The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-02-04
Protection al the South.

LYNCHBURG, VA, Jan. Ms-The
report that the duty Oh soft coal and
iron ore will be repealed in the APP
tariff bill has aroused all
the mineral section of this State and
of West Virginia, and meetings are
being held almost daily to protest
against removing this duty. One
of these meetings held last Saturday
in this State represented over 1900
miners, and a like meeting in West
Virginia included as many laborers
by this industry, the num-
Der in each case being as large, or
larger, shan the Democratic majority
in each State.
The first of these meetings was
held at Pocahontas, Virginia, and
was called by the miners and mine
laborers and other employees in the
mines of the Southwest Virginia
improvement Company, employing
oyer 100 men. After appointing j.
Roach, chairman and HI. M. Smythe
secretary. the following preamble and
resolutions were adopted:
WHEREAS. Upon the successful
mining and chipping of soft coal and
production of iron ore depends the
living of thousands of people in this
section, the security of many hun
dred thousands of dollars of invested
capital and the development of the
richest coal area in the world and
WHEREAS, The present duty on
soft coal, ETC., is only sufficient to
guarantee to the operators, handlers
and shippers narrow margin of
profit, after allowing fair wages to
the miner and mine laborer there
fore be it
ReSOIUed, By the citizens of East
TazeWell, in mass meeting assem-
bled, that we view with the liveliest
alarm the proposition to remove the
duty on soft coal and coke, and fore
see in the adoption of such measure
the swift and inevitable destruction
of the coal interests in our section.
and the consequent defeat of all meas.
ures looking to the development of
this part of Virginia.
Resolutions were also passed favor
ing "the repeal of the odious and I'M
American system of internal taxa
ton, which would be perpetuated by
the proposed tariff reduction" ask
ing hearing before the Committee
| Of Ways and means and urging the
Senators and Representatives from
Virginia 10 vote against the proposed
repeal.
The meeting held on the same day
at Bramwell, in Mercer county,
West Virginia, was called by the OPP
orators and miners of Cooper & Co.,
Caswell Greek Coal and Coke Com
pany, William Booth & Co., and
Goodwin & Co., employing in all
1,500 men. The meeting, of which
j. 0, Welsh was chosen chairman,
and G, IL. Duhring, Jr., Secretary,
passed the following resolution, after
aeciting the danger of a repeal of the
duty on soft coal or coke:
ResolUe0, That we, the citizens,
operators, miners and mine labOrers
representing the Flat Top Coal and
Coke District, at present producing
5000 tons of coal and 500 tons of coke
per day. with large promises of in
crease in the future, earnestly rep
resent that the removal of the duties
on soft coal and coke would be. ruin
Gus to the interests of our section,
and respectfully request that the
members of the House of Represent
tatives and Senators from West Vir-
ginia use all legitimate means to de-
feat any measure looking to the re-
mova or diminution of the present
duties on soft coal and coke.
The usual demand for a hearing
before the committee was also made,
and steps taken to organize a COM
mon movement through the State to
agitate against the repeal of these
duties.