The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1894-04-26
THE GREAT STRIKE.

The greatest strike of labor
against oppression of corporate
greed, ia on in this country now,
900, 900 miners have quietly qui,
work. The strike involves industries
employing as many more men, and
: it is safe to say that half q million
honest, earnest, in 1ustrious men have
stopped work, In order that work
may be secured.
In the Hooking Valley, all the
miners are gut; working force of
perhaps l2, 900 men. The strike is
quiet and orderly, and conducted
with no i'll feeling towards Operators
nor no Agrarian menace TO capital,
no destructive threats of the Com
mune to property.
Such widespread movement in
dicatcs substantial grievance, and all
who have studied the conditions of
the trade and the wages paid miners
for the extra. hazardous labor in
which they are engaged will not de-
ny that there is cause forit. The keen
competition of the operators TO Sc
cure orders so rs to keep their works
going during the period of general
depression has resulted in the cuts in
wages until the average paid miners
now barely amounts to bare sub.
sistence. In some districts the stu.
alton is very distressing, and = re-
cital of the facts would stir the blood
of all humane people. Coal corpo-
rations. with their Offices and direct
ion in distant cities. have applied
the screws without regard to justice
or humanity. These may have been
exceptional, but their "cuts"S in wa
ges have forced the better dispose d
operators to pursue the same course
or else lose their trade. So it has
come about that the whole bitumin-
ous trade is in bad condition. The
operators are cutting each Others
and recouping themselves by
forcing the miners to starvation
wages. This condition has precipita-
ted general revolt.
The hope of the miners is by sus-
pension of production to remove the
surplus coal from the markets, and
thus abste one cause of slash in
prices and wages by the operators.
secured this, they will seek |
IN agreement with the operators on
fair basis As to wages for the future. |
The miners have advantage of > ia
' orable season, and the fact that |
there is a constant increase going on
IN the demand for coal and coke |
with the resumption of business.
They have also the sympat HES of
many operators who have had part
n the grinding processin wages, but
,ave been forced, reluctantly, to
meet conditions of trade by the ag-
yressive competition of soullcss cor.
,orations. AS against their success
s the fact that the miners have not
much "laid by" to meet the neces-
titles of a protracted strike. They
ire desperate and determined
however, under sense of injury
md oppression, and will make a
title 60 great ways.
1t is quite probable that the strike
will be attended with riots and other
awless demonstrations in resistance
# the attempts of operators to put
'ther men at work. If tie labor
'eople. and especially their leaders,
ave not already learned the lesson
hat such violence is the worst thing
or themselves and the cause they
ave at heart, it is idle to do any
reaching in that line. As matters
tand the miners have the sympathy
f the the public. They should
AXE care not to lose it by lawless-
ess.