Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-02-06
The Coal Miners Troubles.

SIR:-In Thursdays issue Of your paper,
in an article headed AN Outrage" your
reporter publishes what an operator Of the
mine in which the outrage was done. had
said to him, about the breaking OF tools
and about the miners strike. Operator
said, "All the men we have nog formerly
belonged to the Miners Union" | say that
he has only nine unen working for him in
all his banks that belonged to our union
aud they are very poor sticks.
The rest of his men are such as can have
no claim to mining excep! that they went
sneakingly into toe niue to work in the
places OF men that were striking for an
homes. allowance Tor their labor. They
are coal haulerg, mule drivers, bluers, car
psnters and anything to down honest
workmen. Operator says; "On several
occasions the operators Of Wheeling have
made propositions to the miners to settle
their grievances by arbitration, which was
refused on the part of the President Of the
union. The majority OF the men now in
our employ became disguised with the way
matters were carried on in the union and
went to work"
The President of the Miners Union car.
rjed out the instructions he received from
the Union, and with the miners committee
argued, al a conference held between min
ers and owners, that weighing miners coal
after more than hall of it passing through
the screen without any pay for it, leaving
Iess than one. half to be weighed and turned
10 the miners account, also the room
there was for the owner, il he was SO dis
posed, TO beat them out Of more or less Of
their weight-lhat such a system Of
estimating q mans labor was deserving
Of no such consideration as the owners
asked for it (Arbitre.ion). No man Of
fine feeling would own that he wanted auy-
thing for nothing, much less submit q
question to arbitration that would, on in
v~estigation, show that our Wheeling oper.
ator5 ard receiving much Of the miners
labor, that they gave nothing for. The
coal miners who became disgusted with
the Union aud working 10 the outraged
mines, ore men easily disgusted with
Unions when anxious to work, or afraid of
their jobs or wanting a job; the citizens Of
Wheeling are Disguised with them.
Operator" SAID that those composing
the present Union boycoited the miners
that broke away, and failed TO succeed in
getting them to quit work" Four men
have quit up to this writing, and the men
working sent delegates to the President of
the Union to say TO him that they would
ell come out, but on heiGg inform that
the initiation fee in the Union was five
dollars, they broke their agreement. All
this was on account Of the boycott.
I agree with Operator" that
it is some one interested and
well acquainted that broke the minets
tools. Let ne see who it was 1t would
be reasonable to believe that some Of the
striking miners did it, because they are
opposed 10 each other. | will say for the
striking miners, that is not the way we
propose 10 gain this strike. We do every
thing openly and through the Royootter,
with the assistance OF a sympathiziug pub
lie. Bat is it not ss reasonable to believe
that the operator would draw the sympathy
Of the public from the miners if be could.
An outrage such as this one, the circum.
stances with which it is surrounded point
ing out as il would the guilty one, and
that one to be q striking miner, where
would the sympathy of the public go then2
Would a law abiding public continue in
sympathy with the party guilty OF such an
o~utrNgoH Possibly not. And should it be
striking miners, what would become of
the strike? The public sympathy would
go with The operators ask, who broke
the tools2
PRESIDENT MINERS UNION.