Frostburg mining journal., 1880-08-07

other purpose would undoubtedly ac-
complish their object, hut these laws
to date have been practically dead.
The law makes it the duty of the
prosecuting attorney in each county,
when complaint is made to him Of any
violation Of these laws, to lay the COM
plant before the grand jury. He has
no power except on complaint made,
so that the failure of the laws can in
no way be attributed to the prosecut-
ing attorney.
The miners themselves are to some
extent responsible for the continuance
Of the system-how great their re-
sponsibility is better known to you
than to me.
Statements have been made to me
as facts, and facts to me well known
prove that opportunities have offer
ed themselves when the system could
have been crushed, and instead of
such being done, temporary advan-
tage was sought and gained, and lost
almost as soon as gained, and the
truck system permitted to continue.
/ refer to the last advance Of wages
generally received during the social
ed "boom" in the iron and coal trade.
At that time no possible defense
could have been made against de-
mand for cash payments for wages.
Such a demand would have been en-
dorsed by the press, pulpit and gener-
al public. and, in my opinion, would
have been successful; and once the
cash system had been introduced
it would have required considerable
nerve, even on the part of the most
persistent issuer of checks, to have
undertaken, in the face Of the law,
to introduce the check system. Many
of those who most bitterly denounce
the truck system say if it is abolished
they must have payments more fire.
quent than oncs in each month or
they will suffer. | heartily endorse
the idea, and believe the system of
weekly payments, as it is in our cit
les, should be universal for all work
ingmen in the State but il the truck
system is all that its enemies call it;
if it is the thief that daily robs them
of their substance; if through it they
are paying from 10 to 40 per cent.
more for all they consume if through
it men have not received dollar
cash for wages in a year, then can
not understand the logic that will
permit it TO continue, even though
monthly payments in cash would be
the first substitute.
No great good was ever accom-
plished without some sacrifice, and
the truck system, the growth ofyears,
will not be destroyed without some
sacrifices on the part Of those suffer-
ing by it.
Men who claim they could not pos
bly, live from one monthly payday
to the next without having recourse
to checks or scrip on the store, have
in the past, and no doubt will again in
the future, go on strikes to rectify
some grievance, and stay on strike
one, two or three months with no
chance to get checks or scrip, and
with the atore closed against them,
and yet they live. They also suffer,
but the possible good results of such
a strike could not be compared to the
good that would result simply from
month or two months denial, prepar-
ing the way Cor the destruction of the
truck system.
A very intelligent coal mine en-
ployee informed me last year that the
company for which he worked had no
store, and paid wages in each every
month promptly, but they issued store
orders during the month to those who
wanted them, and it was the opinion
that if the company would refuse to
issue the store orders the men would
strike and compel the issue of the or
ders.
While such feeling exists, or at
least where it exists, who is to blame
for truck" the miners or the opera
tors7
However, in another section of the
State, the rule of paying wages was
and ls that certain proportion of the
wages earned must be taken in store
checks, and the balance would be
paid in cash. The companies claim
the trade of the men..as a right, and in
its exercise charge auch prices as they
see fit, and exonerate their consciences
under the plea of a contract.