The workingman's advocate., 1871-01-21

OCeWart Win the Same WODUertu& tustOIuh-
ty. just in fact as we do to a disquisition
on the Mastodon or the Cortland giant-os
on Washingten's CONSISTENCY i'm being at the
same time q rebel against his king and .
STAKEHOLDER on bis plantation: or as Samnel
johnson expressed it. "being the lcudest
yelper for Liberty and the largest holder Of
Slaves"
Cooperation will cure that evil IL there
is any use in Colleges, and if Christian rules
are really binding On millionaires, then cd
ucation and wealth are bound at once to
plan and set On foot methods by which this
system may be introduced and the laboring
class educated up to it.
And in that system Of co operation We do
not believe that the underlying principle
should be for labor to have but small share
Of profits: on the timid principle that un-
less a man is kept all The time moderately
hungry he will never work, bat lie and doze
in the sun-and that b6 mass-not have any
leisure, fer he will be sure to spend it in a
grog shop. No. In our system Of CO.
operation the method sf dividing profits
will not leave il possible even for brains to
clutch millions, nor will it leave any pains
taking industry without some fair share of
the worlds best opportunities. Leisure,
books, travel, quiet enjoyment of nature, a
fair share of the worlds comforts will be
considered the due of every man Of average
ability who puts his best energies honestly
into his work. This will not allsw son to
have ten per cent. for twirling his thumbs
and permitting living brains to use what his
fathers desd brains and self denial bearded
He shall have something But q just e.
nance will hold more even balance between
interest due for what somebody did yester-
day, and the creative force which is doing
something to-day
We are aware that large part Of the
work we propose belongs to Social Reform,
rather than to politics. Still, very impor-
tant aid can legitimately be rendered by
political machinery. Indeed we shall not,
for long while, get any beginning made
unless it is undertaken BY the hard common
sense and practical ability of politics. If
we leave the matter wholly to the hair
splitters and word weighers, the censerva-
tivss playing at radicalism, the Latin and
Greek pedants, the selfcemplacent system
mongers, the dsinty trihers and extrscters
of sunbeams from cucumbers," who make
the majority in our Social Science meetings,
we shall possibly see a beginning made
about the time that owls decide to Fly in
the daytime and Monkeys expert eocoanuts
instead Of pslting travellers with them.
SDEIL PHrLLrPs.
Justice to Miners
The coal miners Of the MoBongabela Val
ley feeling themselves unfairly dealt with, rs
set forth, in the following petition, are cir
culating it, and obtaining numerous sigma
lures, asking for Legislation that viii cover
the effects Of the present method, and inssi-
tute new order, Of things:
The undersigned Miners Of Bituminous
Coal and Superintendents Of Mices of
Western Pennsylvania, humbly represent
that the present method in most Of the mines,
when coal is loaded in cars or boats for
transportation, Of separating the fine from
the coarse or larger coal by running it over
screams ten and twelve feet in length and
four 10 breadth, and Of one and three-iourtbs
and two inches space in the openings Of the
screen, is unfair towards the miner, as, the
scales are so arranged as to weight only
the larger coal. The nut coal which passes
through screens being separated and sold by
owners, and no allowance made for mining
the same, taking when payment is made by
the busheD from twenty to twenty-five dol
lars in aggregate, or twenty bushels TO the
hundred, off each miner every month. We
also represent that many of the mines are
roOrly ventilated, and subject to 6re-damp,
or explosive gas, endangering the health,
and often the life of the miner and also that
the scales are frequently out of order and
proper weight is not given and that many
of tbe owners and Superintendents of mines
require more than the legal weight per
busbel, and that the general tendency is to
place the miners too much at the mercy of
the owner or Superintendent. For these
and many reasons which cannot lie present
ed in brief petition, we pray your honora-
bic body 10 pass an act, general in its
character, regulating the size of screens,
and we suggest that screen eight by feur,
with three fourths inch openings, will take
out all the dust, sand and fine particles
that would not burn or would injure the
sale of the larger and better coal, and that
the nut coal should be weighed and paid
for as the larger coal.
And, also, to authorize the government
of the State to appoint a practical and
suitable person to visit the various mines
from time to time, to see that the scales and
screens are adjusted, so as to effect the OBJ
iect contemplated BY said act and further,
to examine the mines and sec that they are
properly ventilated, and in safe condition,
and who shall have a general supervision Of
all that pertains to the mutual interest Of
the employer and the labOrer in. the
mines.
We need DO: say bat this is the most i'm
portant branch Of industry, and that many
thousand labOrers are deeply anxious on the
subject ot thus legislation.
The following petition is being also circu-
lated amcng he miners along the MOnOnga-
hes Valley and is beng signed by all the
men to whom it is presented:
To the President and Congress of the
United States
We undersigned, are oil of us miners,
and engaged in the mining Of coal on the
Monongabela river in Pennsylvania, and we
do respectfully petition that the navigation
of the Ohio river be so improved as to al
low the safe. passage of coal boats, and we
also petition that the obstruction in the river
in the shape Of bridges be removed. This
petition we make as our labor has been and
will continue to be, curtailed on account Of
the inability to the mine owners to run coal
except at loss, on account of the Obstruc