The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-02-21

On the following day addressed, In the
Academy Of Music, large, respectable and
enthusiastic meeting, where pledged my.
self, as an individual, to do everything
within my power to make the men success
full in this issue, for this is not struggle
for dollars and cents, but for small pOr-
tion Of liberty, or absolute and uncon.
ditioDal sersdom.
After the meeting, 4 prepared myself to
return home, and Just as | was about to
put my foot in the stage | received
TELEGRAM
from the President of the Morris Run Coal
Company, asking ne to meet him in Cor
ming, N. ", that evening, which invitation
l accepted, taking with me on the part of
the men, Messrs. TAFT, Johns and O'Con-
nell We met in the company's Office at
haf-past o'clock that evening, Messrs
Drake, President Of the Arnot Coal Com
pany, Delning, their legal adviser, Nc
FarlOn, and President Nearing. The in
tervIew was very courteous and friendly,
and lasted four hours without coming to
any determination. The company seem
determined that no union man shall ever
work in their employ, notwithstanding "r.
Drake admitted that every ton of coal they
mined last month cost them
EI0dIY- FIVE DOLLARS A TON
He said they were willing to continue so
II need be, rather than employ union men.
We left Corning on Friday morning, com
ing through the "city Of refuge" on our
way home, where | arrived this evening
REMARKS.
Now, sir, after giving the above subject,
as | consider it. a fair and impartial con-
sideration, think that the men of Tioga
are about the best body Of men, and most
determined that ever | met in my life. |
6nd between four hundred and four hun
dred and fifty families left destitute, hud-
died together in cribs that their masters
would not allow their hogs or their dogs to
remain in one night at this inclement sea
son Of the year. | confess that | am sur
prised to learn that there in a body Of such
Intelligent men IN America that could SO
long and so quietly have submitted to all
the indignities and oppression that has
been practised on them for the last nine
years by their employers. The employers
own the stores, the houses, and in fact only
allow
TIE HOUSE OF GOD
to be used for such purpose as they see
proper They even claim the public high
ways as being made by them for the &C
commodAtion Of their works. They claim
property, to travel over those roads with
out permission Of the company
If farmer or huckster should by
chance take their produce for sale to their
employees, and the people are known to
purchase any goods any where but in the
companys store, they are Immediately
discharged or else forced to carry back
the goods to where they got them, and If
they did purchase At all they had to pay
for them with script made If guttapvrcha
OF something of that description that has
been issued by the company, and is sup
posed to be good only in the company's
store, notwithstanding the farmers and
others had to submit to discount on this
trash Of from 10 to 10 per cent, the people
could purchase cheaper Of them than they
could from the company's stores.
Their road, school, county and State
TAXES
they never have the honor Of paying
themselves, for it was stopped from them
III the offices whether they are assessed or
not.
Mark you, how near to slaves the men
have become
If two children differ, the father is fined
and the money appropriated to the COM
pany's use the sauIe should two men
differ Ii man and his wife should have
misunderstanding, aud a complaint be
lodged by either Of them, the man is sure
to be fined In short, there is no Law nor
justice but the law and justice made BY
the Superintendent. But all those charges
are already given in under sworn testi-
mony. and published to the world IL is
trne the company denies some of them,
but the men assert they are true, and are
ready to substantiate them. They have
FOR YEARS
submitted to this tyranny until patience
has ceased to be virtue They also sub
mitted during the financial crisis tn a re-
duction, but still continued trying TO
organize for self protection, and as soon as
it came to the ears Of the companies that
the men were trying to organize, the COM
panies holding from three TO four months
Of their earnings Ia their hands, simulta-
neously notified them under the Infamous
Tioga Law to quit the premises, or sign an
agreement never to belong to trades or
ganisation, which they
SoBLY REFUSED TO DO.
The companies brought suit to dispossess
the men, and have seen myself due bills
where the legal expenses have been stopped
from the men in the office. In the face OF
this state Of serfdom, men, with one
voice say, +" We will have Union or death. :
And thev are wonders, are the men and
their families on that mountain top.
We're they the greatest renegades that
ever lived, instead Of being the law abid-
ing citizens their employers own they are,
they could not have served t"em worse.
So deep is the sympathy that the Business
community Of the city of refuge enter
tains for them, that all the aid within then
power, t. their credit, let 1t be said, is eX-
| tended to the refugees.
7 No man who reviews the sorrowful con
dit,on Of these people, unless it be that he
Is as barren Of sympathy for the oppressed
as is the wolf for the prey he is about Il
/ devour, but whose heart melts in contem
I plation Of their miseries. The companies
however, not only look upon the spectacle
as one they have no need to be ashamed
OF, but are actually indignant that th'
good citizens Of Blossburg have befriendeC
the sufferers, and grieve only that they
cannot make them their victims as well
1t is true the town is small, and tn,
business people themselves are poor il
consequence Of the companys refusing
their employees the privilege Of trsdini
with them, but their spirit is larger thar
the town.
To the credit of the independent Ordel
Of
ODD FELLOWS
be ii said, they immediately sprang to tn
rescue Of these prosecuted men, aud from
the funds Of their organization tool
enough money to build row Of shantie
in which to give shelter to their own mem