Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-11-09
HOOKING VALLEY TROUBLE

Rspd. the Extensive '''', ~ ,.",,'l
W. ~ T,,- yt.,ys Of the Hooking NAlie1
H's' C,sr,,s the Railroad Company
-. op.rators With heing the
Chs. Of the Trouble.
NJ WP Rerd. Of Chicago one OF tue
MI - oDars,ors in the Hooking
@sn1 sl,o the owner Of several mlnsS on
~ Pan. Handle rsilrOad, near ilISoNrS mas
~ IN the CITY for the past lew days ar,
go gesu = T;rss are the only ones in operation
~ Hockipg Valley. ne having refused to
.Lo other operators in the attempt 10
- OiI t5c rate of mining, which caused tue
- n ,ba, region lie is still paying ~
-. 80 ,gr ron tor mining anu Is supplying
- q, rhe operators, whose MINES are
N. On account of the strike, with coat 10
en- ,be;e orders Tie has been bitterly op-
nnss5 in thp course be has taNen, oat ne
- 10 believes he is right, uad until con
- be i wrong be vi! continue MS
-, course. To Dispatch reporter
Ono ;r,ervrgwsd him he said;
Tn. STRUGGLE between capital aDi labor IS
IN GOING on there. aud Judging from the
E,I denomination and bitter hostility OF the
o,,o.;rr rsg,ieS il will last for months vet,
sr5 % lou. 1t cut 10 the bitter end, The
Hooking VALLEY Railroad Company, together
nth The leadirg coal operators along It's
r. comm, need over tour months ago an
o,sjsnobt OF outrageous oppression upon
d. xsres interests and rights of the many
Ter.aTd miners employed in the great
C,rirsI Ohio coal region. The miners con-
r,;r,sd no cfeuse aud we're guilty OF no
vroDg. Their wages previous to the reduc-
,iop offered were scunty enough and afforded
only the barest subsistence. Most OF them
sttbat time we're in o state Of pinching
royertr A. work in the region had been
Irsree and bu, lev Of them had even
a,ougb 10 afford them the common comforts
and decencies Of life. Their lot was indeed
a hard one, With bitter past and gloomy
future Common humanity and common
ius,ice claimed for them kindness and com
psSion and condemned any act OF cruelty
list would make their severe situation one
q still greater severity.
AMcrcness Corporation
howe,er though, otherwise, and as it had
interest to earn on watered stocks aud III
Hated bonds Il had also grown intensely
Jealous Of the competition coming from
Plttsburg and western coal fields. This
railrrai company ardea,ly desired TO get
tie coal along its lines produced so low that
i could be sold At relatively lover figures
81 AXE ports OF shipments and in the great
markets Of the west than any produced in
The gres, mining section Of which this city
Is the chief center. The coal operators
we're inspired ~ the similar motives of
greed and JEALOUSY Accordingly q scheme
vas entered into last spring by the Hooking
Valley Railroad Company and iss coal OPP
orators to cut doSn the miners wages To
carry out this selfish scheme a convention
vas called last spring in Columbus In
that convention, TO which had an invita-
iOn snd was present, | made an earnest
protest sgainst the reduction, and con-
demned what considered sn attempted
wrong IN the most emphatic way. For
many important reasons such action ap-
Pesred to me false and full of danger To
cut down mems wages who had been earn
ing an average Of not over $50 per month
seemed inhumsn and disgrsceful, and de-
nOunced it as brutal and cowsrdly to at
tack them in tie formed belief that they
we're too weak 10 offer resistance.
argued that q reduction in the Hooking
Valley district would be followed by CORE
spending reductions in the coal fields Of
Western PtnnsylvSRiS and various import
ant mining regions Of the West. Ia very
short time, held, q starvation standard Of
wages would be es.ah Eshed everywhere. fol-
Owed by constant strikes widespread dis.
content, chronic rebellion and all the many
evils We experienced during the panic per
lot Snch state would be great public
calamity. We do not want to see any
more such rIets as disgrsced the country
several years ago, and to prevent them we
must avoid the ca Ise, and the employer or
employee who for greedy gain would ignite
the spark Of such an industrial conasgra-
non would beco ne moral incendisry.
snd should he 10 ,ked upon a a public en-
envy
Result of Labor Oppression.
Whenever leboF is hungry it becomes re-
oei!ouS and refuses to De satisfied with
promises or explanations. is dangerous
70 the peace and security Of society when
oppressed labor rises in open rebellion, as it
stops within no bounds and acknowledges
no restraint OF either law or reason. tits
most proper duty to prevent by all possible
means contests and collisions between espi-
eS' and labor, and to remove all hatred and
IeS!oCSy between these great forces. This
question Itself IS no new one, but is virtually
% od as civilization itself Ii has in var
IaS shapes been fought over in thousands
o. 'ontlcts and bloody wars in ancient
uneS throughout European countries. 1t
u TACT the struggle between those who
IaIe and those who have not; between the
-.u ana the poor. Duty then to society de-
ISuus We protect as far as possible those
SncSs lot 1t is to live upon the wages OF
; meg ua'ly toni. On the grounds then of
!SslCeS and humanity such demands as
nose made by the Hooking Valley opera
S's 10 reduce the wages Of their miners are
.Tss1'lng OF the seyereSt condemnation, as
labor. '- ''e wv 'Nu'e VI
v. Inc policy pursued by the Hooking
Ssy Railroad Company has been CON.
Ssmned Oy the press throughout the eoun-
~. anu 1t has so far taught the mine
S.SiS lesson that viii never be forgotten
nem' Already it has cost them. direct
DC indirectly, over 81 900, 600 and has
ssuueed the railroad company 70 such a
financial financial plight that it was lately forced 70
So r,S" money to pay the interest upon its
UOaus 10 the operators the outlook has
proved so costly that many Of them viii
,oCa9ly De forced to the financial wall
1 June, when the reduction was n,a5s
~ operators believed they had the miners
~. - tne throat and in few DAYS would CHOKE
I'm I'm into submission. Eut in this fsnc;sJ
~ ae, they were deceived, as in the confess
Ne miners have been growing stronger
~o uIe the employees have been gettSnS
az rueds are pouring in more freely than
me- me-. nom all quarters to aid the locksj.op,
nea and their families, and tbsv H. :,
SeSa enough to eat and to sustain tSsn =
senYes IN the struggle. Now then IN M.
o SSSnuy' so rich and prosperous and a. mi
tS SiOOe and with employment 50 sbn ~ ,u
,S s'e Is no necessity for reducing 49,. :.
european standard It is true tbst IA