The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-30
PENNSYLVANIA POVERTY.

How tho Coal Darons Grind Down the
Poor.
Henry l.. Nelson In Harper ssWcckly
In recent series oi articles, now some
time interrupted, the effect has been made
to show that protected PENNSYLVANIA pays
inadequate wages to the working people
who earn their living in the iron aad coal
mines. 1t has been stated and demon
strated 10y evidence furnished by the
States own officers that the average labor.
or in the mines earns less than = day;
that the corporations and individuals who
employ the miners Cypress them by high
rents, excessive charges In the company y
stores, and by a number OF petty oNactions
which keep down the wagc-varncr to the
paupcr point.
From the facts IN my possession, ! ven
turc TO say that one months steady idle
ness Of all the iron and coal miners Of
PENNSYLVANIA would result in the starvU-
ton OF very large part OF the population.
The poorhOus are not CommoIiOus
enough 10 receive those who would bc PEN
nilcss, aud the savings of the working PEG.
pie are not sufficient To support thcm lur
many days. let production in all the
mines OF Pennsylvania stop Tor three days,
and no succor come from the charitable,
there would hc such distress ~ this cuuu-
try has never seen, aud such m Ireland
and India alone have witnessed during the
century. Men who earn from 10 cents To-
81 day during u part Of the year cannot
| Law by much money. As u rule, they
| have no relief clubs, their clubs are organ.
| lied for the promotion of strikes. lhc.t
rent Is high. Their clothes aud food az,
furnished to them 10y the company stores,
whose prices are from - 10 % per cent,
higher than the price charged 10y the
country merchant. Their coal IL weighed
| hy the paymastcr, and short weight and
heavy fines keep down the compensation.
The story has been told In all lis harrow
| ing details, aud adequate answer has been
made. Il IL true that various newspaper
| of PENNSYLVANIA have made general dcninls,
| and that several persons have written let
lcrs. some oi thrSo writers stating that at
| the assertions made In these articles have
! been pcrycrsiuns oi fact, while others have
insisted that their works were exceptions
la the rule. II IL true that there arc OK
ccptions, and that some Of the mine own
,rs of pcunsylNania are as humane aud %.
| NnlNlutlNAN VI NAAfAN NNNhNhNhAAh ~ W y
| manufacturer la the country. NcNcrthc
| lo.a there mc fewer model villages IN Penn
| sylynnin than In any state In the Nnior
in proportion TO the capital invested !
manufacturing. the number Of establish
mcniA, or the hands employed.
The only answer that need be- mndc
that the assertions nnd figures are takcl
from official publications, some OF thou
II the general government, anu some
the state Of Pennsylvania. and from per
sonal observations This statement ~ Il
the condition Of the miners were based ~
yi-ita 10 the novels la which they live
and the statistics concerning wages ans
cost of living not only drawn from Oilicin
rpporta. but from an actual examination
of the account books Of The men. Nor
over. every assertion has been verified u
testimony taken before the conucssionl
committee now engaged IN inN,Slighun
the subject Of the importation OF labo
There IN no mOrc serious indictment OF "
mine owners III that commonwealth tina
that which IN 10 bo found Ia tho report
It's own labor bureau for 1851
There IN no answer o. the accusation
that have been made against tho FcnnAN
yania employers Of miners. They hay
filled the State with the lowest and cheap
est labor that can be- imported from th
slums of Europe. The old native lrisl
Welsh and English miners have bee
. driven out IL the state by lIungafian'
, | Poles and Russians, Who work lot liilc q
nothing. and live among M In oil the ili
anil inlrccncy that that implies. Ever
T. one Who lives in Pennsylvania knows tbs
1 The pfptectod mine operators ~ abroad u
> degraded labor. aud degrade u sun MOI
4 after Il reaches thia country.