Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1877-03-31
&C, ALEGANY COUNTY, MARYLAND, SATURDAY,

N'NhANNH
compelled the miners to succu NIB
The miners, with destitution staring
them in The face, were forced to sub
nit by the nefarious combi nation Of
the coal companies, railroad and
canal companies, to reduce them,
acting Oh the principle that the min
ers have no rights which these corpo-
rations are bound to respect; no right
to say what their labor is worth, and
maintain that II ght to the best of their
ability. Those soulless and inhuman
corporations, creatures of the State,
assume the power to dictate to the
miners, and all classes Of labor con-
nected with mining, what and how
much they shall eat, drink and wear,
by their policy of reduction in wages
Why do they not also compel the
wholesale and retail merchants to sell
their commodities at certain fixed
prices? The exercise Of this power
would be Just as reasonable as the
other.
80, it is excellent to have a giants
strength; but it is tyrannous to use it like
giant
'More Anon" wants the merchants
to make a corresponding reduction of
23 per cent, in the prices of their
goods This is impossible, unless the
producers, manufacturers and whole
sale merchants, concede that amount
an event which is not likely to hap
pen in fact, it is unreasonable to ex-
pect it, we are not near enough the
millennium yet.
[ have noticed in all disputes in re-
gard to wages that arise between en-
ployers and employees, that compan-
les or corporations may form combi
nations to reduce the wages of the
employees, and apparently have a
legal right to do so; but should the
employees attempt to exercise the
same right and form union or COM
bination for self-protection, the press
and pubhc in general have no svmpa
thv for the poor, o erlaDored wight,
but tar once set up the hue ana cry Of
conspiracy against the peace of the
comm onweAltA. The Baltimore and
Ohio railroad company, as the press
has told us, "Dulldozed' some of the
coal companies By refusing to furnish
them with hoppers when they wanted
10 So to work at 55 cents, and the
press of the county, with the excep-
ton of the FRosTBURG MINING JOUR
NAL, had not one word to say in dis
approval of the act. But let one
miner attempt to express his opinions
freely in his own defense, or try to
prevent others from working at stava-
tion wages, and he is instantly arrest
ed for "bulldozing,' or assault and
battery, and required to give bail for
his appearance in court, and some Of
his brother miners will be compelled
to appear against him, or be victimized
by the legal combination.
The policy of those huge coal cor
porations all over the country appears
to be to keep the miners and laborers
in state of abject poverty, in fact,
"steeped in poverty to the very lips, y
so that they will be compelled to work
for whatever price they see fit in their
magnanimity to give.
Well might the miners and ladorers
eXclaim in the language of the poet:
"3i Pm designed yon lordlings slave
By Natures law designed
Why was an independent wish
Fer planted in my mind?
If not, why aHI subject to
His cruelty or scorn?
Or why has man the will and power
To make his fellow mourn 2"
Some parties have tried to make ii
appear that the miners lost financially
last year by not accepting the reduc-
ton Of 10 cents per ton proposed on
the 10th of April by the various coal
companies, but the figures will not
bear out the assertion. For instance
last year we mined and shipped tc
market 1,S43,OOO tons, which, at g.
cents per ton, amounts to 81, ,l97, $50
Now suppose the reduction had been
accepted, and we had produced the
$50 900 tons extra that Clearfeld got
of or trade; this would amount tc
2,093, 900 tons, which, at 55 cents
would amount to $l,l5l, $50, or $46,-
75O less than what the miners really
did get. Even should we mine and