The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-06-19
THE MINISTER'S TESTIMONY.

lcal aspirations.
THE MINISTER'S TESTIMONY.
The Rev. o. c. DIcCulIoch says that the
Miners Condition Grows Worse.
Plymouth church was well filled Sunday
morning to hear the address of the Rev. Oscar
c. McCulloch on ''The Distress Among the
Clay County Miners" Preceding the discourse.
the minister read from James and ii, dwell
ing upon the last paragraph of chap. i. "Pure
religion and undefled before God and the
Father is this: To visit the fatherless and
widows in their affection, and to keep myself
unspotted from the world" He said: "On
June 1, two men, committee from the strik-
ing district of Clay county, came to my house
TO present the case of the miners. They were
on strike against great reduction in their
wages, and as they had been out of work since
May l, and had received scant wages during
the year, 1888, they were in need.
"After talking with them, suggested public
meeting at which the facts of the case could be
presented. Even as we were talking the vast
water-break at Johnstown was sweeping away
thousands of human beings The next morn
ing gave us an account of the loss, and orr
minds were filed with pity, and quickened to
respond to need. 1t was not strange that the
condition of the Clay county miners should be
overlooked and their call be unheard. A
meeting was held at the courthouse June
Z, and the case was presented that
over nine thousand people were affected by the
strike, and that over five thousand were de-
pendent. q committee was appointed TO call a
public meeting when the imperative call OF
Johnstown should have been met.
ain the meantime, the charge that all this
was an exaggerated account made for political
was RpnOrrqrS
newspapers were sent to the field. On the one
hand reports of great need were made; on the
other it was denied that any suffering existed.
When / tried to interest one or another, it
would be said: L hear that this is a political
question. There is no such need there. Men
are receiving high wages. The strike was I'M
necessary. The average wages for IS were lar
higher than s. per week. Men get low wages
because they won't work. The industrious
man can get all the work he wants and can
earn from twelve to thirty dollars per week
1t seemed best to me to go to the coal region
myself and find out the facts. Is there want IN
Clay county? Is there suffering there? Were
the wages insufficient for life last year? Was
there justification for the strike? Does the re-
duction mean suffering? | spent a day there
visiting the mining villages In company with
friend, once miner, now minister, falr,
just and intelligent man. l shall tell just what
/ saw and what / heard:
"'Nothing extenuate. nor set down aught in
malice
"There is real suffering IN Clay county.
81 met a man yesterday who had just re-
turned from Brazil. The total amount availa-
BILE for the 5,26S persons was S204. This CON-
2SS souls, which would be about >
cents for each being. | rode through
number of villages talked with
a number of men. Some of them were men,
bers of committees on relief others were
among the strikers. In one case my friend
f,a ber M Of n
man. his wife and child. They were at
dinner. For this meal they had bread and two
eggs; nothing else. The eggs were divided so
as to give each some. The man was down
hearted-did not know what TO do. lie had
said nothing about his condition.
This l found TO be true everywhere. There
is an odium attached 70 the idea of receiving
aid and self-respect keeps them silent, as one
of the miners said. Another said: They won't
tell man said his boy was on the list for
relief. He went to the committee and had
their names taken OF. He said they would
get along without begging. How was he so
to get alOngF He had built small log cabin
plastered with clay, to which he had brought
his newly married wife.
ain Perth are elghty-six families numbering
$40 souls. The total amount received Tor them
has been S26s5. Ny informant said: People
are in desperate condition; / have credit or
/ could not get along. / give my share to the
others
n
and said: 1 must have sack OF Hour TO keep
my children from starving She was told she
could not have it. She then said: / will take
it, An officer sent to the house, but when
he came back he SAID: 4 will pay for this -four
myself rather than bring 1t back or do any
thing to the woman. They need 1t
"In Cardonia are III families, numbering $50
souls From the book of one of the committees,
/ took the following items: Total amount re
ceived, S9615' One says: II | had no credit
L Il Ao Il has m
and is now suffering. ] gave him from my
store People are suffering everywhere. The
relief is what keeps them going.
"'What did you distribute Wednesday"
was asked.
T" Twelve pounds Of -four and one to two
pounds of meat per family was the reply.
"In Carbon are sixty-nine families, and 2S5
souls. The committee had Just received Sll.5O
for distribution. The cases do not come out
and disclose their misery. The men are in
dustrious.
at will be seen then from these statements,
which are taken from the committee reports,
there is great distress. Suffering from hunger
and thirst must needs be there, for there has
not been work but three days each week Tor
whole year. The average wages here have not
been $500 per week, some say S4.O0, ana con-
sequently no margin for most OF the laborers.
There has been no work since May !, and 5,263
persons in the above described condition
SHOULD we hear,of such conditions elsewhere,
we would say at once There must be suffering
there; they need our help
"But il may be said the men were not justi-
fed in striking; that the operators were paying
all they could afford. Better to take half a
loaf than no bread at ALL Why do they not
go TO work at 20 and IS cents per ton? is it
true that the average wages are but s. per
week? Instances are reported OF miners re.
ceiving SIS, 500 and $50 per week, so IL Is said.
The Clay county mines are divided-bitum.