Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1885-01-17
AN ADDRESS
To Organized Labor OF the United
States and Public Generally.

Tho strike in the Hooking Valley
still goes on, and our miners have no
thought Of yielding to the terms SUBJ
mitted by the operators. The report
that our strike is over, as published in
different papers, has been circulated
for the sole purpose of preventing our
miners from securing any assistance
from those who sympathize with them
and their cause. The coal operators
rely upon starvation as the surest
means Of bringing their miners to
terms. They recognized that this
could not be done if the public were
allowed to continue sending aid, and
to prevent this they have deliberately
set their paid writer's to work falsify-
ing the status of affairs in the Valley.
The facts i'll the premises are simply
these: Out of the four thousand min
srs and mine laborers who entered
upon this strike upon the 2lst day of
last June, not forty all told have yet
deserted our ranks and gone to work
at the operators terms. Considering
the amount Of coercion, intimidation,
and bribery that the coal corporations
have resorted to, it is surprising that
our desertion has been so small. Our
miners are asked to submit to a re-
duction of twenty-eight per cent. in
their wages, and to sign an iron-clad
contract, which contains the following
provision: "Minsrs shall not be absent
from work without leave, neither shall
they stop work, join in any strike or
combination for the purpose of obtain
ing or causing tho operator to pay
an advance of wages. They shall work
full time, unless the boss orders less
time to be worked. No committees
representing their workingmen shall
be recognized. Miners shall not aid,
abet or countenance any strike, com
bination or scheme for any purpose schat-
ecer. Miners who are tenants of the
companies, and who are either dis
charged or voluntarily leave their en-
ployment, shall receive no part of the
wages. due them until they have va
Gated the premises occupied by them:
The miners shall also observe and
obey all other rules and regulations
that may hereafter be promulgated
from time to time by the companies"
AS miners we hold that the demands
made upon us by the operators, arc op-
pressive, unjust and arbitrary. The
conditions of their contract, if accepted
by US, would degrade our manhood and
prevent us from exercising those rights
which have been guaranteed us rs
citizens by the constitution of our
country. We consider such contracts
to be, as they are, death blows to pop
ular and free governments. They are
calculated to build up and foster mon
eyed aristocracy, and in SO doing, they
not only insult and scandalize tho dig
nifty of free labor. but it will reduce
the laborers themselves to pauperism
and slavery.
Our union was organized for mutual
protection, and because we possessed
the courage to protect our rights, when
assailed by the merciless hand of or
ganized capital and refused to comply
with the demands of the Coal, Iron and
Railroad Kings of the Hooking Val
ley. Those grasping and soulless cor
porations, who desire no opposition to
their will, issued their edict of pro-
scription against our union. They
said we had Disseminated against
them and that our union was arbitrary.
This they knew to be false. Their
union, and not ours, has been arbi-
trary. We offered, before the fight
commenced, to submit to arbitration,
leave the whole question in dispute
into the hands of jury of Columbus
citizens. They refused. We courted
investigation. They feared it. We
sought simply justice. They despised
and tramped it under foot. They dare
not allow the light of public investiga-
tion, nor the weight of public judg-
ment, fall upon their unjust, despicable
and desperate acts.
The railroad and coal companies
have resorted to all sorts Of schemes
and falsehoods to further their ends.
One of their schemes was to gull the
public into believing that their miners
had been earning fabulous sums as
wages; and to convince them, they
tell deliberate falschood, by saying
that last month their imported miners
averaged $75. This at so cts. per ton
for mining. This statement appeared
in all of the Columbus papers. The
statement went further, and said that
the fourteen hundred imported miners
at work in their mines, averaged IT'S
cars daily. Let us calculate this, and
see how their statement corresponds
with the the truth. IT'S cars at an av-
erage of Is tons per ear, will give a
total daily tonnage of 2,625 tons; this
n i N.