The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-02
DISTRESS In THE COAL REGIONS
Meeting at TGmmany Hall In Aid Of the Wives
and Children Of Fifty Thousand Miners.

Resolu.ieas Of Sympathy Addresses by Rev. DR..
Deems, Hon. S. 8. Cox and Others, OF This
City, and Mr.. O'Halloran President
of the Miners Central Union.
There was bot very slim attendance at Tammany
Hall last evening in response to the call from the
committee having in charge the appeal for aid for
the families OF the miners IN Pennsylvania. MIR.
clinton Roosevelt presided and Mr.. }. W. browning
acted as secretary.
lhe following preamble and resolutions were
adopted
miners iaborers Pennsy vana conspr
price OF freight in city OF New ! orE, all
classes Of s'.sas M ~ sas mutual interest Of the suffer
lot mutual understanding in order 70 coal iamnes
The workInen their families.
Resolved That as the railway and mine owners are the
they ought to be held and allowed 10 throw
the blame upon the miners ana aborers.
Resolved that the mners and ..borers having been out
e % o. Sg nail asn
agreeing with policy o. trades'
the naked
Resolved, That in order prevent of the
other tina people oughs nss the right OF eminent
domain and the provisions Of the constitution Tor the general
proper Board OF Engineers 10 have them Kept IL order
Resvea, That the ners and Ia 5orers Of pennsylvania
ip sner struggle Tor Their s have taken the means 'hsy
smpathy Of all honorable clzens and OF moral ana pecn
Resolved That the greatest rvcrs produced from
sa donations n rs rom "s he
Kesoves That collectors be appointed " each .raaes
that Congress be required lea the coal o tho New Do
mn1n Tree 81 duty the mine owners o. New M OF
N renn.yvan.. days wages day and
Resolved Tia, III. SSs,ns terms in whsh iae Mayor Of
s Ss G 81 o sas M ns a SI ns
him to vote Of thanks which hereby rendered
accordingly
Sympathetic addresses were then male by Rev.
DR.. Deems Hon. Sunset Cox Mr. o. Osborne Ward,
Mr.. Alexander Troupe ana Coroner Young all Of
whom spoke forciDy OF the claims the wives and
children Of the miners had upon the pubic. Dr..
Deems wished TO be considered as speaking, not as
partisan, but as Christian VINO felt the greatest
sympathy for the sufferings and dlstresses the
families OF the miners were compelled 10 bear with
out any fault OF theirs. MI. Cox was eloquent
corning the monopostic rule OF the large
companies, and traced many OF the exist
Ing grievances to the system OF protec-
ton which prevented Nova Scotia coal from
rarin. There were co al helds in New Jersey which
yet awaited the miners sk1l an labor Coal was
the handmade OF civllZa toll that staple product
which perfected the material Progress Of England
and the production OF which in this country, upon
a fair and honest basis just to labor and to capl.
tai. should mark the beginning OF new era IN our
nianula curing development. After a few remarks
from Ward Mr.. Troup spoke at some length Of the
anu the fleets Of the strike, denying that the
miners had ever struck for higher wages, but al
ways IN opposi ton to reduction OF wages 10 star
walton point. The six thousand men who still held
out will aid their brethren now IN the mines, and
hv fuilu re1f .,i,
strike was over and the monopolists thought that
tine men were peacefully in subJeclion there yer
renamed for the oppressors bitter lesson learn
That lesson would be Taught them at the ballOr-bOx
when men would he sent 10 the Legislature OF Penn
sylvania who would break these very laws by which
conspi racv among capitalists had been SO ruinous
10 the miners effected and untrammel the honest
sons Of toll from future mlseres. Coroner Young
spoke next ana alluded In most feeling terms to the
exnausiinR labor oy which the poor miners
were Obliged to earn bread for themselves
be accepted as doctrine among men
had mol the miners as good a right to organize
themselves into protective societies as had the mil
lIonanlre mastery There were, fortunately, six
Thousand men stl on strike, and the reason wny
these men were not at work was because to them
wa gwen the sacred duty Of raising up from the
depths or the mines. thousand alter thousand,
their unfortunate brothers. whom the calls OF hun.
ger and distress from their wives and families had
compelled again 10 descend them. But he lookeN
w the .citAeGs OF TINS Whole country TO redeem
these men from The INJUSTICE and oppression MIL
lions OF money had inflicted upon Them, ana
from which now, more t!an ever. before.
they were suffering. They had met IN tina. han,
however not to discuss the wrolgs Or the rights VI
the miners strike. but to respond, rs wor.ingmen
had ever nobiy responded IN such cases, to the np-
peal Tor help and assistance which had come TO
them IRON the wives and cllldren OF their brother
Ioliers In the mines OF Pennsy vania.
THE ADDRESS MIR. OHALLORAN,
President OF tie Miners Central organization in
Pennsy lyanla, came next, aud its simplicity and
I'm Ina hl a M kal In
audience lie SAID that some newspapers nad Gu.
deavored to brand the miners, alleging against them
gross laisehoods, and thus taking the SIDE OF the
Itch against the poor. He would begin at the
beginning, and briefly STATE now the mineis'
would be the best refuaton of all oalumnies. Be.
lore the Miners Union was established the men
were simply slaves. The corporations owned every
thing. The men were compelled 10 obey every order
under penalty or being discharged The LANDS and
towns in all the districts were owned by the large
companies, and the towns were separated from each
OF her about I'VE miles distant. Intervening were
what In miners language are called patches, which
consist OF just many houses are absolutely
necessary for the working OF particular place.
There were stores here, but the company owned the
owners OF them, and the mea had TO purchase here
at rates twenty live per cent higher than they could
get their goods elsewhere. There was doctor Tor
each patch, friend OF the company, who had to get
monthly seventynve cents from The head OF anl-
lily aud each adult III each house. There were butchers
with whom it was necessary TO deal. 1t was sup
there was generally friend OF the company VINO
sold whlSkey Oh the Sly And so on with all the
0tner branches u trauetney were al subject To the
company and the miners were completely subject 10
them. But pernaps worse than all this no Efforts
were sparei TO torment disCord among the men of
different natonalitics and different religions, and
try to get them TO fight among themselves The more
easlly TO keep them IN subJection. Under these
fortunate circumstances the.men began TO think Of
organizing protective union having begun ut last
to see the policy OF the monopoistA An orgaDiza.
ton was effected, ana IN March, 1858, the union
got a charter from The Legislature. In May
1905 there was suspension OF WORK Tor the purpose
OF forming basis. This lasted for five weeks, wnen
an agreement was drawn up and signed. Aller SIX
weeks work the companies objected To the agree
ment and then the men consented to o reduction OF
five per cent ana TO another regulation Of the ton
mage. Things went on in this Way TIL the breaking
out OF the present strike, aud then the companies
had 400, 900 tons OF coal In New DIRK and between
here and the mines They did not know what to 90
with IT, and concluded to reduce the wages OF the
men thirty per cent IN order 10 ncite q strike. The
result wa3 that after the strike coal went nm