Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-03-24
GENERAL ITEMS.
Are the Coal Operators Ignoramuses
WASHINGTON, March s, 1891.


The coal operators of West Virginia
are in Il state of righteous Indignation
over the attack upon their intelligence
contained in the siX-column article
which appeared in the Wheeling Daily
Register of February 2l.
have Just had an interview con-
cerning the article in question with
Mr.. NJ. E,sline Miller, whose views
no doubt represent those of nearly Y
every other operator in the State
certainly of those whose interests will
be affected by free coal. Said Mr..
Miller: This attempt to show that
the coal operators are Il lot of ignor-
amuses is calculated to bring upon its
authors ridicule rather than the APP
proyal and endorsement of well-in-
formed and fairly minded men,
1.-The coal operators, however" Mr..
Miller went on to say, "could well af-
ford to treat with silent contempt the
attack upon tneir intelligence if that
was all, because the people of West
Virginia know very well that they are
not as class quite so ignorant as the
Register makes them out. But that is
not all. The article in question, the
burden of which is to show that free
coal will not hurt West Virginia, is IA
cunningly-devised scheme to misdirect
public sentiment and put the coal
operators in u false light, to the end
that their business may be taken from
them and turned over to the Dominion
coal company, whose field of operation
is Nova Scotia and whose market is
New England, and whose. promoters,
calculating that the duty would be re
moved from coal, organized it express
ly to run out our Goals from the New
England market The real object of
the article is to aid in accomplishing
what the Dominion coal company Is
fighting for, and the method pursued
Is one that is likely to excite more or
less suspicion, unless the public is pre-
pared to admit that two hundred or
more operators in Virginia or West
Virginia are, as the Register claims. too
deeply stepped in ignorance to know
what will be the effect on their own
business Of Il removal of this duty"
This attack he declared, "upon
the Intelligence of the coal opel ators
and attempt to destroy their business,
and to take the bread out of the
mouths of West Virginia miners,
starts out by admitting that, with few
exceptions, the deluded operators are
opposed to free coal, and that many of
those among them who are democrats
have resolved to forsake that party in
the event that coal be placed upon the
free list. Listen to the conciliatory
tone it adopts to make the ignorant,
erring democrats feel that they may
yet hope to be forgiven.
Men who have tens and hundreds
of thousands of dolIars.' Mr.. Miller
read from the article alluded to, ARE
not to blamed for using all the means
ut their command to preserve their
capital from losses. They would not
be considered business men if they did
not And here would ask the Regis-
ter if free coal will not hurt, how can
there be any losses when party
principle conflicts with personal gain
or business interests the Register pro-
ceedS to admit, the former is quickly
deserted, and, under the general rule
that every man must look after him.
self or he will not be looked after, such
Following the foregoing apology
for those who are asking and needing
no apology comes the remarkable dis
covery that all business fears and
apprehenslons are due to ignorance.
This extraordinary theory is contrary
to the opinion of Napoleon Bonaparte,
who once declared that fear was the
result Of wisdom rather than of igno-
rance. But let us read on from
the Begister::
But as fear is almost always caused by
ignorance, 50 in the case of the coal schedule
the fear of free coal manifested by many
West Virginia operators has been caused in a
large measure, if not entirely, by lack OF
information as to the real situation or by
misrepresentation made by republican
partisans of those persons who might reap Il
benefit from retention of the duty on coal.
However" Mr.. Miller here suggest
ed, ''if free coal will not hurt West
Virginia, as the Register devotes six of
its good columns of bad matter to the
attempt to prove. then how can there
be anyone who. can reap a benefit from
retention of the duty? Consistency.
thou art Il jewel, veritable electric
light to illumine the befogged intellects
Of the West Virginia operators"
Mr.. Miller then read from the Registe,
as follows:
From the results of the Registers irvestiga-
tons, which are here given for the perusal of
the public, it will be seen that all such fear
on the part of West Virginia coal operators
has been absolutely groundless that Nova
Scotia does not now and never can compete
with the coal from our State, and that instead
of being njured by a reduction oftartf duties,
our coal business Will actually be benefited
so that lifelong democrats who have been
wavering in their belief may return to their
party with a lively faith in its doctrines and
principles, ANA with the assurance that their
business will be as safe in the hands of the
democracy as it has ever been, and that the
Wilson bill, against which they have been
induced to protest, is as favorable to the coal
industry of our State as any measure which
could be enacted at the present time.
"Alas, for the besotted ignorance of
the coal men of West Virginia.
1.-The Register next proceeds, with an
lmpertinence in sharp contrast with
its conciliatory invitations to the
erring coal men to return to the demo-
cratic fold, to finish Its lecture by an
array of figures which are for the most
part misleading and fallacious, and of
oracnlar utteran:eS by two or three
infallibly wise coal operators, the light
of whose wisdom is lifted like the
brazen serpent in this wilderness of
ignorance.
''As to its figures, the cost of Cape
Breton coal, run of mine, is given at
ri 50; OF Pictou, run of mine, Acadia,