Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-03-03


been revised and enlarged. and an added
chapter entitled Revenge, Not Reply"
brings the story of the Spring Valley
tragedy down to the beginning of the
present year. When the accounts of the
outrages perpetrated upon the miners of
Spring Valley were given to the public
through Mr.. Loyd's articles in The Chi
cago Herald, and afterward in his book,
many of the leading journals of the
country called for the millionaires' side,
but William l.. Scott, president, and his
business associates in the Spring Valley
Coal company have maintained "a dig
nified silence" on the subject ! BY ignor-
ing the charges made by Mr. LLOYD the
company has confessed their truth, and,
in the words of a leading New York pa
per, under date of July l, 1890, The
Spring Valley mine owners have been
guilty of damnable treachery and cruelty
to their fellow men"
1t will be remembered that the long
lockout at Spring Valley, during which
the miners and their families faced
starvation and other hardships, was
ended by partial resumption of work
IN the mines. An agreement was made
between the managers and men which
left to the latter little more than the
right to live. But that agreement, one
sided as it was, has been grossly vlo-
lated by the company. Men who were
prominent In the miners union have
been victimized and blacklisted; others
were punished by refusal of work for
more than one-third of the time, and by
being compelled to dig where they could
not make $15 month. In innumerable
ways the company's agents have abused
the men and violated the agreement, and
| Spring Valley has become the synony m
for all that is unjust, hard listed and
| cruel
This" says Mr.. Lloyd, els the answer
| Of the milllonaires-their only answer.
| either to the public or their employees.
! Along the route they marked out from
the very first they roll their way. Those
! over whom they drive have groaned
] alOud. and because they groaned the
| wheels are but made heavier and sharp
er. For the right to make all we can.
you who made Spring Valley have done
these things. Incredible as it appears,
the events of the twelve months that
have elapsed since the settlement with
the men seem to make it clear that the
protests Of your men and the indigna.
ton of the public have but moved YOU
| to greater harshness. Bad as was what
had been done before the light was let
in on Spring Valley, that which has
been done since has been still worse.
| Evidently you consider that anything
you choose to call your business cannot
be the public's business. Royal families
| sitting ON thrones and swaying scepters
| of kingly power do not think it beneath
| them to write i serve on their crests,
but all of you appear to have taken ~
the motto first adopted by the richest
among you-'The public be damned"
"A Web of Gold is Katherine Pear
son Woods latest. 1t is also her least,
up to date. ''Metzerott, Shoemaker, "
and 1.-The Mark of the Beast are the
| others. In each of these books Miss
Woods has reared her structures of ro-
nance upon economic ground, and has
chosen her heroes from among the work
ers. Hence her stories are classed under
the head of Labor" which is now a
recognized department in the field of fc-
ton. As social study, "A Web of
Gold is below the standard; it is in
ferior to its authors other productions.
''MetZerott," while not great work,
| presents an interesting example in prac-
| teal cooperation which cannot fail to
| make an impression upon thoughtful
| readers, and in several of its characters
| shows us what life would be if men were
| guided by wisdom and brotherly love.
In "A Web of Gold" there appears to
be greater striving after the laurels of
the novelist than was before shown by
this author. The romance is not simply
incidental to the economic study; it is
! the chief thing, and it isn't much above
| the average of the weekly story paper.
| 1t Is true that there are constant re-
minders of the unfairneSs of the exist
ing social system, but the manner in
which the labor question and labor or
CARNATIONS are dealt with is very I'M
satisfactory. One good lesson is pre-
sented to anarchists, in which they are
| given to understand that their ideas can
only be adopted after the cooperative
commonwealth has been established and
has run its race. And warming is is
sued to railroad monopolists through the
fate of Nathaniel Hazard, whose bust
ness worries drove him crazy. But as
Gould, Hutchinson g. Co. are not likely
to read the book they viii not be warned
CA Web of Gold" is full Of veal
points, but while it may not prove a val
liable contribution to the literature OF
the movement it will do no harm. Mis-:
Woods gave promise in her first book Of
arising in time above the ordinary, anG
of rendering valuabls service in the worl
of education, but she has evidently gone
| L