The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-05-10
The Present Condition OF the Coal
Miners OF wheeling.
Editors of the Register:

k1tOTS OF the heSlSteT.
Through your columns I wish again
.omake a brief statement on the present
condition Of the coal miners of Wheel
ing. as know your paper is read very
extensively by the mining population.
ln their present condition they are weak
sni helpless, because they are in an
Dsolatei condition, and one Of
Americas inmortals said Man is
social being and must combine with
mis- class more or less for protection, and
unless this is done he is one of the
weakest creatures in creation Now
this tact was never more demonstrated
than in the last uneven conflict with
labor against capital, in which case, as
almost always the case without COM
b.nstion, the man of capital ate up
every yestige of labor's rights and rem
iered the condition of employees worse
than ever; as capitalists invariably
think that where they defeat their EN-
FIoyes in gaining their rights and COM
pei them to accept their own terms,
they make them more than ever de-
pendent upon them. And this fact has,
10 more than one instance, TO my own
knowledge, led them on to take off per-
smptorily that which they have 80 un'
generously offered. And to prevent this
from taking place this time lis subject
that should occupy the coal miner 5
mind at present. How are we to help
it? asks one. By doing now what
ought to have been done long since,
combine with your fellow miners for
mutual protection and live as men
ought to live Love your neighbor as
Yourself" is Scriptural inj JUNCTION and
ought to be obeyed, and by the raising
of fund for the purpose Of protection
and benevolence and to have a little
surplus to fall back upon in case Of
the stopping of our capital, which is
labor, thereby having something to lean
upon that will not fail us in a time Of
need, whether from strike or other
wise.
But above all this, miners must work
'or legislation. Their voice must be
!eard through their representatives in
the legislative halls of our land. There
our grievances must be presented and
our wrongs righted. and to this subject
We wish 10 call every miners particular
attention at the present crisis, that we
may show to the outside world that we
are in earnest and mean to make our
influence felt. We have been the
.anghiDg stock of the outside world
.ong enough and it is time for immediate
seton on our part, and while we look
70 the Democratic party as the work.
1gman's friend, we are in this case
Wiling to forego all party principles
and support to a man the Candidates
hat will do the most for US as q body
IN return. have made all the inqui'
'es that | could and gained as
much information on these points as
possible, and am thoroughly convinced
hat the laws OF this State are made
4aale to rule the coal mines and pro-
ect the miner as they ought, and |
have been lead to believe, also, that we
lave only to make our voice heard in
1emanding our rights to be protected
y just and equitable laws when some
!llng will be done. And call upon
81 coal miners who may read this to
,ome to the next miners meeting, fully
repaired to do something toward
Gganizing ourselves and fit US when the
decisive moment shall arrive to try and
obtain BY all legitimate means a ma
oNty Of votes for the candidates, be
'Aey who they may, that will support
our claims and plead our cause before
tne legislative councils with the view tc
oo'aniug justice to the miner in weigh
aud measures, whereby he can at any
~me demand and obtain the just recon
pense Of his labor.
JOHN w. Brown.