The anti-monopolist., 1875-01-07
WHO ADE RESPONSIBLE FOR
THE MOLLY MAGUIREA

lQer0 IS = CCTrlOIG Llmc III the uIu.
ing regions Of Pennsylvania, more than
forty thousand men are out Of wo rk
poverty and distress are universal. q nd
crime rampant. Hundreds of men have
been murdered some shot down IL
their houses; others assassinated on
highways, or caught and tortured to
death, and in some instances actual
| ly crucified. This state of affairs is
disgrace to our country; but as there
is no political capital to b- made cat of
t, comparatively little has been said
about it in the newspapers.
We naturally ask what is the cause
of this condition Of things A CORES
pondent of the Chicago Tribune. IRE
publican,) answers the question as, fol-
lows:
About two years since, what was general
" known as the coal combination was form
ed by the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad
company,-the Philadelphia Il Reading Coal
company being controlled and operated by
the corporation; and SO great an influence
did it exercise in the coal interest that the
leading operators in Schuyll1ill were forced
into the psol, and, by eonpulsion, have re-
mained in the combination ever since
There are thirty collieries thus manipulated
by the merciless railroad corporation thai
radiates through every division OF Schuyl
kill county, and has the only outlet to thf
seabOard.
All these companies received notification
that 9fter Monday Of the present tceee,, NJ
more Of their coal mould be taken or trans.
ported. The result is All almost total sus
pension of operations in the mines Of thu
, Middle coal fields. Between Al, 900 and 90
OOO men and boys usually, in the busy sea
son, lind employment in or about the work
ings but the greater proportion OF thi
large number Of operatives
ARE NOW UNEMPLOYED,
and there is no prospect of resumption Q
operations before next March As the tscovn
, pany store'' system does not give the work
. ingmen an opportunity to save much casl
from their earnings, many of the miner
{ not having more than q few dollars comm
, TO them after settlement il made, at til
close of the month, with the OPERATORS
tress has already entered tie miners homes
Soon the same sad picture now presente'
} in Lnzerne connty,-wheTe hundreds OF col
liers' families are actually. perishing for tn
the dwellings Of honest and industriou
people in Schuylkill county.
This thing represents . blow Z
the interests Of the country. Til
result is that 10000 to $4,000 workme
are left to starve in the mountain
while hundreds of thousand Of poor pc,
r pie in the great cities are.compelled t
: shiver and freeze or pay the enhance
., price Of coal caused by its scarcity. An
e thus the fortunes Of a few millionaire
are increased at the expense Of huma
suffering. bloodshed and murder.
The "Molly Maguires'' simply repr
: sent the blind efforts Of an ignorant an
8 desperate population to right the
!, wrongs, by striking at the irrespona
i Bile employees Of the railroad comp
/ nies. If they could catch few Of Il
|. scoundrels who are really responsib
'e for their sufferinys, md who are coiair
their hearts blood into money, ~
u would hang them tothe nearest tree
e they would do God aad man alike re
= vice for . m.lliooaive who brings thou
!: ands to misery By his selfish tricks d
y serves tsn times the punishment th
should b awarded to the wretch vi
y is brutalized isto. murder BY stnrv
% ton.