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

the industry of whole State, they obtained the
conclave is denominated the General Council. It
is by brute force alone that all their DEGREES have
been carried into effect It is by brute force that
they have compelled a large proportion of their
members to join tn Dir organizations; Il is brute force
that now prevents thousands from leaving it; IL is
by brute force that this present suspension has been
naugurated and It is by brute force alone that they
hope TO terminate it. For three weeks, gentlemen,
you have been listening to the testimony of wit
nesses revealing the existence of state Of society
in the coal regions Of Pennsylvania--the mere
recital of which must bring blush to the cheek of
every good citizen. You have heard how often a
large colliery has been compelled to remain idle
for weeks and months, on account of the refusal
of its owner to comply with an order of the Work
ingmen's Benevolent Association, requiring him to
dismiss his superintendent, or to refuse to employ
some man who was obnoxious to the organizatio
You have heard how notices have been served
upon coal operators, containing list of names of
persons employed by them who did not belong
to the Union, in which it was announced that II
those whose names were given did not join the
Association before certain day, no more work
should be done at the collery; and you have heard
how the colliery compelled to remain idle for
days and weeks, and how, at last the Ostracized
PEELED to leave their homes to engage in new pur-
suits in other places where the rights of personal
liberty and personal security were held to be some
thing more than mockeTy and farce. You have
been told by Mr.. Markle how his men refused to
work for him because he complied with one of the
provisions of the ventilation bill; and you have
learned from the officers of the Workingmens
Benevolent Association themselves, that if one of
their own members does not pay his dues to the
society, his employer is punished by stopping all
work at his colliery until the delinquent member
discharges the amount We had over a hundred
witnesses to call upon this subject; but out of de-
terence to the general desire to close the investiga
ton as quickly as possible called but twelve or
fifteen, and from these you learned enough to know
that in this free State of Pennsylvania within
hundred miles of the capitol the liberty and pro-
DEGREES of secret tribunal, above and beyond
which there is no law and power to which the
oppressed people can apply for protection, or resort
to for redress.
Let me now ask, whose fault is it that the pre-
sent suspension still continuesP have shown you
very clearly, think, and indeed upon this question
there s no dispute, that the suspension ordered
by decree of the General Council of the Working
mems Benevolent Association, made at time when
there was not only dispute about wages in either
the Schuykill, the Lehgh or the lower part of the
Wyoming districts, but no design or intention oD
the part of the employers to reduce them, and that
the sole objects of the Workingmens Benevolent
Association were to increase the price of coal and
During the month of February the meetings of
railroad officials, coal operators and iron men,
about which you have heard so much took place in
New York and Philadelphia. The object of these
meetings was to adopt some equitable rate of wages
to be paid in each of the three regions, 80 that
thereafter there should not be a repetition of the
experiences of the past two years. such as paying
higher wages in one region than in another, stop
ping one region to benefit the men of another. AT
these meetings it seemed to be conceded that the
rate of wages should be established in the Schuyl-
kill region, and that the others should conform to
it. Accordingly, we adopted for Schuyiki the very
basis of wages which the committee of the Work
ingmen's Benevolent Association had already
at their own offer; although 1t was generally
believed that the price of contract work at the
SO 90 basis was entirely too high. We offered to
the men precisely the same terms which they
themselves in November last had agreed should be
aVe 6eard it sad that this was
never ratified by the association. Two witnesses
were called to prove that had not been; but, on
siGent, said 1t had been accepted. L do not how
ever propose to rest this point of the upon the
formal acceptance of the terms. The question is,
are the terms offered fair? and upon that question,
the fact that in the month of November last, when
authorized % as % Committee of the Workingmens Bene,
VIOLENT Association, with John Sney, its president,
at its head, signed paper recommending the
should be sufficient to convince anyone that the
SO so basis is in nowise unjust unfair to the
If these leaders of the Workingmen's Benevolent
Association could recommend the So so basis in
November, as entirely fair and just, to their con-
in January? What had occurredin the two months
to change their minds? Why, gentlemen, in De-
three panies; the Workingmen's Benevolent
Association was asked to join it. Their cupidity
was aroused and they believed that, by making the
strike general in January they could advance the
price of coal as to compel their employers to give
them much more than they had themselves de-
manded 1t has been said that this 50 90 basis is too
low that under 1t, when coal sells for two dollars,
the outside laborer gets but 81 GA per week. True;
but when coal sells at 80, the same laborer gets
$40 20 per week; and when it brings S4, he gets
S13 76 per week. Under the "GOwen Compromise" ;"
the men were never paid at less than the So %
operator is losing money, he Is giving the coal
away, and simply running his coiery for the bene-
safe to assume that the actual labor of producing
costs 81 80 per tom that is the actual sum paid out
be 81 so per ton In addition to this there are ex-
penses not affected by the basis price of labor,
amounting to another 81 per ton. These expenses
for rents royalties, lateral railroad freghts
timber, lumber, sheet iron, rails, horse and mule
feed, insurance, &c. Thus at good colliery, with
good months work, the coal that sells for SO will
cost the operators 81 30, leaving a profit of fifty
cents per ton; but out of this profit must be de-
Quoted the losses OF break-downs, strikes, suspen-
sions, and the driving of dead work during the
winter.
Let us now look at the cost when coal is selling
at 81. The wages will then be thirty-three per
cent. less, OF 81 ton instead of 81 60-the sta
tionary expenses remain the same, S1j 80 that the
coal costs the operator Sexactly what he sells 1t
for-leaviDg no surplus out of which to reimburse
himself for break downs, strikes, suspensions and
winters dead work. 1t must be remembered that
the men do not want steady rate of wages, but
have themselves adopted the sliding scale based
upon the price of coal. AS they get the benefit of
every advance in price, they should be willing to
decline as prices recede. In other business pur
suits, when a man becomes partner in trade he
invests his so. own CO capital, ana agrees to give
becomes entitled to participation in dis
tributon of profits, but he must also make
up his proportion of the losses. Our friends the
members OF the Workingmen's Benevolent Associ-
alton, however, claim to be partners without in
yesting any money, without binding themselves to
work day longer than is agreeable to themselves,
and without being required to bear any share of the
losses. They say to their employer, you must pay
us the So basis as minimum; at this rate we will
get, at the worst, better wages than be earned
by any other similar class of labor in the world
then, with this secured as minimum, whenever
coal goes above So you must distribute amongst us
half of your profits. The employer replies, will
do either one of two things: / will either give you
regular wages throughout the year, unaffected by
the price of coal, or will share my profits with
you when coal is above IS, provided you will let
the same percentage l add to them when il rises
above that price. No, reply the wOrkingmen, we