The Labor enquirer., 1883-02-03
Views of an Nj. p,


Views of an NJ. p. r. 04
Speaking at great demonstration
held at Blythe to celebrate the twentieth Il
anniversary of the Northumberland
Miners Mutual Confdant association.
MIR. Thoma Burt M. P, said they had
met to celebrate the continuous and
collective life of the Northumberland Z
miners. They. welcomed among them
many of the old men who took anactiVe
part in the unions of 1882 and 1874.
Those were days of battle and strife.
For his part, it was pretty we'll known
that he had always endeavored to avoid (
strikes. He knew too well the misery
that sprang from such conflicts, and
that was iIseparable from them, Butin
earlier times the miners had no alterna-
tive. Argument, reason, and fact went
for nothing, and only the clumsiest and
most barbarous weapons were available.
These pioneers and roadmakers had
rough work to do, and they did their.
work well and manfully. Since the
present union was established they had
had very few local strikes, and the only
general one they had had was due to the
employers, who had refused to allow the
dispute to be settled by arbitration.
There were two or three characteristics
which had stood out prominent in thel
conduct of the miners, and which were
of good omen for the future. They had
invariably carried out their engagem ents,
Loyalty and honestly. However dis
tasteful the result might be to them
selves, they had been courageous and
self reliant in the darkest and stormiest
days of the If history, and they had been
generous ard helpful to one another in
times of adversely and difficulty, always
assisting to the utmost of their power the,
weakest and most defenseless of tn cir
numbers. When hundreds of miners
were thrown out Of employment, and
they could not obtain work on any terms,
the men who were still employed, though
in many cases working but half time and
receiving very low wages, voluntarily
taxed themselves to a large amount to
support their fellow workmen, who, but
for such assistance, would have been
compelled to throw themselves upon the
rates. That support was continued as
long as it was required. In that way
G2O,OO0 in all was distributed in North
cumberland alone-G10,000 of it in sim
gle year, and that one of the worst years
the coal trade has ever seen. Facts such
asfhe had given inspired them with con-
fidence and hope in the future. All the
tendencies of the age were democratic.
Already the masses of the people had
large amount of political power and the
power would soon be vastly increased.
Neither timid wings nor obstructive
tories, even with the assistance Of the
house of lords. could for long stop the
rising tide of public opinion, which had
sent forth the decree for the extension OF.
the franchise to the counties. Their
great want, no doubt, was education.
That was needed not only by the manual
laborer, but by many other sections OF
the community. He used the word
education" in it's broadest and deepest
sense, meaning merely not only ability
to read, write and cipher; not only a
knowledge of men and things, but an
education directed to quicken and
broaden the sympathies, to make men
thoughtful and just; to teach them
habits of gentleness, of frmness, and of
self control; thus laying the foundation
of state in which we shall have no
idlers, rich or poor; no paupers either
in our warehouses; or on our nationH
pension lists; but a free, law.abiding
people, yielding cheerful obedience to .
government which aimed not alone to
win the greatest number of its subjects,
but to achieve the greatest nobility Of
character, and the highest virtue for all
who owned its sway.