Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1889-05-18

y RECENT issue of the Baltimore
critic contained several sarcastic al
lusons to this paper, including, of
course, a vulgar play upon the name
of this editor.
The kindest remark printed was its
definition of the FRoSTBURG MINING
JOURNAL, which it termed 1.-The sub
sidized organ of the owners of the coal
mines in Western Maryland"
The Journal is well aware that
while corporations have few, if any
"organs.' the so-callcd labor crowd,
with their master workmen and walk
ing delegates, have great many.
The Noble Order was born, brought
up and is dying among "organs.'
Anything that can squeak "enmity
to employers" grunt "eight hours or
snort ''higher wages" is an "organ."
The term is pat with them. 1t is
on their tongues end during their
waking hours, and at night they slob-
pNi ~ III 'iiNii
So that il is not strange that term
so respectable among so-called labor
people, should be applied by the Critic
opprobiously to this great paper. 1t
goes to show that, after all, the So
called labor papers do not move with
the best thought and sympathy of
those for whom they pretend to speak.
AS to the JOURNAL. 1t is a labor
paper, or it is nothing, and the men
who have tackled it acknowledge in
unison that it is something-n fact,
something to be avoided if the con
tingency be controversy.
The difference between the Jour
NAL as labor paper and the so-called
labor periodicals is this: Speaking
for this region as affairs now stand,
the JOURNAL believes that the inter
ests of employers and employees are
one and the same, with only this diff
ference-that whatever financial risk
is involved is borne by the employer
in two respects prices and lack
of orders, while the employees carry
but one, that of lack of work The
majority of advantages is clearly with
the employees.
There can be nothing added to this
statement to make it better under
stood nothing subtracted.
On the other hand, the so-called la
Dor papers promulgate nebulous
idea of array against some hypothesis
that nobody can see through but those
who have Il continuing or prospective
interest in the political, honorary or
financial emOluments of organization.
With no touch of kinship, friendship
or neighborshIp with the consumers,
with no association in a business
sense, each not knowing or thinking
of the other in trade for coal, yet
those employees are taught in effect
est of the only real business enemies
they have-the consumers of coal.
Now, this would seem strange were
it a mere statement. But it is strang
er when it is printed as a fact which
can be proven.
"Truth is stranger than fiction"
We have heretofore shown that the
organization of the employing elc-
ment constituted the only needful bar
rier between the encroachments of the
consumer upon the producer. We
have shown that the companies, deal
ing unitedly with the consumers, pro-
vide all the protection for the miners
that they can reasonably desire. More
than this-the companies can obtain
more for the miners than they can
possibly obtain for themselves.
Such being the case, and it cannot
be denied, which is the labor paper
that which sustains the policy which
has brought and mW still bring prosper
ity to the workingmen of this region,
or that paper which constantly
breaches an Organization" whose
best aims are to hinder the business
purposes and tie by vicious legislation
the hands of those who are standing
between the men who dig and the men
who burn the coal
The answer is Obvious, but if by the
most strained Interpretation of the
situation it still be contended that the
JOURNAL is ''the subsidized organ of
the owners of coal mines in Western
Maryland" we welcome all the odium
implied indeed, we would plead for
it would il exempt us from those cx-
actions Of spurious workingmen who
compel their "organs" to pay tribute
to their masters in ideas and argu-
ments which vibrate beyond the border
line of social safety between revolu-
ton and anarchy.
So feeling, and for the sake of con-
tention, Mr.. Critic, we will admit that
we are the companies dog
Whose dog are you!