The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-10-01
Ignorance or Mendacity.


There seems to be no other conclu-
sion for reasonable, well informed
men, than that the Cresco Republic
can in its criticism Of Labor Conmis-
sioner Sovereign was either ignorant
or mendacious, or perhaps both. It is
known to the reading world that the
mining troubles in Illinois at Braid
wood were of the most villainous
character, and that the X. OF L. and
other industrial and labor organiz-
ations all over the country contribut-
ed to the relief of the starving miners
and their families. The Assembly Of
the h. of L. of Cresco was among the
labor organizations contributing to
their relief. Mr.. Sovereign repre-
seLting the State Assembly of Iowa,
was there aiding in the relief of suf-
fering humanity. The ,gratuitous
stab of the Republican, in the line OF
all great robbers of labor the world
over is, ito stop guiding BEER
Wherever there is combination or
trust organized to starve labor into
submission to its unjust demands, an
organ is needed to impute to labor
some crime that will turn public at
tention from the robbers and the
robbery. The speculations in the
products of the West; the men who
have been robbing it through the ex-
tortions of usury; the corporations
who have been exacting transporta-
ton charges sufficient to pay interest
upon watered stock aggregating
many times the cost of their roads
with princely salaries to officers; all
rejoice to have plant tools control
ling the public press, ready to charge
drunkenness upon all who complain
Of the injustice done them. This from
the Republican has the inspiration
and approval of the men who are
guilty Of the basest crimes against
humanity wherever located:
Labor Statistician Sovereign be-
walled the low wages being paid to
laborers, down in the coal mines and
he related how he went down there
to assist them in getting higher wages
he said lie was told that they could
starve and be damned. Why didn't
he tell the poor fellows to stop guz-
zling beer long enough to save up
money to get them out to Iowa where
the farmers would be glad to give
them $50 to S25 month and board.
They can lay by $3.50 year and soon
have a farm of their own.
1t will be remembered by K. of L.
and Others that the evidence was that
the miners there were not addicted to
habits of intemperance; that they
were quiet, lawabiding and orderly;
that there was no strike for an in
crease Of wages. but that the coal
barons to increase the price of coal
for consumers had determined upon
a shutdown in its works, and to this
end had made reduction in the
wages that made them inadequate to
the support of the miners and those
dependent upon them.
The wages paid was 81 cents day;
the cut in wages was ten per cent.
Out of this the miner paid rent, SIS
per month, furnished his tools and
the oil for his lamps and the sum left
was for the support Of himself and
family.
One year has 313 working days. at
81 cents a day, full time, would give
S272.3l; the rent of the miners shanty
out leaves the princely sum of $2l2.31,
nearly 50 cents day left to support
the families which averaged five per-
sons, in food, clothing, doctors bills,
fuel and all the incidentals of living,
or about - cents a day to each. And
this the coal barons whose cause the
Republican espouses, asked to reduce
ten per cent.
But even this meager pittance was
not paid in cash, for the coal barons
had as great nm adherence of silver
dollars rs John Sherman and the re-
publican party have. The corporate
Williams who raise prices and freeze
labor at one end of the line and starve
| it at the other, in order to get all