Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1882-06-03
G OR r ESP0 N D L N C L
TO CAPITAL.
Bat Free T'ddc to Labor"

w AShlNGION, ~. ", MAY Oh, 1907
/ To the MINING JOURNAL:
The mining troubles in Allegapy
have attracted much attention here
and in the East generally. While |
am not sufficiently post d in the mer-
its of the controversy between the
miners and the companies now going
on to discuss which is right or wrong,
there are still some phases of the sit
uation chat give food for thought,
though not Of hopeful or pleasing
character
One of the thoughts derived from
this conflict is that the corporate in
terssts control the peor le; are rapidly
reducing the laboring classes into a
condition Of serfdom, and, unless
their unbrid,ed usurpations are stay.
ed by honest and Intelligent legisla'
ton, will make this country of ours
republic only in name. And this is
necessarily SO, for when the laboring
man supinely sacrifices his independ
ence for the pittance he receives in
return for his daily toll, and allows
himself to be voted by his bosses for
men undesorving OF public confidence,
but suit the interests of the employer,
no other result should be expected.
Solf.interest rules the world and poll
ticians are like other men, and when
they frd the masses in such subser-
Went condition will not run counter
to the controlling power, bat propi-
tiate its potent influences.
Occasionally We find men of indie
pendent thought and action who will
not crock their knee to such inhu.
encea, boldly ranging themselves on
the side OF the people and in opposi-
ton to the encroachme nts Of corpo-
rate rover. But what are the ex-
periences in such cases? Do the la
boring classes, numerically largely in
the majority, sustain their champions?
No, Ia ost euphaticaly 10 OF course
there ale too many pretenders to be
tie peoples champions. who only
await a fitting OPP o.tunity, or suffi-
Cert brhe, to enable hem 20 eurr, o.
der any trust reposed in them but
when this is not the case the honest
defenders Of the rights are invariably
releGated to obscu ity by the votes CT
the very people whose cause they have
espoused, and, broken politically and
otherwise, are the men who dare to
question the right CT arrogant wealth
and power to disregard the claiias Of
justice and humanity. In this way
the people themselves are used to
break down the true defenders of heir
rights.
Again, all the interests of thess
corporations must be protected But
the tariff 10 protect their cuai and
iron makes your people pay double
price for the clothes they wear and
the blanket they must have to protect
them from the inclement frosts of
winter. All their productions must
be protected from any competition
with "foreign labor" Nov see how
much honesty there is in that politi-
cal war-cry and how much faith they
have in the platform they have reared
for you to stand upon. Protection
from foreign labor ia thsir motto.
You have followed the banner bear
ing that legend embls zonei on its
snaky folds for 10, these many years.
Yes, protection for them is all right;
protection to corporations; protection
TO American capital, but where, oh,
where, is the boasted protection now
to American lsbor2 The spectacle
presented on tie rocky Eckhart slopes
o-day is a sufficient ans yer. The
manly, honest miners of Alegary aie
about to be driven from their homes
and old familiar scenes, and supplant-
ed by Norw giaps nd Sseles. Ia
this the outcome OF the American
doctrine of protection ?
do not recognize that any antago-
nism should exist between labor and
capital. Duties and responsibilities
arpertaln to both, and can, and should
be Iairly adjusted, but IN View oil tn,
painful enes w tldl spJia. Ia Al
| leoany no nope IL TO be etlected /. ON