New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-14
COAL-MINING HOSTILITiES
MUST MUSCLE AND DOLLARS ALWAYS BE
AT WAR;

MUST MUSCLE AND DOLLARS ALWAYS BE
AT WAR;
OUTRAGEs UNDER THE UNwRfTrES But ARBITRARY
LAWS OF THE MINERs-EFFECT OF AN INDIRECT
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN OPERATORS AND MINERS
How THE MISTEs CAN BEST De REACHED.
rFROa STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRrBUsE.l
HAzELToN, Penn, April 13.-Why do the coal
miners create disturbance than other classes or 10
boring people This is q question which newspaper
readers asking themselves nowadays Why cannot
they agree with their employers about wages without
constant strikes and why, they will strike, don't they
do it peacesbly like butchers bakers, and oandiesucK
makers, and all the rest1
To settle these points must go among the miners
and study their character aud surroundings There are
many causes Of dssenslon, bat the chief one Is this: The
miner H. tries to be. law 10 himself as far Us MS
wages are or the laws Of political economy
which govern the rise and fall Of prices he OF course
knows nothing and for statute laws us far a. they aect
his right to strike and to force his fellows to STRIKE he
cares very little He lives under rude form OF defuoc-
rary the laws Of which unwriten but arbitrary ana
certain Of execution, because every is sefcons'i-
tuted Judge ard eKecutlOner When the majority IN the
council OF his union determine to strike he strikes
without rejecting whether the determination was WISE
OF I'm wise right wrong According to his simple etncs
the majority have right rule, and the minority must
be made TO submit Very seldom do the minority rebel
Punishment "a summary. letter OF warning, enlprF
lishcd with n rough drawing Of a coffin. IL nrst
the backeg who dares to work after the strAo
ecrced II he docs not heed this notice. the next QUO
is more emphatic Usually it takes the form OF gun
shot through the window OF his cabin dark night
splncrng perhaps the headbOard or bis bed lie ni's'
he brave ma indeed II he still perscveres for ne Knows
that ali around him deadly enemies, waiting Tor An
opportunity kill him. They we're friends and comrades
before the strike began but now they are merciiess
backleg found dead by the roadside. or shot In
his cabin no wtnoss appears 70 point out the muir
dervr The terrible tribe Of Danes among the Mormohs
did not more mysterousy than 40 'ns
miners what they deem TO be justice upon INC
yiOaOrs OF their code II you wish 70 know in what terror
men stand Of this unwrtteu code 90 70 one OF the nun
dreds of miners whom you may find idling away their
tme in tho mining villages here and offer him 800
to nut his lamp in cap go down the Heghborng slope
and Of coal For weeks he may nave oeeh deny
ing himself every comfort rave little tobacco Tor MS
short pipe but he will laugh at your OFFER qua
wonder IL you take him for a fool that DO
should risk his nfo for little money
How 20 subordinate the miners interests tn the or-
nary laws statute social and economic which control
other people question which those Interested ousn
to solving Three years ago. In the l%Dish ana
Schuylki regions, the experiment was tried OF MAKING
tho sort partners with the operators III Tue
business Of mining that Is they were given certain
portion OF the selling price of OF coal in payment
for their labor The operators do not like this system
the miners do IL Ia not proposed 20 change II now but
the operators cdanse the proportion 80 "a pay
To labor smaller share This Is the issue on which the
present struggle being fought Under the basis sys-
TEN 40 il Il called the have strengthened their or
canzaton saved money. and now confront tneif EN-
poyers with unity resolution and force than they
have ever displayed before. On the other hand the
operators have co0perated. that against the united
power of muscle there ia arrayed the united power
Of captl Thousands of workngnen on ose side, MIL
lions Of dollars tie other The struggle VIII De q
the nj
Is, their rirbt TO control tho conditions under hich
they work virtually TO regulate the manner In when
their employers shall conduct their business II tho
operators gain the victory. the Miners Union VIII DC
broken up or 1T least, It's influence greatly dnNisled
and ndividualsn will take the place OF combination