
by men bound by no precedent but that
Of earning bread peaccably and hon.
cstly.-Sdn Francisco Bulletin.