Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-09-10
AN APPEAL TO THE COAL
MINERS.
NCau for OrganizatiOI


~ Nah .
Correspondents OF the Register.
wHBELING, Sept s, 1879.
In this letter want to lay before the
coal miners Few facts in respect to or
eanization, some Of the benefits to be
desired, and few of the principle OBJ
jections that are usually urged against
organizing. Organization or union
means a combination, as body OF men
united. As example, our different be-
nevolent associations, which are organ
lied and carried on for Especial purpose,
and want coal miners to look at this
question in this light. We have sPe-
cial purpose for uniting together, and
We cannot in any way accomplish this
purpose singly. As proof of this We
need only recite one case, ill-yentilation.
II for this only we have just cause to
unite and do our duty as men in trying
10 remove so obnoxious and injurious
evil. but all men who have thought
about this question must OF a necessity
have come to the conclusion that 1t Is
absolutely necessary to unite, yet have
never had courage to make step IN that
direction, and the almost universal plan
adopted by operatives of sacrificing who
ever makes a move toward uniOnism,
have kept many back who would be
glad TO organize and unite, proyldlng
they could do so without bringing
the ill-will of their employ
ers down upon themselves. But
/ ask all coal miners candldly, II the
frown Of an operator, or the sacrifice OF
your employment, is any comparison to
the sacrifice OF your health, but We want
to organize on basis where there viii
be no necessity for sacrifices and where
miners will be benefited without the
operators being put To any inconvenl-
ence or much expense, and IRON what
| know | can truly say that there are
coal operators who sympathize with the
miners and would willingly do all in
their power to better their condition,
but are compelled to do as their cOmpet-
itOrs do. Ii only remains with us now
whether We remain in our isolated con-
ditiOn and blame others for faults OF our
own, and labor on under all the disad-
yantsges OF the present day, or unite to-
gether TO try and better our condition.
With respect 10 any benefit to US by or
ganizing, I will only say that socially 1t
will restore that confidence and trust in
each other, the want OF which has kept us
so ofarapart and by the eXchangingofldeas
il will educate us as TO how We will act
when the time arrives that we are called
on To elect public officers. BY more
intimate intercourse we shall be
better able TO place a plank
or two in the next State
platform, and no party need expect our
support unless our case Is attended to.
With respect TO our labor We have ten
times more chance of having the already
existing laws put into practical force
and We shall also be able TO discriminate
between the laws that are to our inter
ests and those that are against us, and 1t
will be a goo,i stimulus to US to exert
ourselves and let no power or influence
be felt, aAd " viii benefit US in raising
up, in our opinion, a more exalted view
OF our calling and bring US to under
stand better that We are as much
skilled artisan a. the man who makes a
watch or works in any of the machine
shops i'm this city. II We have not the
delicacy of feeling of the one, or the
precise accuracy or mathematical knowl-
edge of the other, We have knowledge
that it requires good judgment and a
large amount of bone and muscle to
make successful miner, and no man
can come from any other trade and
compete with practical miner who has
learned his trade like any other mechan-
ical labOrers BY organizing for mutual
protection and tor political purposes, we
can so arrange matters that We can at
all times obtain the full market value OF
our labor. and that without strikes or
lOckouts, by asking and urging opera
tors to a sliding scale, thereby allowing
market prices to regulate our wages, and
| have no doubt most of the operators
would willingly do so.
As USUAL.