The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-05
END OF THE COAL STRIKE.


The coal strike began July 4; it was an
nounced on Sept. that it will end at once.
The miners are to receive So cents ton
in the Pittsburg district which fixes the
rates practically for all other sections. Very
soon after the strike began it was an
nounced that the operators in the Pittsburg
district would pay 65 cents They also made
at a conference certain vague promises
which. if they had been accepted at that
time, would have been very much for the
benefit of the working miners. The leaders
of the miners paid no heed to these sugges-
tons and offers. 1t may have been a part
of the scheme that they were not to do so.
Instead of trying to bring the strike to an
end through arbitration they made a de-
mand of 60 cents ton for mining coal and
undertook to make the strike effective in
West Virginia and in the Pittsburg district
where many miners were disposed to con-
tinue work. President Ratchford called to
his assistance Debs and Sovereign. Perhaps
it would be nearer the fact to say that
Debs and Sovereign called themselves to
assist Mr.. Ratchford. At any rate, these
two marplots appeared in West Virginia
1t meant an end of all Cancellation and to
all the reasonable methods which arbltra-
ton involved. 1t meant excitement, bitter
ness, lawlessness. The courts interviewed
to prevent violence, and because they did
Debs and Sovereign found themselves in a
position to assail the laws and constituted
order. Since that time they have done moth
ing to help the miners, but have assailed
courts and judges, and, in fact, govern
ment. President Ratchford attempted to
join these gentlemen in this dsreputable
performance but he is as i'll fitted for an
Anarchist as he is for leadership where
cool head and judgment are needed instead
of epithet Now Mr.. Ratchford and his as
sociates will accept for the coal miners
what they might have accepted early in
July, or at least a month ago. They must
have known that they could not get the
69-cent rate. The operators could not pay
it; still, they held out for it until twelve
hours before they announced an agreement
upon So cents.
What is the meaning of this perform
ance? 1t is easy to see that for many of
the operators who had a stock OF coal on
they had ton of coal to sell at a high
price. For that reason the operators gener-
ally have shown no disposition to bring the
strike to a close until very recently. Since
their stock of coal has been exhausted they
have shown some purpose to seek settle
ment. Some operators, vying with Debs
and Sovereign, have talked wickedly of
Co of T0ipIx
tons to protect the new men that they
would bring to their mines In connection
with strikes such threats are positively in
furious. They were calculated, if not in
tended, to nflame the minds of the miners
and to'prevent the conditions necessary for
arbitration. Were these threats a part of
the scheme? Were the men who made them
acting in concert with Ratchford Dolan
and others who represent the miners? 1t
has been so intimated. 1t would be of value
to know if there was any basis for the
charges that certain operators and certain
officers of the miners have been acting in
concert all the time that the strike has
continued. That knowledge would be of
no special benefit so far as the present
strike is concerned, but it is barely possible
that if the miners have been duped by
such a conspiracy they will lose confidence
in men who are chosen to be their leaders,
chiefly becaues they are bold takers and
forceful characters.
The most deplorable thing in connection
with the strike is that the course pursued
by courts in West Virginia and Pennsylva-
MIA has given such men Debs and Sow
ereign an opportunity to proclaim that the
courts and the laws are for corporations
and the rich against the poor. A conscience
less press has not hesitated to make use
of the incident to create prejudice and
hatred, with a view of uniting the labor of
the country into political party which
they can lead. 1t is cause for sincere con-
graduation that such appeals have fallen
upon deaf ears, since the appeals of the
Debses and Soveregns never received SO
little attention.