The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-06-19
STARVING MINERS TO REVOLT
Gaunt Misery in Pennsylvania's
Hills, With No Prospects of the
Promised Prosperity = Higher
Tariff for the Wealthy Manufac-
turers and Lower Wages for the
Workers Threaten to Cause a
Great Strike.

New YORK, June 11.-Mr. Alfred Henry Lewis,
who has been investigating for the Journal the
diton of the people in the mining regions of Penn
sylvania telegnphs that paper today in part fol-
lows:
There are to be some stirring black times in these
hills. There are some in high, clean places of
comfort and pomp who are to have much to an
swer for There are to be riot and wrong in these
valleys.
This is not prophecy. l only repeat what some
of their most trusted leaders tell me. The $1,000
miners of the West Pennsylvania region are to
strike The step has been resolved on. 1t only re-
mains for Ratchford and ''the councir'-to meet
in Columbus within week-to set the day All
agree that with Ratchford or without Ratchford a
strike will come. When? They say by the last OF
this month.
"But you people have nothing" said. you
will go into this strike and starve.'
ave starYe as it is was the retort 'With 81
cents ton to mine coal, with Is per cent. of that
taken off for powder, oil and sundries-with, in
short the best of us making average wage of not
more than IS a week the year round-we
sTARvE AS IT Is.
ITO strike makes it no worse. We will at least
earn revenge. We might as well go to hell at full
speed as to creep"
This is miner sentiment, the sentiment and spirit
of men whose hopes are desolate, and whom want
and despair make mad Take and mark my word
for it, great mine strike is upon s-a labor storm
is to break that win make the summer of 1897
memorable.
Yesterday 900 men struck at the Rend mines.
They were getting 60 cents a ton. 'Rend' cut to
81 CENTS and the strike is Last night these and
other miners held mass meeting in the hills; they
permitted no outsiders to attend l learn too, that
the flint glass men intend strike this summer, SC
also the plate glass workers
Late Yesterday afternoon Rend made an offer Of
settlement to his men, They will probably go tc
work again, temporarily postponing the inevitable
More important even than these, the Amalgamat
cd Association will order out the 10000 men of the
tin-plate industry, and mayhap follow with 4o,0OC
more in kindred industries by way of sympathy
This coming tin-plate revolt is the direetest fruit o.
| Mckinley and his
PROMISED PROSPERITY
Hanna, through Quay, brought the Amagamated
Association to aid McKinley's cause in November
by promise of a higher tariff on tin plate and 6
consequent higher scale of wages to the men. The
manufacturers are getting their increase of tariff
but they have already told the men that no raist
over last years wage will be made
Today went to Banning. 1t is the old story o
keen want Here is a story of the Banning district
Iii all true. A. R. Hamilton, the gentleTHn who
told it to me, is well known his word is above re
preach.
'srhere were in the howell miner, his wife anc
little children, said Hamilton. ''The little one:
were actually dying of huuger-starving. The!
were thin almost to transparency. I stopped anc
gave them a dollar. The man all but broke down
1t the first money he had seen in three months
! saw some meat of queer sort in the rear of thu
room. What is that meat?' I asked. The mai
look disconnected and abashed. He said nothing
the woman, with a baby at her breast began t.
weep silently. What was it? Dogs meat. This il
as true as we live; they were eating
THE FLESH OF \ DOG"
Writing of the life of the miners the correspond
ent has this to say:
There is an abject side of your miners life
There is chance for rank flvoritsm in the mines
He must stand well with the company, he mus
curry favor with the pit boss. This latter hold
him at his mercy; the company has him in the hol
low of its hand. He must present himself to b.
bled by trading at the company store Thos
who are not customers of that high-priced mart arr
soon dismissed. He should live in compan.
house at rental of 50 per cent of the value of tina
structure. Those who are not tenants of compan.
houses do not last long. When the pit boss come
to his cabin and orders him into the mine, for tn
! very evident purpose of making love to his wifi
while he's gone, your miner cannot heSllate' III
living is at stake At a frown from the pit boss h
perishes His wife is as much captive to thei
hard fate as he Think of it all. Such is the DAHL
destiny of these poor halffed, helpless bond hrall
| of COAL"
A dispatch TO the Philadelphia, Pa, ledger from
Pittsburg, Pa, June 10, says:
The miners employed by the Ella Coal Compan.
and the Webster Coal Company, at Webster, on tn
| Pittsburg McKeesport and Youghiogheny Rail
road, are OH strike, The diggers had been receiv
ing GO cents ton until two weeks ago, when thu
rate was cut to 81 cents. They accepted and work
cd at that rate until the convention of miners, whel
they made demand for 60 cents. They were al
paid in full and discharged
The miners of the Johnson Coal Company. a
Fayette City, out strike against reduction
in wages. The company was paying 2119 cents TO
knocking down and loading coal, and cut the pric
one-half cent on the ton. The men refused to &C
| cent the reduction and came out.