The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-19

those who labor with their hands should Yield to
those who labor with their minds. There are those
are not paid much; and the favors of for
tune are indeed distributed by careless hand,
when we find that the yearly earnings of a miner
exceed the average incomes of the three learned
professions in the United States. fear, too, that
some OF these workingmen are disposed to take an
aerarian view of this subject of their earnings. /
talked to a number in the lobby of the Senate to-
sensible and well disposed towards an amicable ad
iustment Of our differences there one who said
get so many thousand dollars year, while we only
get hundreds" replied to him that could learn
his business in six weeks, but that feared that it
would require six years for him to learn mine.
This was evidently to him a new view of the case,
and II 1t did not satisfy him, think It silenced him.
But, says the counsel for the Workingmen's Bene-
VIOLENT Association, my clients entitled to large
one even if they meet with no accidents the effect
OF working in the mines is so injurious that
They are mere slaves living in abisct misery. and
ruled with an iron hand by their imperious employ
ers. And my friend Mr.. Hall seemed 30 much in
earnest in this belief that during ths examination
he occasionally asked the witnesses whether they
olCed their workingmen. Row, tintend to deny
that mining is sometimes dangerous occupaton;b
do deny that it is as dangerous many others in
which much less wages are earned. 1t is by no
means as dangerous life as that of brakeman on
a railroad and good miner who works but six or
seven hours day will earn twice much money
as a brakeman who works from ten to tw eve hours.
You have heard very experienced gentleman upon
the witness stand say that in his judgment the bus-
that of many mechanical pursuits, and that it did
not compare unfavorably with that of a carpenter.
ground Vps SPEAK Tom my oWn SbseTVation e aDg
believe 1t has been the experience of all who have
given the matter much attention-when man once
becomes accustomed to work In the mines he never
will work elsewhere. have often heard this
serted, and have never heard it denied Mr. Sharpe,
when explaining how the high wages paid during
the attracted to the mines of other trades,
spoke of shoemaker and a tailor who had become
the past two years, remained firmly attached to
their new profession, and did not think of abandon
the poverty, degradation and the mournful state
ment of the early death Of the workingmen?
did think that when 1t was announced-and,
believe, attempted to be proved-that the miner
generally dies at thirty-tve years OF age, our
of the thing, would call living witness who was
over thirty-bve; and expected that some drama
tic effect would be produced by the appearance of
and bearing upon his person, and exhibiting in his
manner, the unmistakable marks of servitude and
degradation. had noticed that there was sitting
near us, during much of the examination, and
apparently taking o great interest in the pro-
ceedings, very respectable, well-dressed, elderly
gentleman, who had the appearance of well-con-
ditioned clergyman, and supposed him to BIO some
minister of the gospel who was interested in the
solution OF the social problem that it is presumed
will be solved by this investigation This geutle-
man, to my surprise, was called to the stand as a
witness He was a miner; had been all his life;
he was sixty-ive years of age; strong in wind and
limb, and an active member Of the Workingmen's
Benevolent Association. 1t our friend Mr.. Will
liams, who now fills the responsible position of q
great State of Pennsylvania and helps to make the
laws which all of us must obey 1t is painful gem
Rs long na Of Nh
liams must have passed before he was reduced to
his present extremity. The next wOrkingman called
to the stand was Mr.. Hallman, from Danville. He
is blacksmith by trade, and an officer of the Ma
tionsl Labor Union. Nature had adorned him with
magnificent beard, and art had arrayed his person
in suit of French broadcloth; he carried a gold
headed cane; and, with all these outward marks of
described how the class to which he belonged had
suffered and were still suffering, from the tyranny
railroad companies. Why, gentlemen, when 1
looked at these witnesses and Compared their dress
myself; and if had had better suit would have
appeared in it, out of Difference to yourselves and
regard for the reputation of my clients.
But 1t is not only upon the wtness-stand that
these evidences of degradation and misery have
rsburg the greater part of three weeks and as our
sessions have been held In the afternoons and even
esTer parts Of the day, and have occasionally ven9
tured within this chamber when the Senate was in
session, to watch the process OF law making. l
attracted to two or three gentlemen engaged in
earnest conference with senators at their desks and
apparently demonstrating or expostulating with
them. inquired who the gentlemen were-sup-
posing, of course, that they were senator's 1 was
told that they were not senators, but members of
the Workingmen's Benevolent Association. "What
are they doing on the door of the Senator ex-
claimed. "Why," replied my informant, "they are
instructng senators how vote upon certain bills,
and threatening them with defeat at the next cleo
tion if they dare dsobey" And it is these people
who brow-beat senators-who members Of the
Legslature-who dress in fine broadcoth and carry
god-headed canes-who have the impudepce to
appear before you IN forma pauperis.
i have now shown, hope, successfully, that the
amount of wages they at our offer exceeds
that realized by any other class of equal skill in the
world that the offer in Schuylkill county Is pre-
cisely the same as was recommended in November
| by the very leaders who appear Ia March to de-
nOunce 1t as unjust; and therefore, that by refus-
ing to accept it, the workngmen are much in the
wrong In protracting the suspension, as they were
| in originating it,
/ come now to the action Of the railroad compa-
MES. On the fifteenth of February, the Reading
Railroad Company increased its charges from So O8
| to "a 08 between Port Carbon and Philadelphia.
Shortly afterward, the other companies made
similar advance; and again. about the first of March,
an additional advance of So made by the Read
ing Railroad Company alone. Under this state of
facts, two questions arise for discussion
First. Had these several railroad companies the
lawful right to make these charges.
Second. Have they exercised their power in such
a manner as to amount to an abuse or misuse OF
their charters? and subsidiary to this s the inquiry
into the power of the Legislature to determine the
| question of abuse or misuse.
Mr.. Brockway has referred you to each particular
| charter, and my colleague has discussed the ques-
ton of the right to impose charges, so fully, as TO
| leave little for me to add. There are but five
statutes, OF parts of statutes, which require
struction LIST. The tenth and twentieth sections of
| the Reading Railroad charter; I'd. The eighteenth
section of the general railroad law of ls49 Sd and
4th The acts of 1856 and 1865, relating TO the Della
ware and Lackawanna and Western Railroad Com
pany; and, 6th. The act of 1870, supplementary to
the charter of the Lackawanna and Bloomsbury
| Under the charter of the Reading Railroad Com
pany, granted in 1885, power was given to the COM
paDy charge tolls not exceeding four cents
ton per mile. BY another part of the same charter
| the companywas authorized to furnish motive power
and to transport passengers and freight though no
thing is said about the charges for such transporta-
ton.
| Now, the points we make are these: First, that
the word tolls refers only TO the charge for the
of the roadway when the transportation is done by
| second. wa