National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-01-10
THE MATTER WITH THE MINERS

A Large Operator Says the Hooking
valley Lockout Is n Scandal and an
Outrage Extract from an Address
by the Miners Union.
Col. w. p. Reud, of Chicago, is one Of
tho largest coal operators in tho United
states and he owns several mines in the
Hooking valley coal folds, In regard to
tho present trouble in that region, he
says!
Matters are in most deplorable state.
This industrial war has done serious dam
age to all those engaged In 1t. The rail-
road conn pany and coal companies, on the
ono side, have lost heavily in money aud
business, while tho miners and their fam.
lilies, on tho other, have suffered unusual
privations and are now in extreme want
aud dire distress. The Hooking valley
miners for six long months have bravely
struggled to resist despotc demands made
upon them, and to defend their Just rights
and industrial liberties. The rigors of
winter, which has just set in, have added
TO the suffering and now render the con-
dition Of these poor people most appall-
ing,
This Hooking valley lockout in Its
causes and In It's history Is u scandal and
an Outrage. War was declared upon the
miners without propagation on their
part, and the aggressors the railway COM
panv and the coal syndicate, offer starva-
tion and slavery as the chiefterms fpeace:
The apology is'otlored by this allied con-
spracy that they were not able to pay the
miners the prices for labor that had pre-
vailed for several previous years This
statement is not true, as our firm have
shown in the operation of our mines IN
| this coal region during all this time, aud
| our ability to mine and sell coal at pro-
/ fit based ON the 20 cent rate of mining.
| What a shame II is for rich men, who
| have enough and even superiluity of
/ riches, to pinch and grind their poor fell
| low beings, whose hard lot IL is to earn
| their daily bread by the severest toll.
| How cruel to demand not only tho pound
! of flesh, but the very carcass of their
| helpless victims. i say again aud again
a more wicked and more heartless lock-
out than the present one has never dis
graced America.
u. WHAT THE MINERS HAVE To SAY.
The following extract is taken from au
address lately issued by the Miners
| Union:
"As miners, we hold that the demands
made upon us by the operators are op
pressive, unjust and arbitrary. The con
ditions of their contract, if accepted by
us. would degrade our manhood aud pre-
vent us from exercising those rights
which have been guaranteed us, as citi
zens, by the constitution of our country
We consider such contracts to be, as they
are death blows to popular and free gov
ernments. They are calculated to built
up and foster n moheyed aristocracy, anC
in doing so, they not only insult and scan
dalize the dignity of free labor, but /
will reduce the laborers themselves Il
pauperism and slavery.
"Our union was organized for mutua
protection, and because we possessed tn
courage to protect our rights whom as
sailed by the merciless hand of organize
capital and refused to comply with th
demands of the coal, iron, aud railroaC
kings of the Hooking valley, thos
grasping and soulless Corporations, VIII
desire no opposition to their will, issue
their ediot of prescription against ou
union. We offered, before the fight com
: mencod, to submit to arbitration, to leav
the whole question in dispute into tn
hands of jury of Columbus citizens
|; They refused. We courted investigation
They feared it, We sought simply ju:
. tice. They depised and trsmpled
j under foot. They dared not allow th
light of public Investigation nor th
q weight Of public judgment fall upo
!. their unjust, despicsble, and dosperai
! arts -