New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-04
A POLITICIANS STRIKE.

1t Is pity that many thousand Industrious
men in several States should be required to stop
work and subjected to heavy loss, involving
suffering for many Of their families, for no
better purpose than TO help Democratic poii-
ticians in an effort 10 defeat Senator Hanna IN
Ohio. That the great miners strike has no bet
ter object so far as the directing men are con-
cerned, Is betrayed by President Dolan. or the
Pittsburg district, who telegraphs to The New
York Herald" as follows:
In going into this fight the United Mine
Workers are In frst-class shape. Inc
miners Of this district during the last year nave
not made on an average % cents per DAY -.
In view of the political situation In ONO / doh
think Mark Hanna will hire deputy sherllfs THIS
time to guard his mines. His men VIII leaVe De
hind them the I'D per cent the company mas re-
tanned out OF their wages under the lronciad
contract. At the Borland mines the company
will be $1,000 richer by the strike. as the men
will forfeit the money.
Pretending TO be representative anu "aue'
of workers, this man let's out the fact that lie
is nothing but an instrument of the Democratic
managers In Ohio, and his mind is concentrated
not upon the welfare Of m.ne-workers any
where but upon the political success OF an at
tempt to defeat MIR. Hanna. The indefeasDle
right of Democratic voters TO secure the erection
OF n Democrat in place OF q ProfectIonlst or
supporter Of the gold standard Is not disputed,
but the mine-workers Of both parties who are
thus used without feeling or compunctlon rs
catspaws in this political scheme need SYM
path, for their ignorance and blindness
These men are poor because they deliberately
make themselves the tools Of leaders who handle
them to serve personal or political schemes OF
their own. IL is the plain truth that the de-
mand and strike for higher wages, from of 10
90 cents or about % per cent IN the flttsDurg
district, have not n shadow or pretext III the
present demand or prices for D!tuminous coal
in the central region. and the address or the
mine-workers' union does not even pretend
that there Is such an excuse. but Claims mat
business Is going TO be better after some the'
and IL the men do not strike now. when they
can use their gardens for partial support or can
obtain temporary employment on Farms, they
will have 10 make the demand later at great
disadvantage Such IN avOwal retains not
even a pretence Of decency. When business Is
such as 10 make an advance Of wages warrant
ed enlightened public opinion will uphold
miners in asking II, just as it condemns them
without hesitation IN making n demand for
2S per cent increase when the state OF that busi-
moss gives no excuse for an increase of D per
cent
When labor organizations allow themselves
to be run as mere instruments Of political
schemers thousands Of men find themselves
ordered TO stop work without fair chance 10
gain anything and with certainty OF sacri-
6cng much That Is not the worst. Employ
ers who have TO deal with organizations so dl-
rectcd soon learn that they can never afford TO
RELY upon the just and fair dealing which the
community Of interest between employers ara
employed would dictate. If the men are at any
time liable to be swept into utterly unreason-
able demands and strikes without regard 10
their own interests, the employers have no
remedy except 10 resist as far az they can
dlcta,ion which would render their properly
worthless out OF the antagOnism thus pro-
durel comes as a natural and inevitable con-
sequence n state Of the labor market which IS
os bad as It can he for btUminOus mine-work-
ers in certain States, and the record OF events
demonstrates that the men who have permitted
themselves TO be thus directed have not gained
in wages. but are actual. earning much less
than they earned years ago, when costly or
ronlzntions which support with fat salaries
SET Of non-laboring managers OF labor were
practically unknown.