The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-04-28
THE BITUMINOUS STRIKE.

Local Settlements ySIn Not be Permitted
| The Entire CE.In to Act as q Unit
Until a Readjustment of Wages to q
Living Basis HIS Been brought About
Big Fight Begun with an Almost
Empty Treasury, Bai with Confidence
| of Victory.
COLUMBUs. o., April 22.-With the
successful Inauguration of the great
miners strike, comes probably the
chief difficulty that will beset the
managers in carrying IL 20 a success
full issue. President Mcbride teceived
yesterday many requests from local
assemblies to be released from the or
der to strike because the employing
operators had agreed to pay the wages
demanded by the convention, and
others asking what to do in ease tho
local operators accede to the teriis of
the strikers. The following answer
has been prepared by President Nc
Bride and is sent in answer to all such
inquiries:
DEAR SIR:-The fight for living wares is q
general fight. and no local settlements will
be authorized or recognized Until 4 general
settlement has been declared. the following
rule must lie observed by all miners and all To-
calities,
As ordered by the national convention. coal
must not be loaded at any pricp. or for any
purpose; but where companies want Engines
run, water hauled, timber or any Other kind ~
repair work done. it will be permitted. pro-
vided wages are according to scale demanded
by the convention.
The questions reach the point in the
tactics of this strike upon the miners
side, upon which the leaders base their
hope of success-that is the working Of
the whole union as n unit. In former
strikes, they have found that permit
ting the miners of one district to re-
sumo operations ds soon as the local
operators agreed to pay the scale.
helped to supply the coal demand and
injured the chances of their brother
miners in other districts to win their
fight. The result of this strike proba-
bly, depends upon the ability of the
managers of it to enforce this order
and prevent the miners going to work
wheISthere is no dispute as to wages.
In Pennsylvania Il number OF operators
are already offering to pay the scale.
President Mcbride did not receive
special advices from many parts of tho
coal fields yesterday as to how the
strike order was obeyed. lie had only
arranged 70 get telegraphic reports
from the doubtful points. As to those
districts in which the miners in mass
meeting had decided to strike. he had
no doubt about what was done yester-
day. Reports from them will c6ne in
to him by mail. kilograms from Penn
sylvania, West Virginia, Illinois, Indi-
ana and Tennessee showed that all
were expected to 20 out and most had
laid down their picks at poon.
Summarizing the special reports hs
had received, and the dispatches in the
evening newspapers, President Nc
Bride said to the United Press repre-
sentative last evening that 81 900 men
had gone out, about whose action he
was somewhat in doubt Friday night
lie was perfectly satisfied with the
situation. Il am entirely confident"
said ne, "of the ultimate success of the
undertaking"
1t is claimed that there is now mined
Il full months supply Of coal ahead,
and that the funds of the miners or
ganization do not exceed s., 600, which
will be exhausted very soon.
Not much, if any. financial aid is
looked for from other labor Organiza-
tions, according to President Mcbride;
and disinterested persons, pointing
out the fact that the demand for coal
is not large now, express some fear as
to the success of the strike.
To this President Mcbride says that
some of the biggest battles ever won
by the miners in this country were
fought without money, and this strug-
gle will be of that class. Every miner |
is well acquainted with the condition
of the national treasury of the union, |
and knows that no strike benefits will |
be paid. Every miner will be thrown
upon his own resources to earn live
lihood, pending the settlement of the
strike, and all are fully informed on
that point. A full and complete un-
derstanding of the situation, together
with Il determination of the men to go
into the strike at whatever cost to
themselves, is evidence to Mr.. Nc Bride
that the miners are prepared to hold
out for months if need be.
As showing the feeling of other labor
towards the strike, Presi-
dent Mcbride gave out the following
telegram from the president of the
American Federation of Labor:
NEW YORK April 81.
Executive Council. American Federation OF
Labor, in session. send fratcrnal greetings and
express sincere sympathy with movement to
secure fair conditions and some degree OF
Justice for miners. II in any way we can CO.
operate to make effort successful we are at
your service
tSignedl SAMUEL GoMPERs.
II Does NOt, Isut MAY Affect tho CnLa !