Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1882-06-10
WHO STRUCK?
IWO Scraps of Local History
Partially Compared.

from % 10 oo cents Per lpn WAS lnaue
June 18th, 1880.
On account of the war between th
railroads there was not unity of actor
between the companies that all the
signatures suggested.
In a very short time The movement
collapsed, the miners resumirg woil
at the old figure.
On the 7th of March last the de
mand of June 18th, 1880, was in sub
stance repeated.
The railroad war over, it is pre-
sumed that at asst nominal harmon
PREVAILS between the companies. PEI
force of bonds of ieputed heas
calibre.
In both instances the companies in
itiated the movem 1T
In neither have the miners dom
more than stand on their reserve
rights.
In the present case the attitude
the compsnie- is IT, N ost emphatI
and remarkal lie ever taken elhal'
in this country, Fom the first -
r:ession TO tie latest devet0r IA NJ
their programme tie incideI is OF 4
campaign have 70 low ed ench cite
lock step IN a msrch of sggressio
Boosting a compact and invIncible or
gauiza ion, hey have made assurane'
doubly SUR by having secured The
civil power of the State, dubbed and
armed
But let US indulge nothing bitter
because we want to reach other points
What have the miners done mean
while2
Seeing he law and the force of law
against them, they have oil served and
acknow edged respect. Moving Meth
er to the right or left, they stand Oh
65 cents or no work. However much
any one may disagree with them as to
the policy or expediency of Their
course, none can deny to them th'
right of peaceably ordering their OWL
conduct.
This much stated, who struck-th.
companies or the miners2
1t is an extrem ely common thing to
hear and see the action of the mine
denominatei "strike" and them
selves, by derivation, strikers"
Let US see what the noun means:
Strike-(6) The act of combining and de-
manding higher wages for work cessation
from labor, or neglect of duty, in spirit
of mutiny or revolt Webster.
az "A cessation from work, as of work
men, in order to extort higher wages;
revolt; a mutiny. (Modern.l- Worcester.
They have combined" and cease
lsbor"-thst is all. They have mo-
demanded higher wages" nor neg
lected dsiy gin spirit Of mltiny o.
revolt" There ia nothing in the W,
of allegiance CT loyalty to The compa
MES implied by their service. A IT.
fusal to w.rk at terms which do no
suit them in, DIV es nothing treasonsh'
What have the companies oones
They. too, have combined !" mor'
than this, they have demanded
1oaver "wages perhaps in IT,
.'spirit" stated.
GOOD logic insists that if the term
"strike," or Strikers is applicable
anywhere in this connection The con'
panies ought to Shoulder and carr
their portion Ct whatever odirm i
implied.
whoever heard of such thing2
inquired gentleman the other day
Here is where the trouble comes
in. People are so tied down to term
Of common acceptance and arplica-
tion they cannot see hey osd the or
binary formula of statement. The
other week we argued that if the
State had the right to loan its author
ity to force a bargain here directly
or indirectly at so cents per ton, il
could do the same thing in behalf OF
the miners at 65 cents. We did not
claim that legitimately it could do
either. Hence, the States proper
attitude is-"hands of.
There were no. few, however
who, because they "had never heard
of such thing" could not accept the
conclusion as pertinent.
The term, "strike," as applied ex
clusively to the declination Of the
miners to work, and Strikers" al
nutineers or revolutionists, are mis-
nomers. They have made no de
mands spon the companies, nor are
they enforcing any. They have