The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-07
LABOR VS.. CAPITAL
Threatening Attitude of Striking Coal
Miners in Southern Illinois.
COMMUNISTIC COUNSELS.
The Exactions of the Mine Bosses To Be
Resisted at All Hazards.
(rY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD

BEfLEviLLE Ills, May o, 1873.
Serious apprehcnslons are felt that tho trouble in
the coal mines Of this neighborhood, wnere nearly
-FOUR thousand miners are on strike, will end IN
scenes OF violence, and this feeling greatly
aggravated by tho discovery that Istc agents
from ST. Louis have been out among tho miners,
counscllln. thom 10 remain Arm and enforce their
rights The strike has been In operation lit,lo
three weeks ana extends to oil tho pits In ST. Clair
and Madison counties. Tho strike originated in de-
msnd for Increased pey, or. as the men say, "for
living wages" Tho coal operators have been paying
the men from oac cent to ono ana half cents per
bushe and at this ratio the miners they
i've Fair, ordinary miners should be able TO
dig sixtyave bushels Of per day, but
out Of their earnings they have TO hud
oil Tor their lamps, supply themselves with tools
and keep Thorn sharpcned ana buy powder. Then
they charge that there was another imposition prac-
tissd on them IN measuring their work by the box.
The box should hold sixteen bushels, but they say
they were compelled to so pc II up with coal that
contained eighteen or twenty bushels aud Tor these
extra bushels tboy received no rccompeusc. The
proper way Tor the mon TO DO paid, they clam, Is
according to the freight receipts then they would
get their money for all they did.
TERMS DEMANDED
me men are now sticking out for two and a half
or two cents bushel and are determined to make
compact with the bosses Tor SIX or twelve months
during which period alteration 10 10 BIO made from
the rate OF pay agreed upon. The coal operators,
however, stand quite aloo from the strikers VIII NOS
meet them and refuse to mako any attempt at a CON-
promise. This cmbittcrs tho feeling o. tho miners
toward tho BOSSES and there is an evident delerm-
nation to hold out to tho last.
VIOLENT HOSTILE DEMONSTRATIONS
Until last week tho miners mant,incd a peace.
full attitude, but hearing that wero laying
tracks IN Hondrcks' mine, they went over there and
threw 600 cords OF wood which had been lying In the
vicinity OF the pit down the shalt They also demo.
ished engine house attached to tho Dudley m mes
and it was in connection with these cxcosses that two
Of the strikers were locked up although they srenu.
ously deny any completely in tho riotous proceedings
TO sTARvE or STEAL
Another thing that causes bitter feeling on tho
part Of tho men Is the shipping OF coal by tho rail.
road companies. The minors have been idle SO long
that many arc mcnaced by starvation, making them
desperate and disposed to violence A large numbor
OF thcm thus far been sustained by tho store.
Keepers, but they now decline TO mako further I'd.
vances TO reporter who visited the leaders this
morning they said 'thcre will be no trouble A man
must live. lie won't his vito and children starve
and plenty around. II the worst comes the worst
We will have to take IT," "Yes," in,erjected another,
wv haVo guy uocu euTuln2 STARVATION wages ana we
don't moan 10 put up with It. We want our rights
ana hope 10 got them poaceaby, but when II comes to
starving or stealing, why Tor one would steal ("
couSsELs OF coMxuSIsric AGiTAToKs
Tho strikers are composed Of about halt German
and onehalt English Tho ST. Louis soc aistic party
Ia In full rapport with the Bccvic strikers ana on
last Sunday Albert Curtin, tho Communist loader,
addressed a large party OF workingmen In the City
Park small sheet, called the Reform. published
10th in German and English circulates widely among
the workngmen. Thoro Is no doubt that tho Com.
munistic organ zations OF ST. Louis are In full sym.
patty with tho strikers and doing all they can to
encourage tho miners In their threatening attitude.
For tho present peaceful counsels have sway with the
majority, but Mt any moment tho hot blood OF the
coal dlggers may cause trouble. This morning, al
nine O'Clock. delegates from a.. the unions met In
council At Huns Girdens TO dotermine upon their
further OF action, but the result OF the meeting
has not been made public rho leaders arc well sup
ported by tho men, who seom TO have every conf.
ccncc In them. When questioned on various points
tho mon would invariably respond that their leaders
must be seen-ony they could speak with any au-
thorny.