The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-03-17
THE COAL SUPPLY.
Rfv. THOMAS DIXON, JR., DISCUSSES
IT IN HIS PRELUDE.

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Asked Men 90 Follow Him Through
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NEW YORK, March I3.--In his review
OF current events precTding the sermon
in Association hall this morning Mr.
Dixon discussed the question of the gov
ernnental control of the coal mines
He said:
Among the recent decisions of the ST.
preme court of the United States Of far
reaching importance is the one affirming
the legality of the grain elevator statute
of New York. This law regulated the
price Of elevating and storing grain. II
was attacked on the ground that such a
regulation was an unconstitutional in
reference with private business. The
supreme court holds that any business
affected with a public interest is subject
to the regulation or control of the state,
and that elevating grain is a business of
this kind.
A JUST DECISION.
This is dishonest progress III the his
tory of the rolo of government in the
worlds commerce. The supreme court
has risen to the occasion of a new cen
tury's needs and rights in this just dcci-
sion. We do not pretend to say that for
a moment we believe that our fathers
dreamed of such law being possible
under the constitution they made. Meth
er did they dream of many other things
that have come to pass of the necessities
OF new hfe and a new civilization un.
der that constitution. This principle,
as affirmed by the highest judicial tribu-
nal of the world, is the entering wedge
of the social revolution toward which we
are being driven with resistless power.
There can possibly be no limitation TO
its application at last to every business
that touches the public life linked either
as cause or effect to the cooperative en-
ergy of the community.
FAILURE OF PRIVATE CONTROL.
More and more is society forced TO
pronounce the management Of its public
business by private power failure and q
menance to the life of the community
The railroad problem has created the
interstate commerce Commission, which
is temporary and Intellectual make
shift between private ownership and ul-
innate governmental control.
The ownership Of coal mines likewise
presents US today with another serious
problem to which this principle must be
applied at last for a solution. Through
the past generation the coal mines have
been the storm centers of the labor world.
Down m the darkness of the earth the
strong have strangled the weak until
again and again the worm has turned
and stung the oppressor. Strike has
followed strike as season has followed
season. In all these disastrous disputes
and wars between mine owners and
miners, the great outlying, unlocking
stupid public has at last been robbed to
pay the damages, and sometimes at the
rate of two hundred cents on the dollar.
The price of wages and the price Of coal
has been fixed by the sweet will of a
handful of men answerable to nobody.
THE ENGLISH THREAT.
At this time in England the people
are threatened with strike of nearly
all the coal miners in the country to the
enormous number of 450,0 600. Such a
strike would mean the throwing out Of
employment of millions of men in other
trades, and would cause the advance III
the price of coal to be such as to para
lyze the great industries of the nation
and bring untold suffering upon the
poorer masses. The owners announced
q reduction of wages-hence the strike.
The owners say that the price of coal
does not pay for the mining. The miners
say that they cannot live on lower
wages. Somebody lies. Who? No mat
ter who, the public must pay for it.
Whatever may be said about the pri
vate ownership of land, certain it is that
air, water and fire are absolutely essen
tial to the life of our civilization. These
fundamental sources of life should not
be made the subjects of speculation for
private gain. The public has the right
to live. The public has the right 10 con-
troll, therefore, the sources of life. Pri-
vate control of these sources has proved
dismal failure.