Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1882-10-07
RESP0N DE N C E
n Strangers TieW of II.

To the MINING JOURNAL:
I wish to encroaoh upon your
generosity for space in your columns
to express my views Of the situation
of the miners of the Cumberland dis
trict, and shall endeavor to be as
brief as possible.
1 was invited by some of the miners
to visit them and satisfy myself by a
personal examination as to whether
or not their status as part of the
body polite had been placed fairly
before the public, From what have
by over one weeks sojourn among
them learned, l have no hesitsncy in
saying that they have been misrspre-
Hsntsd through the press, and are
still being misrepresented and will be
until they find a paper of general
circulation bold enough to champion
their cause by telling the whole truth
and that l believe will be sufficient.
1t may be said that | am one of those
paid creators and fomentors Of strikes
and trouble among workingmsn. If
any wish to pile up such an accusation,
and the readers have msgnanimity
enough to allow justice, ask for the
proof, it would not be necessary to
make this call, or would it be in good
taste, if l had not learned what
means are and have been taken to
create an evil impression against any
one who may dare to defend the acts
of either workingmen or the public
against the sncroachments Of or an
unjust application of the power of
capital in the hands of those who are
blinded by greed to such an extent
as to overlook the rights of others
and trample upon those they believe
helpless.
It'so happened that few months
ago the mine operators saw fit to
make an advance. They believed
that they were not receiving high
enough wages (pro6t) for their work ;
they conceived the plan Of raising
Their wages by making demand
upon the miners to produce for them
mole ctal for the same amount Of
pay. The miners refused. The oper-
ators, then, to secure their raise Of
wages or profits declared a strike
against the miners. Of course it
would not do to call it . strike of
the companies, for they were only
asking Tor a reduction of wages and
the term strike must be applied othe
other side, as then it would carry with
it an impression ofsome high-hsnded
act committed by the miners and al
low free course for tho sustenance
afforded by the State in aiding to pu t
down the strike. It apparently does
not make any difference which side is
the creator or cause Of disturbance.
1t ia always the holder Of the pro-
rerty that ID to be at an expense to
the State and the rights of the indi.
vidual may ask in vain; individuals
may associate together and place an
amount of capital into single pool
and through that pool they may offer
inducements to have men and their
families locate where it is to be put in
to, knowing very we'll that the pooled
c4pital would pc useless without the
labor of the men but as soon as the
men are located and have from one
cause or other become so situated as
for it to not be convenient or desira.
BILE for them TO remove to other To-
calities, then the pooled capital, being
assured of support. comes down like an
avalanche upon the men who are the
only means Of making the capital
valuable and tells them that they
must disT ose OF their labor for less
price, and il they do not see fit TO do
SO they, the employers, go to other
countries and by representation Of
the great demand for labor and the