The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-08-13
WHAT KNOW ABOUT BLAINE

The following letter to the New York
Times, from man who knows whereof
he writes, indicates that the love of the
pinned knight for the laboring men is, to
say the least, peculiar;
wish to let the people hear what ]
know about James G. Blaine. Everybody
knows that Mr.. Blaine, II. G. Davis and
Stephen Elkins, of star route fame, are
managers of a company styled as The
West Virginia Central Il Pittsburg rail
road company. wish to speak of some
land owned by them at this place. The
land was bought for something near $50
out in town lots, about nine lots to the
acre. they leased them at $12 per annum
making land rent for them of SOS
acre per annum. Some people may ask
the question. Were these parties com
PEELED to rent or lease these lots? | {
blacksmith compelled to buy iron at al
eXtortionate price when it is cOrnered
Surely he is, or otherwise lie idle anC
starve. just so with the coal miner; hi
is compelled to do this or seek employ
ment elsewhere. But another says: Yor
don't pretend to tell me that James G
Blaine would be guilty of cOrnerin9
ground? | do, as | have proved, and
shall prove directly that he would and ha
cornered other than land. He would cor
ner anything. even down to the whit
house, but | think his corner of the white
house will be down about the state O.
Maine or up here at Elk Garden.
The miner now, we will say, has leased
lot. The next thing necessary is house
and the company has a saw mill her,
where the poor man can buy a very poo
article of wormeaten chestnut lumber
such as the company can not use, and h
will only have to pay at the mill Is cent
per yard. OF course Mr.. Blaine does no
corner lumber.
In the second place, the poor miner i
favored so much by getting his coal of tn
company. Because he cannot get Goa
elsewhere he pays S125 per ton, Will,
persons away from the place pay abou
ninety cents per ton. Coal at this plac,
in the coal house costs about seven and one
half cents per bushel, while at other place
it costs but four cents per bushel.
l am not speaking now of the cit.
markets. but other places that compar
with this. The company agrees to pa,
the miner fifty cents per ton for digging
But he diggs or fills one car and gets Gre
dit for two tons by measurement. 1t i
ascertained that these cars hold whel
loaded to the requirements of the compa
ny $3.50 pounds. In other words, III
miner gets only about thirty -seven an
one>half cents per ton. If we are so foI
| tunate as to own a COW we pay 81 pc
month even if our COW runs out on tn
commons and feeds on the green grass
Next every miner is compelled to contri
butte 81 per month to the pill quacks
Mr.. Blaine don't know anything obou
this. Not at all.
Any man employed here is compelle
to keep a close mouth; he is deprived o
free speech or any of the GOd-given pri
vileges that every free man should enjoy
| man who works here is nothing NOR
than slave The company, it will
remembered, advertised for 400 hands a
$125 per day. The call was answered b
nearly 200 negroes. and after working
few days at ten hours for days WORK
which is lawful day in this state, tn
hands were notified that they would b
required to work eleven hours. A strik
was declared, but the men being primo
pally old and poor, were driven, unde
adverse circumstances, to accept the CON
pany's terms and go to work. Now, MI
Blaine is perfectly familiar with all c
this, and he could have made matter
different. Is Mr.. Blaine a friend to tn
coal miner? Is he popular man? | ar
swer no. Is he friend to the poor pee
pie? | answer no. Is he a popular man
| answer no; for if he were to run flo
constable at Elk Garden he would be dc
feated. Is he as peculator and ''cornerer
Yes. He would speculate with the air "
breathe and the water we drink if b
could manage to control it in come shap
or other And now l ask my brother la
borers, Can you support James G. Blain
for president of these United States
Surely not. If you do you will ad
strength to your enemy's ranks, and pit
at the head of this free republic a ma
who is nothing more nor less than t!
ran, tand is one of the leaders of one {
the hughest monopolies ever started
West Virginia Come up TO the ballot DO
and their exercise all the freedom that
yet yours and help turn down the plume
tyrant of Maine, LABORER.
Elk Garden. W. Va, July, 1884.