The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-01-02

n wicked Campaign FRAUD
A short time before the recent election
some of the coal mines in Clay county
were shut down, and the operatives were
notified that it was because of the tariff
agitation, and the fears of Mr.. CLEvELAND's
reelection and the passage of the Mills
BILL As the Mills bill did not alter the
duty on coal, it was deemed necessary to
explain that many manufacturing institu-
tons which would be injuriously affected
by the enactment of that measure had
either closed down entirely or begun run
ming on short time, and thus stopped or
largely reduced their consumption of coal.
The miners were given TO understand that
if HARRISON was elected these concerns
would resume operations at once, which
would restore the old demand for coal,
and thus insure the mems unemployment.
Well, HARRIsoN was elected. but there
has been no change for the better in the
Clay county situation. Not only have the
men who were suspended before election
not been re-employed, but many others
have been dismissed, or put on short time.
There are more idle men in Clay county
to-day than at the corresponding season
for many years past. The prospects for the
future are very dismal indeed The de-
mand for coal is diminishing, and it is the
general opinion that the "hard times"
will continue indefinitely, and that they
will be worse before they are better. We
printed yesterday an interview with the
Il . b.,
situation was faithfully described.
If CLEVELAND had been reelected the
Clay county troubles would have been
attributed to that fact. But he was not
reelected; there is no possibility of tariff
reduction for several years to come; the
monopolies will have everything their
own way in the next congress; and the
short demand for coal, the idle miners and
the great depression and dismal prospects
in the coal region cannot be laid to the ac-
count of the tariff reformers.
The fact OF the matter is that the re-
duced demand for Clay county coal is fully
explained by the new and extensive use
of natural gas and crude oil for fuel. TIE
SENTINEL made this explanation at the
time of the partial suspension of opera
tons in the Brazil mines during the cam
paign; and it was a truthful and entirely
adequate explanation. But it suited the
purposes of the monopolists who operate
the mines to lie to their employees, and
they did so in a most outrageous and un-
blushing way. They simply played, or
attempted to play, gigantic conf
dence game upon them. They knew
that the tariff agitation had no more to
to do with the substitution of natural gas
for coal by some of their customers, and of
crude oil for coal by others, than the last
eclipse of the sun. The loss of these Gus
toners was what caused the diminished
demand for coal, just as THE SENTINEL
said at the time. But the coal barons
thought to practice upon the ignorance
and credulity OF the miners, and by APP
peals to their fears to induce them to vote
against their own interests and in the in
terest of the monopolists and the trusts.
Happily many of the miners were not so
ignorant or so credulous as the nabobs
supposed, and the action of the latter did
not have the desired effect. But their
conduct was none the less despicable for
all that, and should expose them to the
contempt OF all who believe in honesty
and truth.
By the way, the legislature should this
winter pass a law which will crush out
the ''pluck-me" stores conducted by these
same monopolists, and put stop to the
systematic robbery of the men in their
service by the crooked system OF weigh
ing coal now in vogue. The ext ting law
against the ''pluck-me" stores has not
proved effectual, and must be strength
ened. AS to the weighing robbery, it is
simply infamous, and ought to be stopped.
1t is bad enough that these wealthy mis-
creants should practice deception on their
employees as they did during the cam
paign. But no law can prevent that. A
law can be passed, however, that will pre-
vent them from robbing the men as we'll
as lying to them. The legislature must
pass such law.