Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-05-29
TALKING FOR THE GOLFERS.

,. q. Tippett, the Peoria Labor Re.
former, In Rock Island. ana the Oh
Ject of Ills Mission Here---His Ideas
rs 20 Mines and Miners.
Mr.. j. @. Tippett. prominent labor
reform speaker. is in the city arranging to
speak before some of the labor organiza-
tions on the recent coal miners troubles
at kewanee and Peoria. He recently or
ganized Miners Protective association
at Kewanee and at Gilchrist. Last night
he visited the mines of the Coal Valley
Mining company at Cable. and he says he
never saw things in better shape both as
to the way the mines are conducted and
the feeling among the GOLFERS who are
happy and satisfied and have no grew
ances whatever. 1--WE don't believe in
strikes" he said to an ARGUS reporter
this morning. land are anxious to adjust
our difficulties and secure our rights as
far as we can BY the application of rea>
son and mutual concession. As said TO
the striking miners at Kewanee, we do
no: organize that we may have strikes,
but to avoid them. Strikes have been our
ruin and we must settle our differences if
possible, by concilistory. measures and
avoid great conflict with combined
capital until we are sure we can
achieve the victory that must come
through organization. There was some
three weeks ago great commoiion
throughout the world. A general strike
was talked of, and the advance of wages
and shorter hours was expected by most
of the laboring classes of people. Tell
me how were they to receive it. 1t had
to come through organized labor, and
yet the people outside of the ranks ex-
pected just as much as the parties that
were inside, and to put good men in the
front to be cut down by the enemy in
this way would be ridiculous. After the
miners in the northern district fought
and suffered so much last summer light
ing the organized Brethren Miners, the
national executive board thought over
the situation of the various districts, that
they were not in a position to conquer at
this time. and few figures will make j,
plain to be seen that they took the RICH,
course"
In reference to the history of the United
Mine workers of America, he said this or.
ganization had made rapid progress in the
past seven or eight months. Before thai
time we had no such organization; now
all the bituminOus coal miners of Penn.
sylvania, with the exception of SCOTS
miners, have joined, and in Ohio. out OF
$4,000 miners 10000 have joined, and in
Indiana out of 1000. 5000 have Joined
the U. nj. w. of A. They have received
the advance of wages as fast as they be
come united. since they have combined fol-
business. Pennsylvania hiss advanced
the price for mining 90 per cent in the
last seven months; Ohio. 10; Indiana,
from % to 10. Virginia and Kentucky
were notified some time ago that they
must reduce the price of mining or else
they must. close their mines, but they inn
mediately organized and received from s
to 10 per cent of an advance in wages.
But it appears that Illinois was obliged
to continue for time under provisional
agreement adopted at joint convention
at Chicago. To make long story short,
the meaning of it is organize your miners
and then more pay"