The New York herald., 1871-03-16
THE COAL MIXERS WRONGS.
SHARP PRACTICES BY TIE OPERATORS.
Preferred Sympathy and Aid by the Trades
Unions-No Surrender 20, 900 Miners
Arrayed Against the 0perators-The
Charges OF the Latter Denied.
JEppo, Luzerne CO., Pa, March IA. 1871.


JEDDo, LuZerne Co., Pa, March IA, 1871
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
DEAR SIR-We the undersigned committee In be-
half of the NJ and L. D. A. OF Jeddo Luzerne county,
Pa, have again taken up the matter OF informing
the pubic what gave rise TO our organization and
what its object and aim really is In our last we
forth few Of the many outrages which were I'M
posed upon us previous 10 the organization OF our
union, such as the patenal system Of employment,
by which the operators furnish houses groceries,
medicine and medical attendance, household goods,
and whiskey, at their own valuation, out OF the
wages at the end OF each month, or else, what Is
similar III effect collecting 1t for the DOCTOR butcher
coboler and rumseer, Which we consider Is the
most rksome chain that exacting taskmaster can
employ to bind and degrade our fellow workngmen,
all OF which is true, and even more could be added
thereto, Mr. Editor. The miner. in many instances,
Is not paid Tor the work done IL Januaryyet, true,
he Is partly paid. We VIII show you how the ope-
raiors pretend TO pay their men for their work.
They impose store goods on them at thirty three per
cent above selling prices, and then stop three
months rent before il is due, and thereby bring
them out IN debt in many cases. Now we
ask the public is this lawful, to stop
money or rent be!ose it is due,
without agreement to that efectg The public
may ask now do we know that they charge us
thrty-three per cent above selling prices for goods.
This we have proved in our last, prove II TO
The satisfaction OF any inquirer. But, SIR intend
through our organization TO change this state OF
affairs. Instead Of getting partial payment every
Six weeks, we intend TO force or compel our employ
ers TO make monthly payments on the 5th or 10th OF
each month, and have the pay III full, thus allowing
them five or ten days TO make up their accounts as
we consider this sufficient time especially where
Vhora 90 kanlH
have tod US heretofore that three weeks was little
enough time wherein TO make up their accounts,
and cannot pay smaller sum tnan five dollars. SO
he has got TO wal slX weeks longer no matter how
badly his family may need the money or what his
circumstances may be. Now. sir, the objecI and
aim OF this association is justice 10 ALL and surely
there is no injustice in man demanding his pay
for his work at the end OF each month. We
have not asked any alteration in wages from
last year. Remember our prices are fftyive cents
per ton. Let them trump that For If the operators
and railroad companies Will put The coal 10 market
as cheap In proportion, allowing reasonable Iro1t
10 the trade, our poor citizens would have cheap
luel and a good nre instead OF reezng in midwin-
ter and IN this way The surplus coal would be used,
and enterprslng and manufacturing gentlemen
would find way into the market and the millions
thus unrigheously accumulated by these monopo-
lists would be used for the Improvement OF our be-
loved country. Why, Mr.. Editor, 1t Is commonly re-
ported by the officials here Of one man who CON-
menced the coal business about thirty years ago as
poor as church mouse and who is now worth
s27oco,ooo. while the miner who lent him dollar
OF his hard earned wages TO buy buslie Of oats TO
feed his mules, not worth twenty-seven dollars,
amt who has worked hard al! this time
thirty years. for this same ungodly oppres-
sor. These facts we are in possession OF from
the man himself. and such we can prove them
but OF which we should not have spoken had we not
been 50 grossly misrepresenied 10 the public as a
secret sworn association engaged IN concocting mur-
DER and decorating committees 10 perpctraic them.
This we think Is suiicent reason Tor The exposure
OF their tyranny as far we know But still ii they
are willing TO repent and 40 better in the future and
deal justly with US tfor this Is all ask We shall
hold out the olive branch OF peace TO them We see
IN the Press, as also by a circular issued by them.
mat they charge US with having controlled their
works and OF interfering unwarran,ably with their
business, referring them 10 their organ, the Monitor
Tor their orders, &C., ana they say We have refused
70 treat with them. Now, II all this be true, or the
One-nali OF IT, and unwarrantabe. they say, where
the s law % o. o. our Ian land and why no MAKE use OF IT.
force OF police nere and they have not had case ia
the last SIX months though they keep necessarily
crying about the lawlessness Of the miners. They
live IN splendid mansions with glass doors and
surely this does not look as If they apprehended
much danger after all. These gentlemen, Mr..
Editor. also crilng about the inconsistency
OF The Miners Union, while at the same Tine they
hold the right TO organize themselves against the
consuming public at large, to cXtort whatever they
think proper from them. Just look at the Idea.
The operators and Readng Railroad men have ad.
yanced i've dollars per ton on tolls and are angry
because the miners and consuming pubic refuse 10
pay It, The miners ask 10 alterations from last
are about asking fifteen per cent OF an advance as
we are informed. How this Will work we don't
know. But certainly there Is nothing wrong IN the
demand and II II is right for the railroad hands to
nave an advance ali round IT is certainly right for
-.
advanced above last years prices. But sir 1t Is not
wages they are contending about but for arbitrary
power SO as they can squeeze OUT ol the poor their
millions and appropriate s5oo,o00 10 some nslltu-
ton for the benefit OF themselves ana
their families in the future and thus have
their names ON the scroll of honor Ii they would
benefit the miners chid and III blm for future use.
fitness God would bless them and honor them, nut
instead we fear they are fitting themselves Tor the
flames OF perdlton, for God has sa d. "Wo unto the
oppressor" " and again. ''Ihe wicked shall be turned
into hell with all the nations thar forget God.n We
nave SHOWN you, SIT, lle inconsistency OF StODDlr
three months rent from the worklngmen; but they
1.-THE operators say possession OF The money is nine-
tenths OF the law, not thinking that the poor have
any right etEer to The law or their own earnings,
Tor they assume the rgnt 10 make law and enforce
u as FAR as IL benefits their pockets. Now we have
shown that they stopped three months rent and
coal in ADVANCE in our January pay, and as we want
coal or our stoves they politely tell go and
mine IL, II we pay them one dollar per car not al-
lowing US as miners anything for mining 1t. Again.
they tell u.s. through the press and by circular that
they are combined TO break up our association: but
cir we question their ability to do So as they
few and we so numerous, though they have their
millions at command. We are 10000 strong in the
anthracite Belds OF pennsylvania; but do not de.
pend altogether on our numbers might but upon
oar right, as right must prevail. 1t is true our
numbers are great when considered IN the aggregate
We SAID we are 10000 in the anthracite
fields, 900 in the bitumlnous coal fields and also
the pronered sympathy and AID OF 90, 900 wo rking
men OF the trades unions OF the country, as Will
be seen by resolution adopted by the Working
mems Union, who met In New YORK on the Sd INST,
which Is as follows
Resolved, That the New York workinpmen's Union In
Goa Ses Or mine. of ne nes n o ne
port 10 thelr struggle OF right against might.
The above resolution has been transmitted to
Hon. John W. Geary, Governor OF PENNSYLVANIA, nv
the humble committee fancy While writing this
letter tnat they can near the deafenipg sounds cf
1900 sons OF toll in their three hearty cheers ior
the union. We remain, yours respectfully,
NEAL II. JOHNSON, President,
ENOCH y. EVANS, c,..
PATRICK MCLAUGHLIN, oouinil'ee.
WILLIAM OGhRA