The Labor enquirer., 1884-12-27

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we should have made such d demonstra-
ton. We are only sorry that we do moi
oftener get the chance. ]. 1. MAHoN. !.
Chicago Agitated.
IBy Associated Labor Press.l
CHICAGO, Dec 22.-The record of the
past week in Chicago will form a chapter
of Importance in the history Of the labor
movement. A delegate from the Hook.
ing Valley came to the city to solicit aid
and comfort for his comrades, who are
now engaged in the battle for bread with
the aggregated capital of the coal and
railroad syndicate. On last Sunday
afternoon at a large mass meeting Of the
workingmen, the Hooking Valley dele
gate, Mr.. Neil McEachen, made a state
ment of the situation to the earnest
listeners present, and gave much infor-
nation about affairs in the valley that
has been suppressed by the syndicate.
He stated that the Immediate cause Of
the strike was reduction first from 70
to go cents per ton for mining coal, and
then IN two weeks afterward another re-
duction to so cents, the present price.
An iron-clad agreement, which is recog-
nized in law as "free" contract, was
submitted to the miners for their sigma
lures. This contract was entirely one
sided, placing every advantage in the
hands of the syndicate, among other
things requiring the miners to withdraw
from any labor organization to which
they might belong; pledging them to
never unite to regulate wages and inter
fere in any way with the affairs of the
syndicate. These and many other regu-
lations they were compelled to freely"
sign under penalty Of losing their bread.
The power of the syndicate was by these
free" contracts made absolute over the
lives and labor of the miners. He stated
that it was not the price $50 cents) per
ton to which the miners manly objected,
but the compulsory signature of the from
clad agreement. which deprived them of
the last vestage of personal liberty. The
syndicate, said the speaker. was circulat-
ing all over the country the report that
miners could, at the rate now paid (50
cents per ton) make $3.50 per month.
He said that at the old price, 10 cents
per ton, man could by working six days
a week average $50 per month. But for
two years past they worked on short
time, the actual average wages received
being $2S per month. He said that at
so cents per ton, wages would average on
full time $50 per month, but on short
time $ls67. Three dollars of this sum
was expended for tools, blasting powder,
etc, leaving balance, Of $15.67 for the
average family of miner, which con
sisted of five persons, or 1913 month
for each person. Men were compelled to
trade at truck or "pluck me" stores,
where prices averaged 25 tos50 per cent
higher than at other stores. He knew
many men who had been discharged by
the syndicate for not trading at the COM
pany's stores. The miners had in past
years, when wages were good, by deny
ing themselves, purchased little homes.
If they lost this fight all their little prop.
rety will be sacrificed and the company
will buy them up at their own price.
Those miners who rented from the sym
dictate had been elected in the same man
ner as had been done by the landlords
of ireland. We had thought of trying
to establish cooperative mine, but the
coal company thwarted our plans, and
the railway would discriminate III our
freight, and we hshto give up that idea.
He said the miners were still firm and
determined. That the reports of the
capitalistic press were not to be relied
upon. The speaker told of the danger
to life and limb to which men in his oc-
cupation we're subjected. Most miners
were either subject to. sickness from
dampness, or crippled by accident. and
many lives were frequently lost. He de-
scribed the battle at Murray City, and
said the miners used dynamite aud gum
powder freely. 4
He had good reason to believe that in
this fight there we're between forty and
fifty of the Pinkerton guard killed, a
fact that had been studiously suppressed
by the syndicate. The treatment of the
men was slavish and cruel. Sixty of the
sscabs' came out of the mines and re-
turned to persuade the others, when
they were dubbed and beatenin q brutal
manner by the armed guards at the
mines Buchtel, a member of the syn
dicate, who lives at Buchtel, Ohio, -four
ished his pistol, cursed the mutinous