New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-10-09

believed by them that honest vote Of the miners
Ia the scranton region could be obtained al4rse JorF
in favor OF resumiug at once:
and that the masses kept under control 10y rev
political leaders who have not yet been able 10 sell out 20
Al the Office of the Pennsylvania Company It posi-
work upon exactly the same wnich were IN force
the strike begun. No con essoD7 OF any klnd
had been made by the company ana inc heh were plainly
told better could BE- paid uat Tue price vi
TIE miners OF the Delaware and Hudson Canal Com
pany voted last week not 10 resume work at the terms OIL
fered them
THE STRIKES EFFECT ON LOCAL BUSINESS.
PROS RATION or TRADE-FAIURRs-THE MINERS
DEPENDENT on CHARTTY-GOOD ORDER PRE-
VAiIING.
IRON STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THK TRIBUNE.I
WuKEsBARRE, sept. 22.-AbOut $4,000 men, ac-
customod to work in the coal mines OF this county
and about them have been idle during tho past two
months, not having earned dollar since the strike
began. and at least Is 900 people in tho Wyoming
ana Lackawanna regions have not only been with
ont the means Of subsistence but becoming de-
pendent entirely upon charity for their support.
THIS ia a lamentable state OF affairs. the very men
tion of which suggests untold dangers to the peace
of the country the lives of its citizens and the safety
of its property. That Satan finds some mischief
still for idle hands to do is true to-day IN the
coal regions Of Pennsylvania as 1t has ever been
elsewhere and when the idle hands belong to one
third of the whole population of a community, IN
GLIDING the most ignorant and unrcasoning class OF
its people. the danger that the mischief will be ST.
TlOns is very great
The fact that peace and almost universal respect
for law and the rights Of person and property has
everywhere prevailed throughout this Valley during
the continuance Of the strike, furnishes new eVl-
deuce that the coal-mneTs are not as bad men as
some people, at a distance, have been led to believe
The Molly Mcguire organization, conspiracy OF
which not man in a hundred, perhaps not one IN
FIVE hundred working in the mines, had gubity
knowledge and an occasional theft or deed of yio-
lence which, ordinary times, would not arrest
popular attention. the things the country hears
about from the newspapers, while the quiet de-
mcanor of the great mass Of the strikers is entirely
overlooked. To he sure there are both State and
Regular troops here, two thousand, perhaps in all,
but they arc scattered through the Valley from
Nauticoke TO Carboudale. distance of nearly fifty
miles guarding cOal-breakers and railroad property
which, with or two exceptions, nobody has Of
fered to modest in the last two months. In one or
two instances early in the strike, some desperate
fellows did show disposition TO drive the engineers
| pumpmen and fOremen from the mines, and to pre-
vent repairs and the necessary changes aud prepare
tons for resuming work from being made
but there is the strongest evidence that such acts
have not the approval of any great number Of
| the miners who would willingly join with
other citizens in protecting the property Of their en-
/ poyers No men have been driven out OF the mines
/ or away from the breakers since the strike began
! There has not beSn, thus tar, any case which has
come to my knowledge in which force has been used
| to prevent mon who are willing TO work from doing
| so.
There have been some complaints by farmers OF
! petty depredations upon their crops and gardens,
and in a few instances stock has been killed, but.
/ hatsa not haau Z a..
great nor as frequent as they might naturally have
! been expected 90 be. have not heard of single
| case Of highway robbery. People go about the
towns and travel through the country at all times
| unmolested if not without fear. The presence OF
the soldiers undoubtedly has restraining influence
and | do not think il would be wise either to with
draw them or to reduce their number at this time
but II any considerable portion Of the miners wero
disposed to do So they might accomplish much mis-
| chief in spite of the military guards
Destitute as they and inevitable a. their sur
! ferng must have BEEN the miners and their fami-
lies have thus far managed to live and doubt II
there has been or will be single case OF starvation
The peope of this city and county not engaged IN
mining are Affected BY the suspension only less dis
ostrouslv than the miners and operators themselves,
| nd cot they have shown far more sympathy for the
| stril[ers than suspected before coming here and
| have organized relief committees and contributed
literally especially of provisions Tor the support Oh
.,e ,peo A considerable portion of tine people here
NOT directly interested III coal operations, and some
who are. admit that the wages paid at the mines
when the strike began altogether Inadequate,
,voen the number of days the men were employed IN
| . month was taken into consideration and they
blame the great operators not 80 much because they
d not nay higher wages whIle the low price OF coal
| continues as for allowing the maraet, by their
rivalr,es and blind competition, to get beyond their
Central by the breaking up Of the coal combination.
This IA the way the average citizen OF
I,,oyne County expresses himself Oh tins
subi,ct. "Tho people of New-York, New-England
aud Of the Middle States are dependent on the
anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania for their fuel
,ere il no other region and no other substance used
a. fnel that can compete with Anthracite coal
~ ~ 40 4 ton wholesale, IN New-I0rk, - cheaper
tI, any other fuel to be had Nov with the supply
comDletely At our command, There is no reason IL
the world. except the rocl7 ,ssness Or stupidity OF
fine management of the great companies, why coal
aho,,ld not bring a price thit will enable the OPP
| orotor IN nav living wages to his mon and make
e. ,ro6t on the capital invested IL ii does not,
the, tbo great co npanies to blame and the
,vorlinqmen who suffer by the folly OF the opera
/ tors are entitled b. popular sympathy such rea-
oning IA this will not be acceptable TO the consuH-
ar. n, coal but il reflects the sentiment oil very
t,,. ,ronortion of the people of the Wyoming val
Iey ind reetly interested in the mining OF coal.
The strikers have undoubtedly. also received po-