Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-07-22
A Laborer's Opinion of Blaine.
To the Editor Of the Ne.o YORK Times:

10 hSe E0ttor OF The Net1 York Times.
l wish to let the people hear what know
about James G. Blaine. Everybody knows
that Mr.. Blaine, Henry G. Davis. and
Stephen Elkins, of Star-route fame. are
managers of a company styled as the West
Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railroad
Company. Iwish to speak of some land
owned by them at this place. The land was
bought for something near $50 per acre. and
after portion of it was laid out in town
lots, about nine lots to the acre, thew leased
them at $l2 per annum, making land rent
for them of $108 per acre per annum. Some
people may ask the question, Were these
parties compelled to rent OF lease these lotsp
Is blacksmith compelled to buy iron at an
eXtortionate price when it is cornered p
Surely he is, or otherwise lie idle and starve.
just SO with the coal-miner. He is COM
PEELED to do this Or seek employment else
where. But another says, You don't pre-
tend to tell me that James G. Blaine would
be guilty of cornering ground? do, as
have proved. and I shall prove directly that
he would and has cornered other than land.
He would corner anything, even down to
the White House, but think his corner of
the White House will be way down about
the State of Maine or up here at Elk Gar
den.
The miner now, we will say, has leased
lot The next thing necessary is a house,
and the company has a saw-mill here where
the poor man can buy very poor article of
worm-eaten chestnut lumber, such as the
compuny cannot use, and he will only have
to pay at the mill 16 cents per ward. Of
course MIR. Blaine does not corner lumber.
In the second place, the poor man is fa-
VOrpd v,;unb nv ratfipnr So u,
company. Because he cannot get coal else
where, he pays $1.25 per ton, while persons
| away from the place pay about 80 cents per
ton. Coal at this place costs, in the coal
house, about y cents per bushel, while at
other places it costs but cents per bushel.
am not speaking now of city markets,
but other places that compare with this
The company agrees to pay the miner fifty
| cents per ton for digging. But he digs or
| ILLS one car and gets credit fortwo tons
| measurement. 1t is ascertained that these
cars hold when loaded to the requirements
of the company $3.50 pounds In other
words, the miner only gets about 37l cents
per ton. If we are so fortunate as to own
a COW we have to pay 81 per month, even if
our COWS run out on the commons and feed
| upon the green grass. Next every miner is
| compelled to contribute 81 per month to the
pill quacks. Mr.. Blaine don't know any,
| thing about this. Not at all.
| Any man employed here is compelled to
keep close mouth; he is deprived of free
speech or any of the God given privileges
that every free man should enjoy. A man
who works here is nothiag more than slave.
| This company, it will be remembered, ad-
vertised for 400 hands at ST. 25 per day. The
| call was answered by nearly 900 negroes,
and after working a few days at ten hours
for days work, which is a lawful day in
this State, the hands were notified that they
would be required to work eleven hours. A
strike was declared, but the men being
principally COLI and poor were driven, under
adverse circumstances, to accept the COM
pany's terms and go to work Now, Mr..
Blaine is perfectly familiar with all of this,
and he could have made matters different.
Is Mr.. Blaine friend to the oal-miner p
| answer no. Is he a friend to the poor peo-
pie? l answer no. Is he popular man
| answer no; for if he were to run for con-
stable at Elk Garden he would be defeated.
| Is he speculator and ''cornerer ?" Yes.
He would speculate in the air we breathe
and the water we drink if he could manage
to control it in some shape or other.
| And now | ask my brother laborers, Can
you support James G.. Blaine for President
of these United States? Surely not. If
you do you will add strength to your ene-
my's ranks, and put at the head Of this free
Republic man who is nothing more nor
less than a tyrant, and is one OF the leaders
of one of the hugest monopolios ever start
ed in West Virginia. Come up to the bal
lot-box and there exercise all the freedom
| that is yet yours and help turn down the
plumed tyrant Of Maine.
| LABORER.
Elk Garden, ". Va, Wednesday, July 9,
| 1884