Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1894-10-04
A CONTRAST.


employed in the mines, coke ovens and
similar industries along the line of
the West Virginia Central Railroad,
controlled by Henry G. Davis and
Stephen B. Elkins, have had ample
cause for complaint of hard times dur
ing the past year, Their wages were
long since reduced to the lowest point.
Mr.. Davis himself admitted that they
were no higher than wages received
by foreign workmen. The strike last
spring for an increase and the peremp-
tory refusal of the bosses to grant it,
the supplanting of the white miners
by negroes imported from Virginia
and the poverty and want so general
among the laboring people, are matters
of ecent history. But the hard times
are not attributable to the Democratic
party. They are the result OF the
creediness and sel6shness of Mr.. Davis
and his millionaire colleagues, who
have been amassing almost boundless
wealth from the hard work of their
ill-treated hirelings. To see the truth
of this assertion one need only observe
the situation in the Fairmont coal re-
gion, where the coal mines and coke
ovens are, thank God, controlled by
different set of men. Here the miners
did not strike last spring. On the
contrary, recognizing the liberality
and honesty of the operators, they re-
manned at work, made almost double
wages, received fair remuneration
for their labor, and are today the bus
lest and most prosperous set OF men
in West Virginia.
Ever since the beginning of the tar
if agitation ex-senator Davis has been
hanging around Congress lobbying for
the tariff on coal, threatening to des-
troy all who opposed him. Today the
Influence of his railroad and its KIN
dred corporations, the coal and lum-
Der companies, is being used to defeat
Mr. Wilson, the man who above all
others has resisted the increase Of the
burdens upon the people. Davis Is
doing his best to carry out his threats
He does not appear publicly himself
he is too willy fox for that-but the
handwriting on the wall is too plain to
be misunderstood. His hirelings Of
high and low degree are being whipped
into line to do his vicious will, and the
crv of hard times and industries de-
stroved are whined out from every weak
dependent.
Look again to the Fairmont region
1t is in the same congressional district,
but there are no dull times there.
Trade of every sort is booming. The
miners laugh at the idea Of hard times
coming from the Wilson bill. They
know that they are getting just as good
wages as ever and that they will buy
the necessities of life cheaper. The
operators ridicule the notion that the
tariff effects the price of coal. They
are selling at fair rates all the coal
they can ship, Ex-Governor Fleming
one of the heaviest owners Of coal
lands, is stumping the district for Mr.
| Wilson, and the other true Democrats
of that section are working honestly
and confidently for the success Of the
party.
We do not know if the workingmen
can be fooled or bulldozed by the
Davis-Elkins crowd or not. If they
will study the situation they need not be
fooled. If they have that independ-
ence that is characteristic Of West
virginians they will not be eoerced.
We trust that they will not desert
their colors. Let them roll up such
a majority for Mr.. Wilson that will
inspire him to renewed efforts for the
rights of all the people and the over
throw of greedy monopoly in every
form.