Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-08-26
THE CAUSE OF CHARITY,
Congressman LAWYERS Effort for the
Miners.
His Stature day Nights speech ON Mar
ket square---A Noble Appeal Ae-
companies by Respects 60 -Biir'
scott aud Gov. Fifer.

Owing to a misunderstanding, arising
out Of the change Of time for the Lswler
charity meeting, there was not as large
an attendance at Turner hall Saturday
night when the time came for calling it as
there would otherwise have been. and
Mercy knows there should have been.
Some intimated that the mayor had acted
indiscreetly in that one little admontiou
in his proclamation. Don't forget your
pocket books" but let us hope that this
reminder played no part in OBTAINING
people from attending. One thing is
certain: That those who were present
were willing to give freely and sbun-
dainty. and an informal canvass found
each one ready TO be one of the five hun
bred to give one dollar to the relief of
suffering and starving humanity.
After some discussion by those in
charge Of the meeting it was thought
best to adjourn to Market square, and
this was done. A wagon was secured at
Coyne's livery stable and rolled over to a
suitable space near Thomas drug store.
and Mayor McConochie mounting it.
tittingly introduced to the crowd which
quickly assembled, the speaker Of the
evening. Congressman Frank Lawler. of
Chicago. who was given complimentary
ovation. Mr.. Lswler did not indulge in
preliminaries. but went directly into his
subject. He represented the citizens
committee az the city Of Chicago that was
making a canvass OF Illinois for relief for
an impoverished and suffering people.
In our state of plenty. $4,000 human be-
Ings are starving and have been in that
condition since May 1. Thousands of
patriotic lives have been sacrificed in the
last quarter Of a century for the aboli.
ton OF slavery. Yet in those days be.
fore the negro was given his free,
dom, he knew that at night when
when his days work was done that his
meal would be ready for him. The Ca
600 held in worse than bondage today,
have no knowledge where even one meal
a day is to come from. Day after day
passes with them with not enough to keep
soul and body together long; they are
starving day by day for want Of the orai>
nary necessaries OF life. One who has
not visited the scene of this abject miss
cry has no idea Of its extent. Children
crying at their almost crazed and helpless
parents feet for food, women with their
breasts dried up, with emaciated children
singing their mothers hearts with their
plying appeals for the food of nature.
When elected to congress from the Sec
ond district in Chicago. Mr. Lawler said
he believed he was chosen not only TO
represent the people of his congressional
district. but Of the entire state of Illinois
the same as any of the twenty members
OF the congressional delegation of the
state. He believed be had plain duty
to perform when any calamity threatened
the people. What more direful situation
could be realized than this, In Spring
Valley, a town but few miles from this
prosperous and contented city, now in
the year of renewed vigor and growth.
people have been three months without
potatoes, surviving on bread made from
-four and corn meal. without even salt.
He then briefly described the existing
troubles OF the first cut down of one half
in the working forces of the helpless
miners, who divided up their forces in
order to give all employment, working in
alternate details; the final the shutting off
of provisions and the threats of eviction
which were finally Withdrawn. and the
suffeIings since
Up to tonight, the speaker said. he had
made no allusion TO politics In his adj
dresses. he had simply appealed for food
but now he had got Bill Scott, the NIL
ionaire owner Of these mines, where he
wanted him, be that politics or not. His
last proposition to the miners was an IN
suit TO them that they would not accept
IL was simply roundabout way of fore d..
ing them TO work for less than seventy
five cents day. on which they could not
live. He was attempting to enslave
them rs every other working man in the
state, and it was better to starve to death
on the ground fighting for human prin-
cipal than down in the shaft in subiec =
ton to SCOTS damnable oppression and
insult For seven years the miners re-
ceived $3.50 day. but it has been grad
ually cut down until Scott makes the in
sulting proposition to mine coal at sew
enty cents ton. 1t means If
teen cents per ton reduction,
and nearly 100 per cent more
dead work to perform-a reduction
OF at least twenty-five per cent. Accord
ing to the statistics of this state the
average wages of miners amount to $2S
per month; the Spring Valley miners
receive gel to S23. Out OF this s. to
~ must be paid for rent; 80 80 for fue
and out Of the remainder board must be
bought, while the miner must also buy
his own tools and blasting powder and
also pay for the sharpening of his tools
Added to this is the thought that their
children are denied the privileges of
education, and the consequence is the
springing up of an ignorant class of peo-
pie. The question has been asked, why
don't these miners leave the mines and
90 somewhere else2' The next question