The sun., 1889-11-21

largo measure OF independence enjoyed BY
q State under our political system. They
would probably deslre to level as fast as
possible the linguistic barrier between them.
selves and tho great body Of their fellow
Catholics In the United States. But what
we would now bring homo to them is Q
knowledge Of the fact that whatever might
be their preference In the matter Of Ian.
guaRe, they could indulge It, within the
wide limits Of State authority, wherever
they possessed numerical majority.
Tho Story OF Spring Valley and tho Hon.
VIM. l.. Scott, tho Workman's Friend.
Tho long strike of the Spring Valley coal
miners IL at an end. 1t was called strike,
but It was o lockout, q crime against human
ity. For six months the miners have pleaded
for living wages. as against the harsh condi-
tions offered them by Mr.. WIn1AG L.
sooTTs Spring Valley Coal Company and
Mr.. WILLIAM L. ScoTT's associate enter
prise. the Spring Valley Town Site Company.
The poor fellows have finally yielded. For
them 1t was terrible question between
yielding to Mr.. wun1AG L. sooTT or dying
Of starvation and seeing their wives and
children die for lack Of food.
The story Of the Spring Valley miners is
one Of the most pitiful that was ever told.
Mr.. SooTT's Spring Valley Coal Company
owns 10000 acres Of coal fields In Bureau
county, Illinois. In magnificent advertise
ments 1t lured miners to Spring VAL
ley by holding out promises Of re-
munerative employment. Simultaneous
ly Mr.. SooTTs Spring Valley Town
Site Company went into the business
Of providing these miners with homes. It
sold to them by the square foot land which IL
had bought at acre prices generally taking
one-third in cash and part of the miners
pay every month until the balance was
wiped out. Last Christmas Mr.. SooTT's coal
company shut down one-third Of its mines
without warning, and threw seven hundred
OF Its miners out OF employment. OF the
oompany's treatment OF its unfortunate en-
ployees in the months that followed, Mr..
HENRY D. LLOYD gives this account In the
Chicago Herald, newspaper that cannot be-
accused Of unfriendliness to Mr.. WILLIAM
L. SCOTT. 1t makes the heart ache to read
the narrative:
Appealing tho generosity Of the remainder stn At
work, the company induced them to share their work
with the unemployed that for the rest Of the winter
three families had TO live that before had not
been enough for two The promise was mado that the
sacrifice would be but temporary and that all should
have full employment again
"Tho whole population staggered through that winter
40 best they could April % 1884, again without word
of warning without giving any explana all the mines
were shut down. and II was given out that they might
be closed year or longer Tho people who had been
digging the coal buying the lots supporting the diSem
pioyed making business for the railroad. began TO
starve at and have been starving since The
men scattered all over the country in search Of work.
and the women with their babies took the road to beg
During the dreadful months that followed, whom
thousands Of women and children and the men who
could not get work lived on "a cents worth of nour
meal. &c.. week. not word OF sympathy regret
came from the company. The workinQmen wrote let
ters to tho coal company, asking when and how they
could got work They sent committees to Its doom,
but could get TO letters deputAtonR They
offered arbitration but in vain Tho only cOnmunica-
tion Vouehsafed them the serving of eviction
tceS In July all the families that were living In the
compAny's houses
Until Aug. 23 this oontemptuouS silence was mAin-
tAined-hVs heArtSck months for the people Of Spring
Valley Then the company post0d In itB windows at
Spring Valley offer Of 35 cents instead Of 10
csntA which they were receiving whom the mines
closed With this offer coupled the condition that
the men should abandon their union
"on Sept IS the offer OF Aug. % was repeated In q
and was accompanied BY this solemn asseveraton; 1t
In all the concession can possibly make TO
and maintain ourselves In competitive market This
was not true AT the very moment this statement
made mine with precisely the Same kind of veinH
quality OF coal &c. that at Loceyvillo, four
miles away. was At work, paying Its miners the
duced rate OF tho Spring Valley Company EAve
before itS lookout-90 cents ton-athough t far
Inferior in capital equipment IA, and 90 had to buy
1eArer and sell cheaper"
Further proof that Mr.. SooTT's company
lied when 1t declared on Sept. rs that It |
could not afford to pay Its miners more than |
35 cents ton Is found In the fact that q |
month later it raised its offer to 80 cents, |
still ten cents ton less than the rate before |
the lockout 1t is this rate Of 80 cents, as we |
infer, that the miners have now been forced |
BY starvation to accept from Mr.. ScoTT's |
hands. Mr.. LLOYD estimates that the re-
tuction Of ten cents ton. accomplished by |
The six months campaign OF starvation. |
cruelty, and inhuman greed, means an in |
,rease in the profits of Mr.. SoorT and his
associates amounting to an additional divi-
lend OF five per cent. annually on their actual
Investment Of about s., 100000.
But what did the original rate Of 90 cents
mean to the miners Of Spring Valley and
he women and children dependent upon
heir earnlngs2 The miners who. for the
,ast three or four years. have been removing
rom other coal regions to Spring Valley at
racted thither by Mr.. ScoTT's enticing ad-
yertisements and buying on their arrival
,uilding lots from MIR. SCoTT's Town Site
company, are the most skilful and iudus-
rious Of their class. They are thrifty and
teady men who had saved money enough
o make the change of location when q
hange promised to improve their fortunes.
md yet the special commission appointed
ast summer by the Governor of Illinois to
investigate the troubles in the coal regions
4 that State reported. after careful inquiry.
hat the average earnings of tho miners
yere $S162 q month almost exactly one
Iollar day to live on
Ono industrious miner In Spring Valley
Who had carried thither fifteen years ex-
'erience in the business. and savings OF
money enough to enable him to buy lot OF
DR.. SooTT's Town Site Company and 70 build