The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-11-27
Endorsed by the officers of the United Nine
Workers of America Who Have Pledged
Ample Financial Assistance.
Resolutions Agreeing to Carry on the
Struggle Unanimously Adopted.
Statement from President Rae and Vice. Pres
idents Nngent and Penna, Giving the
Causes Leading TO their Final Decision.
to the Indianapolis Journal.

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has been i%naugurated in this coal belt.
On the other hand the operators declare
firmly and finally that the demands which
the miners insist upon will not be granted,
even though the mine lie idle until May.
This is tho situation in q nutshell: Each
side comedies that the other is thoroughly
determined. and neither appears to nave
any definite notion of what the outcome
will be. They are simply at q point where
q var is inevitable. 1t has been said that
the miners are hopeful, and certainly they
are not without hope. but the master pas
sion In their breasts inst now is rigorous,
unyielding determination.
1t was 9 o'clock this morning when the
delegate convention was called to order in
G. A. r. Hall. The committee OF officials
who had met the executive committee of
the operators the previous afternoon re-
ported that the latter refused to consider
any proposition looking to o change of
prices. The committed on resolutions was
Immediately instructed to formulate o
manifesto. Incorporating the sentiment of
the meeting with reference to the officers
report. Following are the resolutions re-
ported and unanimously adopted:
Whereas, After hearing the report of the COM
mfttec that waited upon the operators of the
DltuminOus and block mines o.. this state, and
inasmuch Al as they refuse to entertain the propo-
sition OF the miners; and,
Whereas. The national officers have had an
opportunity to thoroughly investigate the mat
ter in both bituminous and block, ana, after DE
| consideration, approved OF tile present strike
and pledge their every support to maintain the
struggle until success crowns our efforts; there
| fore be it
Resolved, That we accept the operators
| proposition to continue the strike IL necessary to
Resolved. That we condemn the action of those
men who leave our ranks and 20 to work in
mines in the State of Illinois that arc the direct
competitors OF this field, such as Grape Creek.
Danville, Pana and other parts known to injure
our chances for success; and that our officers ne
gotiate with the officers OF those mines To pre-
vent, II possible, such injurious competition.
Resolved. That all miners and mine-laborers
ing paid, he required to pay an assessment of
not less than i've cents per ton. TO be collected
tam tam t2is struggle. ' ali p other fRaborer,s to De pay yS an
assessment in the Same proportion.
Resolved, That there he q circular issued to
position and asking their financial support in
Resolved, That the necessary means for con-
Quoting this strike be placed in the hands Of our
officers, and that we pledge them our hearty sup
port
BURTON NAMIIOOK, ELMER TANNEIiILI,
JAMES ~ Committee.
President Rae received a,O00 to-day rs
the first iDstallrhent of the relief fund. AS
near as can be learned from the officials 1t
Will require 5000 a week to properly
distribute relief. President Rae say there
Will be no distress or starvation. except
with those who decline TO make known
their needs. The operators say it will take
at least S2.00Oa day, although they think
this estimate may oe reduced by the con-
tinued departure of miners to Illi-
noIs and other States. The miners pay
roll in Indiana was estimated at $4,000 q
week at the time of the strike. A number
| of smaller mines arc now being operated,
but 1T is safe to say that there is q cessa-
tion OF payment of $4,000 a week to In
diana miners on account of the strike.
STATEMENT oF THE OFFICERS.
Tonight the following statement. signed
by President John b. Rae, and Vice-presi-
dents John Henry Eugent and P. H.. Penns.
of the Mine Workers National Union, was
gwen to the public:
The miners strike IN Indiana can only now be
said TO have commenced in earnest. Until now
| the Indiana miners have been fighting alone,
but to-day the national executive board OF
the Unit ed Mine-wOrkers Endorsed the strike, and
| from now until the end will assist to its utmost
ability, financially and otherwise. in carrying it
to q successful termination. The board feels, in
doing this. that II is carrying ont the intents and
purposes of q national organization. the object OF
which is to equalize conditions as far as possible
for all its of members, by methods of arbitration.
Cancellation or strike.
As a national organization. we know nothing
ators and miners. We did not take any
part In making any contracts, and can
not be reasonably. asked TO enforce any
that may have been made without our
Official knowledge or consent. We have
not taken any part in the violation of the alleged
here as we did, aud finding the men involved in
what they are pleased to term
to cast our lot with theirs and help in throwing
off the yoke. For years the Indiana miners have
been working for a Ness mining rate than
in joint convention, and recognized to be
fair. In 1886. 81 and 'Ss the recognized differ
entail between the Hooking Valley. Ohio, and the
Brazil block coal was 90 cents per ton; now il is
only > cents. In national conventions the Hook
ing Valley was always taken as the basis. The
Indiana blOck-cOal operators not being able to
influence the convention to reduce the differ
entail above named by force of ~gumen with
drew from the convention and accomplished by
force. in the long strike OF two years ago, what
they failed to do by reason, and thus repudiated
an agreement which they had repeatedly said
was Just.
The Indiana bituminous coal was always
placed 3 cents per ton above Hooking valley
prices, and always conceded to he fair by In
diana bituininous operators, hut when the block.
coal operators left the convention the bituminous
operators LETT also, and demanded and obtained
a reduction in mining rates of > cents per ton.
thus placing them below what they had previ-
ously recognized as just. The only reason that
the bituminOus mining rates have not been
further reduced is that the bituIninous miners are
thoroughly organized. and each year have me!
the operators demands for the further reduc
tons with a firm refusal. The Indiana opera
tors withdrew from the interstate movement il
the spring of 1889, In the hope of be-
ing able to cheaper the miners labor in the
State conventions more easily than in the inter
state convention. and have thus secured. at the
miners expense, 3 cents per ton fol-
nearly three years. During all this time
the miners have cherished the hope OF
being able. some time, 70 resent the Insult
prices thus tricked from them, and, believing
this the opportune time. have made their de
mand, and propose tn stay with it. This fight is
the result or the operators deserving the whole
sale movement. Their avarice led them TO do 40
hence to that avarice must be attributed tn,
whole trouble.
1t will thus be seen that the present compli
Gated state OF affairs in Indiana is only the log
ical and inevitable outcome or the operators
action in first refusing TO make IA scale
second. in reducing unduly the mlnins
rate. and third and in lac. spring ~refuslnl
70 make "A scale in q Stnte convention, prefer
ing TO make local agreements. 1h'
miners have never set aside, or at
tempted to Get aside. an agreement entered int
by the national or state organization. aDC
IL operators prefer local agreements or indiyid
ual contracts 10 5 ate or int rstaie agreements
they must he prepared to accept all the respon
sibili;y resulting from the uncertainty or sucl
"A system.
Another reason why the national exeeuiiv,
board in9oTses tins strike is the loyalty OF th'
hituminOas rl1nerS 10 the 0rSdn.ZailOn. Thel
have Away heen true. and 10 desert then
now would not only be unkind, hut, in view
OF the Justice of their demands, would III
criminal. We regret that this mode of warfare i
longer necessary but, since the necessity exists
We consider the above sufficient reason why W,