Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-07-30
A WEST VIRGINIA DIsQUISI7IoN.

JOURNAL lecture about "the rights
of employer and employee" Like
the boy who was away from home
when his coat was cut, the editors
lob is bungle. 1t appears to be the
work of constitutional abecedarian,
and carries the flavor of certain
speeches upon Treasury bookkeeping.
He affects just enough Indignation to
le,p people from suspecting that the
editor is the owner Of coal mine,
and so on. But we cannot tarry:
Now, if the teachers should strike
What would our school commissioners 40
Dor o, that's easy! Dump load OF
Swedes ON the county and hlie a w. va.
military company to protect them /
FRosTBURa MINING JOURNAL.
Not by any means, neighbour Your
school commissioners would neither want
the Swedes nor the West Virginia military
company; but if the teachers in Allegany
county dem and higher wages than Others
as well qualified are receiving in Garrett,
and the commissioners contract with Gar
rett county instructors who come over
and offer to teach at tho standard price in
the adjoining county, will any one ques-
ton the right and duty of your commits
sicners to employ them3
But what is the standard price for
mining in West Virginia. If fifty
cents, when was it fxed2 and was it
fixed by any organized body similar to
our school commissioners If the
report be true, moreover, that the
West Virginia people came and got
the blacklegs to 60 "Over and offer to"
mine at fifty cents, promising in turn,
military protection if necessary, it
strikes us very forcibly that the 1Ts-
bune's analogy doesn't hold good.
The comparison presented in the
question is enormously stated. Sixty
five cents is the standard price in
this region; the Virginia mine coal is
shipped as ours at least, and that price
prevailed there untilthe ffty-cent rate
was rammed down the outlets OF the
sometime unwilling blacklegs.
Again: if Garrett teachers could
make nothing by taking no more Tor
their services in Allegany than they
get at home, low much can more can
miners make who leave sixty-fve cents
here to take fifty in West Virginia
Will any sane man deny that the school
commissioners of your distric. or county
authorized by law, have the right to nix
scale of prices for teachers? :,
Why say authorized by law Z
And why imply that, because "au'
thorized by law" tie teachers are
obliged to work for prices fixed BY
others for them?
And can any sane manbut revolution
list deny the right of American citizens
and D roft ssional teachers TO contract, rem
der service and receive wages from thes'
same commiss ioIeIss
That depends. If all sane mer
are "revolutie nists," or all "revolu'
tionists are "sane" men, it is pretty
hard to tell what Americans" they
might esteem as citizens" or what
"citizens" as Americans" Besides
there is a wide difference between
"profeesional teachers and teachers
who are not professional. The
question il mixed, but we will an
swer-no.
Will American institutions justify
discrimination against the Scotchman
lrshman, or Swede, in the performance o.
labor any more than for the employment
of capital?
Not that we know o., but good
many american" practices don't
care fs about what our "iastitu'
tions justify" Tie Chinaman has as
much right here theoretically as any
body that ever immigrated, but the
country is not Iun mad to become "a
refuge for the oppressed Of all ma
tions" go much as it used to be. II
West Virginia, however, were to come
over TO Maryland for colored teachers
10 instruct white children, there is
nothing in or institutions which
would deny West Virginia the graft
fcation of her insidious preferences
in that or any other matter of Sim
liar complexion.
Have they not equal rights and the
same rights that native Americans have
in seeking labor and earning homes in this
great Republic, under our system of free
government, where life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness and protection Of
property is guaranteed TO every indi'
vidual?
For a partially negative answer we
refer the Tribune to the party plat.
forms, one of which it supported last