The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-04-15
the Coal sriners' strike.

E01tOfS Oh INC neSSoofs
Will you allow me, through the col
umns of your valuable and extensively
circulated journal, to lay before the
public q few facts concerning the diff
Guilty now at issue between the employ.
ers and the coal miners of the city OF
Wheeling and Benwood, now on strike.
Some ten days since we sent respect
full request for an advance on our present
rate of wages OF one-half cent per
bushel. Our reasons for doing so were
that, reading the different commercial
newspapers made US aware OF the fact
that a general advance in the iron and
coal markets, and knowing that the
wages of boilers and nailors, and other
branches of skilled labor, have been
advanced, we came to the honest con-
clusion that we had right
to share in the general pros.
perity. Consequently a meeting was
convened, and modest and just de-
mand was made, and from the tone OF
our employers, who made the tacit
acknowledgment that for the past four
wears the miners in their employment
had given them no trouble, but were
willing and subservient slaves, we
had a right to expect they would do
more than make US the liberal conde'
cension to give one half OF our just
demand. They seemed to forget the
fact that when they reduced our wages
it was invariably a reduction Of fifty
cents, and should the markets in the
future take downward movement, our
employers would play the same old
tune and take fifty cents of, which
would leave us one fourth of cent per
bushel worse than we are at present,
making us below the standard OF the
common laborer and far below the
street scavanger. rhe miners have,
at the eleventh hour, determined TO have
what they consider an honest and
reasonable compensation for their labor.
We consider ourselves the chief source
of all branches of industry and the
cornerstone upon which all rest and
have their daily prosperity. AS class
there are no operatives who labor under
more disadvantages, being forced to
work. on an average, fourteen hours per
dav in the bowels of the earth, shut out
from the outside world, breathing i'm
pure air, commonly called carbonic acid
gas, which brings on premature old age
and pulmonary disease. This is the
gift to the unfortunate miner Tor Ions
and faithful service, and his only
legacy, a wife and orphan children
paupers thrown upon the charity OF the
public. We have at last flung of oul
apathy and sluggishness and are deter
| mined to try and improve oul
minds and make ourselves anC
children fit to be classed in the
first rank of skilled labor. If We
have erred in the past it is the fault o
our frail human nature. | believe that
take us as a class, upon the average
we are a. sober and industrious a class
of men as live in any country, and i
the police records are examined the
miners are the least frequent offenders
Being aware that we are at present upon
our trial before our fellow citizens, we
fearlessly place ourselves before the
tribunal OF public opinion, and having
put forward nothing but plain facts, we
will confidently look for the good
opinion and sympathy OF the public o
the city OF Wheeling.
am, sir, yours, respectfully,
| A Coal MINER.