The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-06-09
MINERS, STATEMENT.
What Cannelburg Strikers Say About
the Trouble and It's Cause.


What CanneIburg Strikers Say About
the Trouble and Its Cause.
The committee of the United Mine Work
ers In charge Of affairs OF the miners in
the Cannelburg region have sent repre-
sentative here to make 10 the public
statement Of the strike and its causes.
The United Mine Workers Of North Amer
lea, as the organization Is generally known.
is affiliated with the Knights Of Labor
being known as Mutual Trades Assembly
No. 135. K. of L." The organization was
established Jan. IS, 1890. and has in the
United States over 1900 members. 1t has
it's headquarters at Columbus o.. and its
movements are guided by the following
officers: John Mcbride, president; Philip
Penna. vice president; Patrick McBryde,
secretary and treasurer. John Fahy, w.
c. Webb ]. C. Crawford. Cameron Miller
and w. l.. Scott compose the executive
board. The statement sent by the
miners follows:
There are at present over 10000 miners rs
now on strike. The original cause or the
strike was 9. 2s per cent: reducsion of wages
in, the Eastern coal-mining States, Penn
sylvaria, West Virginia and MAJ land.
There is general impression that the Indi-
ana strike is purely one OF sympathy This
go into effect in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
spreading gradually westward. The miners
OF Indiana had a contract lasting until the
taken effect Immediately thereafter.
proposition to accept this reduction was
eeted upon generai vote Tha oplrators
had desired the reduction 10 take effect on
the 1st of March. but the miners succeedsd
the 21st day of April, when We were COM
PEELED to either accept the reduction or quit.
There are six hundred men out in this
reglon-that Is, about Montgomery, Can
nelburg and Washington. There has been
no actual suffering as yet; none has actual
ly been reduced to starvation, but many or
us are enabled to subsist only by the fact
that local merchants credit US and carry us
along. There have been at no time over loo
men. women and children assembled at
Cannelburg: We have committee appoint
ed by the local union, with whom the op-
orators might confer on matters requiring
local adjustment. but the strike itself could
not be settled locally. That could only be
done through the national union, but lis
Columbus, and could be called together on
short notice.
e en OF coa onr Toca 4om fre e es
and the cars derailed. We have done all In
our power to keep down violence and the
she mine9s %h6 vi d Sioence 70 our kno%
edge; We were not present. When We heard
ings ago we went inrmediateiy ana put it
out, carrying water quarter OF a nile 10
do so. and had it not been for the timely
been loss Of thirty-fve cars OF coal.
There are about eight THOUSAND miners
in the state of Indiana, and sta atlstics snow
that last year they earned an average or
$262.50 per man. From this each man was
compelled to buy his own powder. oil and
squibs and pay for sharpening and repfac-
ing his tools. To certain extent we are
compelled to buy from the companys
stores If man does not he gets no snow.
After a man has worked OUT his debt at
the store he is usually either discharged to
make room for some man who is indebted
or is compelled TO take position that is
Ds and partly in money The checKs good
for their face value a. the company's stores,
but elsewhere we are compelled TO stand
discount of 10 or 10 per cent.
I'VE have no strike assessment, nor are
we receiving aid from the ns t.onal organi-
zation. The only aid we have received was
obtained through a local committee APP
pointed TO visit the neighboring merchants
and farmers, and the donations TO this
committee were, with few exceptions, very
liberal.
when Acknowledgement Robbins arrived
at Cannelburg, he found twenty-six min
ers comfortably seated upon log. Upon
being approached they met the Adjutant-
general very cordially and extended TO him
and his army welcome, and offered any
and all assistance in their power TO aid him
in carrying out the Governors mission.
The Acknowledgement stated TO them his
errand, and they listened very attentively.
one OF their number, acting as Spokesman,
behalf of the United Mine Workers Of North
America, he. as their vice president would
do everything in his power to keep down
violence and was at the command of the
Acknowledgement at any and at all times.
The reports from the press have been
very greatly exaggerated. 1t is not q fight
between the operators and the miners; but
from the fact that the railroad companies
have been causing the greater part OF the
trouble by taking the coal and coniscating
the same for their own use; this, to a cer-
tain extent, angered the miners There are
at all times upon the ground railroad off,
Gals, who are very eager to get the ear cf
a reporter that they may enlarge upon the
trouble and picture it in a desperate light.
OF lSS cars OF coal that passed over the
Baltimore & Ohio Southeastern on Sunday.
not one carload transported TO its
consignee. All of ii could be seen at the
dumps at Washington, and it was there fer
no other purpose than TO fill the tenders of
the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern. Sec
ing the railroad companies thus confiscate
coal. 1T is but natural that some individual
miners should jump to the conclusion that
they have the right TO detain coal for
a while. 1t is hard for II EN- TO understand
that the law is all on the side OF the pow
erful and against the weak"