, 1877-09-15
Worse than Slavery.

| SOUTHERN JOURNALS nave Irun time Ia time
stated that the abolition agitation which
finally produced war between the states is
mainly responsible for freeing negroes in Or
'lsr thatwhite menmight not be enslared. 1t
Is very certain that no more horrible calamity
than that war could have overtaken the
union, and, in the long run, the chief suf-
ferers viii be the sections which claim the
conquerors laurels. Il is not necessary, at
this time, remarks the Augusta, ga, Coasti-
! tHfiondiof, to show, In every particular, how
| the north killed the southern goose that laid
| the golden eggs. Suffice it thai the PROPOSE
tion is established that the emancipation of
! southern negroes has ended in the enslave.
ment of northern white men. Without even
glance at the hordes east and west called
tramps," who were unknown before the
war, let us look at the coal miners of Penn
sylvania and, from home testimony, prove
the truth OF our assertion
The Pennsylvania and other railways of
the Keystone State largely own all the coal
mines Of that commonwealth, and details of
the condition Of the workmen employed by
them demonstrate that the negro slaves of
the south were infinitely better of, and that
only the serfs OF Russia in old days could be
remotely compared TO these miners. They
have not near So much liberty as the slaves
had, and their cares are far beyond the con-
ceptlon OF negroes upon plantations. The
policy OF the Inme-oWners appears to be to
keep their wCrkmen so poor that they can
not even strike, and 50 miserable that all
courage shall be piucked out Of them. These
tay-maSters have done what the Bible en-
pressly condemns-they have quenched or
attempted to DO so, the spirits OF men sub
ort!inated to them. 4 reporter of the New
York Press, who has investigated the con-
dition of the miners, relates some appalling
cases Of suffering. \ miner of the Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western company earned
on an average seventeen 20 eighteen dollars
month. With this pittanee he had to sup
port family of eight persons and to pay SIN
dollars a month rent. They had to live ell
tirely upon mush. Meat they never tasted.
Another, preceding the strike, earned nine
teen dollars q month. and ont of this had to
pay an equal share with his fellOw-wOrkmen
of over nine do!laIs for powder to blast with
and oil, paper and soap used in his work,
thus having left but about thirteen dollars
and fifty cents 4 month to live and support
his family upon, and ont of that rent and
feel had to be deducted. The food of his
family WIS simply mush and potatoes. The
average wages Of another tor twelve months
did not exceed fourteen dollar q mCath- The
miners and their families generally speaking
are clothed IN rags 81 poor are they that
doctors refuse them attendance and druggists
medicines except they get the cash IN ad-
vance. Miserable as the pittance of wages
the companies keep part back, and then
charge per cent. torpaying any order gwen
by the n en- upon their wages. The Lacka-
wanna iron and coal company went even into
the coffin business and squeezed the poor peo
pie in undertakers charges. 1t keeps stores
also and makes in this way profits out OF the
scanty earnings of its employees. This COM
plny employs between two thousand ami
three thousand men and boys. Three great
corporations, namely: the Delaware and
Hudson canal company, the Pennsylvania
coal company and the Delaware, Lackawanna
and Western company work about seventy
mines and employ In the aggregate over
thirty-one thousand men and boys.
No wonder, confronted with such spec
tacies, that wise men Ill the north confess
that the infamous legislation directed against
the south failed because 1t was an effort to
ci7cumreQt God. The failure, SO far as throt-
ting the south is concerned, was dismal /; |
but the experiment has ended In the worse |
than enslayement OF the bodies Of northern |
whi,e men, and crucifxion of their souls |
No wonder skilled workmen who come from |
Europe are going back while they have a |
chance to do So But what commentary |!
upon the political management of the past |
decade that America has ceased to be the |
land OF the free and home Of the oppressed"