The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-07-01


ally misrepresented, was brought about by
the conspirators against the miners these
merciless tyrants of labor these specula-
tors in the muscles and blood Of their fellow
men, redeemed by the same being" who
eighteen hundred years ago trod this earth
in our behalf."
| Yes This strike was deliberately plan
ed and brought about by these presidents
aud patrons of foreign missionary societies;
these founders Of theological seminaries !;
these builders Of chul ches to the living
God and they have attempted to cast the
odium Of the increased price Of coal upon
those bel pless miners these forty thousand
voiceless, crushed men, who have no press,
no orators, no audience, no advocate, and
20 court Of final appeal except before the
blessed Father. so | returned and
considered all the expressions that are
done under the sun, and behold the tears
of such as are oppressed. ana they had no
comforter; and on the side of the OPP
pressor there was power, but they had no
comfor ter"
Few understand the terrible power now
welded by these giant monopolies, not
only over the miners, bat over The whole
community, who are held entirely at their
mercy. A few men fix the price Of six
teen million tons of coal, an article of as
prime necessity as daily bread. for sixteen
million OF their fellow-cltizens. If they
give the word, they make our fuel cost one
hundred million dollars year extra Aud yet
the difference contended for by the miners
amounts to not more than % cents per ton
Pltiful excuse for in6icting 80 much mis-
cry.
This power to crush the laborer is 50
great, and was SO remOrselessly used, that
in 1860 be got only 80 cents per day. As
this was starvation it compelled the organ.
ization of 1.-The Miners Union" which
afterwards became known as : The Work
ingmen's Benevolent Association, and it
now extends throughout the whole Antbra.
cite coal region.
This association, having its rise in ter
rible necessity, is composed of different
societies, organized at each colliery, for
mutual aid and charitable purposes, having
a common fund from which they draw in
case Of sickness or accident These Vari-
Gus local societies send delegates to county
conventions, whose sole objects are to make
their charities more secure, and to protect
themselves from unreasonable and unjust
reductions in the price of their labor. This
association, as its name imports, inspired by
the most laudable and benevolen: purposes,
has never been known to oppose any of the
reasonable demands Of capital. Ga the
contrary, as a rule, it has yielded from the
necessities of its members, to most of the
exactions Of the monopolists.
In this last attempt to crush them, they
have presented an unbroken front, and as
serted their manhood in the face Of want,
suffering and starvation, to an extent that
challenges the respect and admiration of the
whole community.
The mOnopolists, entrenched behind le-
gal enactments, (for the laws are always
made for the richl which corrupted legisla-
lures have embodied into a code for enslav-
ing labor, owning or controlling the only
means Of transportation, and in the great
| Lackawanna region owning the coal lands,
substituting the press, which too often
prints whatever il j. tod to, regardless
Of cost )" knowing that the miners IN their
employ, unused to other labor, are too poor
to move, and feeling that they have them
wholly in their power, the monopolists have
combined in what has been justly called,
= An unlawful conspiracy. to break up the
Miners AssociatIon-these laborers' last
hope-by the awful ordeal, openly a, owed,
Of Starvation
And this fendish purpose has well nigh
been accomplished. Some 1000 labOrers,
with 100000 persons depending on them,
have been kept out Of work all winter III
the coal regionz and this has been attend
ed with untold and nconceiyable suffering
on the part Of brave men, heroic women
and innocent children. But this, by no
means, gives any adequate idea Of The
widespread misery which these AttiIa' of
society have brought upon be pless popN-
lation.
Almost il sight Of the princiIll coal
mines, many thousands Of laborers have
De6n lDlOhu tut "a 5inpAp1 llttit m t''t
closing up Of iron furnaces, rolling mills
and factories. Nor did the ruin stop here.
Suddenly every ton Of Anthracite coal in
the world went up 2, 3, or I prices, and
everywhere the curse fell. 1t paralyzad
industry, shut up factories, hushed the hum
Of labor, and carried cold and hunger and
nakedness to the homes Of the poor. If
God can have mercy On the dictators Of Ia
bor-the oppressors Of the heplcss-Hc
may, but men cannot.
Brethren! Go 70 the ballot box, and
put better men 10 power, for il such things
continue much longer you will deserve the
doom OF the victim who did not deal one
! straight blow on the breast Of bis spoiler,
before be fell
\ It is hoped by good men that Gov.
Geary Of Pennsylvania, will prove true 10
! this great crises. If be does he is fit to he
President If be does not let his name rot.
Let Geary stand and Gen. Butler press his
great convertible currency bill and daylight
will soon be breaking, for we shall then
have freedom for money and freedom for
labor. You cannot emancipate finance
without giving liberty to toll.
NEW YORK. May 27th., 1871.
Rules and Regulations ofthe Iron Mold
ers Intern ational Beneficial Society.