Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1873-07-05
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EDITon Journal Please allow
me small space in your paper for q
few remarks on the evils OF the credit
system.
To the miners, as class, monthly
pays We're the foundation of the credit
system. 1t is one Of the greatest griev-
ances that the miner is laboring UNI
der. He has to pay twenty five per
cent, more for his goods than he would
otherwise do by paying cash to make
up for bad debts Every insolvent
notice the miner reads he sees a tax
levied on the paying portion of the
public. For, rest assured, the mer-
chant does not sustain the loss Of it );
it is the men who pay tier ray. Let
any miner who has done this and rear
ed his family for the last twenty years
in Allegany county make calculation
and he will find that the twenty five
per cent he has paid for bad debts Of
Others will amount to snug little sum
that would do something for him in
his old days.
He asks himself the question: "To
whom have | paid it ?' The answer
is simple: The merchant makes his
calculations in fixing the price Of his
goods Tor bad debts and, as a matter
of course, the man who pays has also
to pay for the one who don't.
Now, how can we adopt the cash
system? The FIRST step is: let us have
two weeks pays. Then we Will have
our own Money in hand to 90 to the
cheapest market. We will then pay
for Whist we get and not the bad debts
Of others If other tradesmen's labor
command cash to be paid every week,
why, in this age of steam, when coal
is in such demand, cannot the miner
get paid for his labor every two weeks?
In my judgement there can be no OBJ
jections brought against it. With Civ
ing the companies one week to make
up their accounts, they can pay every
two weeks as well as every month.
You miners who read this will say
this is all truth, but how are We to
get it ? Let Inc tell you that YOU new
er will get anything by grumbling and
growllng-by ones and twos, to get
your grievances redressed ; you must
become united.
a large number of our brother
miners have formed q Union. why
not the balance mite with them at
once? Let me ask YOU if the Miners
of Alle@any county were united, tell
me one reasonable request they could
not get? If they We're united and
asking two weeks pays I venture to
say that they would get it at once
What is to stop it? It's reasonable !;
it will benefit the public at large as
well as ourselves. Then, why not
unite? All experience teaches us that
nothing can be obta med without COM
bination, We see the results of it dali
ly. Then, why tarry behind the spirit
Of the age? Why feed upon husks
when it is in our own power 10 get
better?
Arise then, from your lethargv, YOU
miners who have not yet attached
yourselves to the Union, and join your
brethren at once Organize bodies
at your different mines and send del
egates to the next County meeting in
August,
One word more to you chaps with
the blistered hands and the moleskin
jackets: Become united let two or
three whose heart is in the cause or
ganize q lodge at once; the rest will
follow. Remember the promise-'ask
and it shall be given you Danish
all doubts, and keep in mind the words
OF the Apostolic that doubts is
damned. y
Copies of the Constitution and BY
Laws, can be had by applying to the
Society. Yours,