The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-05-29

public in general and The coal miners in
particular to the proposition OF Prcai.
don't John Mcbride, OF tho Miners
union, to tho coal operators at Cleveland
at tho recent convention" sud Operator
j. u. Corey. ~ mean this: That on
condition at tho coai operators agreeing
to pay lI0 cents per ton and to collect
the loviea nude by him and his under
officials, that he, (McBride) would ayrco
TO indemnify the coal operators who
had taken contracts at a priCo that
would not enable them TO pay tho 70
cents rate. My object in calling atten.
ton to this IL that the public In general
nre misIed by tho plausible protexts
Inadc by these labor agitators and oven
tho miners, themselves, or n largo num-
bcr OF them are mlsIod by these pre-.
lenses OF sympathy on the part OF these
labor leaders,"
And then Mr.. Corey proceeded to
elaborate his ideas in his own language.
Said he:
1T Is not tho starving wivoI and
children of tho poor miners, rs the pub.
llc IS led TO suppose they are working
for. If it were, they would not hound
q poor miner to death, who, rather than
SEQ his little ones crying for bTend, goes
to work for whatever he eau got; that
proposition OF McBride's to indemnify
those coal operators against loss on con.
dition TINT they would agree to collect
those leyles Of his made upon the coal
miners, ls the most braZen proposition
ever made BY ono class Of MOI 10 an
other. 1t Is nothing more than this,
when you rob it OF its p%rctcnse, to mako
the supporting OF these a%gitators q frat
lien upon the coal miners wages;
when you boil it down, it was
simply d bride 10 tho unscrupulous
operators to put their miners in tho
power OF these labor leaders, and COM
pei them TO support them in idIeness.
Let the show you how this proposition
Of McBrlde's, to Presidents Robbins and
Rend, il agreed upon would work. The
rate agreed upon, 70 cents per ton;
Presidents Robbins and Rend start up
their works, Immediately Mcbride
orders treasurer Blank to notify Presi-
dents. Robbins and tnnd OF the follow
ing levy to be taken oil the miners at
At tho first se~ml-monthly pay: One dol.
lar for general officers fund, 81 TO pay
certain operators On loss OF contract OF
Wheeling rolling mill; 81 on loss to an
other contractor on railroad contracts,
81 to idemniiy still another for his
losses; 81 to pay for the services OF the
local organizer.
"Messrs. Robbing and Rend on re-
ceiving notice OF this assessment caused
1t to be entered upon tho ledger against
the miners The uniform rate is now
established and all is lovely ana the
goose hangs high. but lot mo show YOU
how this thing is going to work out in
practice: The dishonest operators SEQ
how they can hedge by trumping up
bogus contracts made with their own
agents who soil o rthem on commission;
thoy present these contracts regularly
signed to President Mcbride; he orders
the aforesaid levtes to indemnify the
operators; the miners have gone to
work congratu!atlrg themselves that
they have q uniform price Of seventy
nine cents and the DAYS OF their tribula-
tons AFRO over. john Smith works the
first day, sends out one wagon, it is
credited TO his account as weigilin. one
ton: mex duy Ito sends out two cars,
these weigh q ton each John consoles
himself that he has 81 81 to his account;
on going to work the third day, Mrs.
Smith tells him there ia nothing in tho
house to eat; he hands her the pass
book, saying send little Mary over to
the pluck.me for s0me salt slug, molas-
ses and ilour;' she goes TO the store and
hands tho clerk the book. who throws
it back to her saying: Your dad has
nothing coming; his account is over
drawn g CO. John comes homo and
finds no supper or tho table. his child
rem crying from hunger; his wife with
n trembling look says: 4 sent Mary to
tho store but they would not give her
anything. They say you are already in
debt With an oath he says, That is a
lic,' and starts on the hunt OF Prcsi-
dent Robbins, shows him his pass
book; and says, I have three wagons
which came to s. 81 and all that is
against me is % cents for tho tin checks
to mark my wagons, and your clerk
would not give my little girl anything
out OF the store. President Robbins
hands him President Mc8ride's assess.
ments levied on him; John stands
bewildered, as he soes tho fraud and
deception practiced upon him. Ho
says, Il did not authorize that assess
ment and I will not nay it. My chill
dren aro crying for bread and | hive
nothing to eat President Robbins
being tender hearted man,
knowing tina, these claims will
not stand in law. cives John
IN order on the store for some bread,
salt-slug and molasses; turns around
aud notifies Mcbride that John Smith
refuses to pay his lovies. Mcbride on
receipt OF this notice, Issues an order to
his local pit committee, to call upon
John Smith and tell-nim il he does not
pay the levies thoy will stop the turn
on him aud he will get no more wagons
TO fill. John says, L cannot pay it; and
will not pay it, My wife aud children
are starving Tho pit committee
orders the boss driver TO give
John no more wagons. John again
appeals to President Rob6ins. who
tells his drivers to pay no attention to
the nit committee, but to continue to
give John his turn. Presiden. Mcbride
from Columbus, orders 4 strike at Rob-
bins mine and the newspapers herald
it far and wido that President Robbins
has broken the uniform scale; tho rail.
road employees are asked to boycott
Robbins coal; and all because poor
John Smith, rather than hear his chill.
dren cry for bread, Refused to submit TO
this illegal and ~tyranical agreement
made between his employer and Presi.
dent Mcbride.
"rhis is no fancy sketch, but real
and practical working ont OF President
McBrido's proposition. Compelling