The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-08-22
THE MINERS SIDE
OF the Strike in tho FslEmeRs Coal and
Coke Rssioh-A correspe Views
of.tho situation. A

OF the strike in tho Fa1rmoRs Coal aad
Coke Rosioh-A correspe Views
of'tho Situation. E
10 ne Editor Of he Intellt0eReer
sta:-In Justice to the INTELLIGENCE
and the press in general, We, as disin-
terested parties, wish to make a plain
statement of facts as they exist in re-
gard to the strike or lockout in this dis
.trict, as some OF our very best citizens
are expressing great Indignation over
the repeated misrepresentation being
circulated through the country in re-
gard to the above. It has been repeat
eddy published by the Fairmont lnder,
and We notice in your Fairmont corre-
spondents article of this week it is
stated the operators do not know the
demands of the miners, when every
honorable man in this district knows
this TO be untrue.
Now, there are none know better than
the operators what the grievances OF the
miners are. One of these grievances
was the discharge and hlacklisting OF
some Of their best men for the sole rea-
son that they belonged to labor organ
izations; and some were plainly told by
the companies officials: I'VE will dis
charge no more men If you will quit
fooling with the Knights of Labor"
We notice feeble excuse for victimiz-
ing their men in that very reliable
operators organ, the Fairmont IndeT,
stating that the men discharged were
not reliable and did not work steadily,
which statement is very disgusting to
anyone who knows the true state OF
affairs.
Among the first discharged was ]. l.
Vincent, who had been in the employ
OF the Montana company for three
years, and had missed but eight days
in that time. He was practical coal
miner and a gentleman. The following
day he went to Monongah and applied
to the mine boss tor work and was &C.
copied, but after taking his name and
examining the blacklist he was informed
they could give him no work.
There are twenty-five or thirty SINH
lar cases at Montana alone. All OF the
men asked the mine boss the reason
for their discharge and were treated
with silent contempt This attempted
intimidation continued until the
miners appointed committee OF three
to wait upon the superintendent and
ask tor the reinstatement of some of
their fellow workingmen or assign
reason for their discharge, but the COM
mittee was given no hearing, not even
treated civilly. 1t was given to UNDER
.ka-1 hal mi uyaNII6 hA
recognized and the members were
themselves Immediately discharged.
Mr.. Mcbride, president OF the United
Mine, Workers, waited on Mr.. Watson
on the 9th instant and offered to adjust
the difficulty by arbitration, but was
told by that official it was unnecessary
for them to talk, as their company pro-
posed to break down the organization.
On the evening" of the same day Pres
ident Mcbride addressed the mine
workers at Montana in an able and
scholarly manner, and several OF the
miners were discharged Tor attending
the speaking. On the following morn
ing the men were met by the superin-
tendent at the mouth OF the mine and
we're told for all organized men to go
in and bring out their TOOLS and to their
amazement every man went home aud
all took their tools with them except
twenty or thirty well known scabs, aud
these are all the men working at Mon
tana at the present time, the assertions
of the Fairmont Inder to the contrary
notwithstanding. The output Of tho
Montana mines since their boasted
start on Monday last is less than one
hundred tons per day, and their capac-
ity when running full is over one thou
sand tons per day.
There are about thirty armed guards
at Montana, whom the company ex-
poets the taxpayers to pay. The guards
are entirely unnecessary, as the strikers
are peaccabie and law abiding citizens,
and no intimidations or unlawful con-
duct have been. attempted or medi-
tated.
At Clark'a mine the trouble has been
ABDUCTED, and q victory scored for the
United Mine Workers.
The operator, Mr.. CLARK, is a gentle
man who seems to possess a spirit OF
fairness. We are reliably informed
that as yet they have reached no adj
iustment at Monongah. The union
miners are standing firm and uncom-
promisingly demanding recognition
and the reinstatement of their victim
lied men. The company seems to be
generally as stubborn. Il lie to be
hoped they will reach Q satisfactory adj
justrnent before long, as the demands
Of the miners seem to be very reason
able.
While penning this Communication
the Fairmont lnder OF August 10 was
laid before US, in which there appears
an article under the headline, "The
Strike" The boldness OF its provoking
and nauseating falsity is enough to
cause the ink with which the paper is
printed to turn crimson. AS the article
Is somewhat lengthy, we have neither
time nor inclination to reply to the
SANDERS: suffice it to say there is not q
scinilla of truth in it from beginning
to end. But we are compelled by love
Of truth and justice TO reply to one
assertion, viz: "No sympathy with the
movement (strike) has been EXPRESSED
by our citizens
Now the truth Of the matter is the
miners have the entire sympaty OF the
community except a few extremely
partition Democrats who recognize the
mines Of this district as q political
machine for coercing men into CARRYING
out their designs. The reading public
| Who will take tho nninH To eomnafe the