The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-09-01
THE STRUGGLE OF THE MINERS.

We have not said much about the
great war that has been going on for
some time between the mine owners
and the mine workers. Not that our
entire sympathy is not upon the side of
the poor men who are struggling for
better conditions for themselves and
families. We have published figures
showing that their average pay was
about 81 per week-and out of this they
are expected to maintain themselves,
their wives and families!
If those who employed them were
honest, good men, striving in an open
market for fair recompense upon their
capital and energy, we should look upon
the matter differently, but the fact is
that they are a lot of capitalists who
first procured from congress legislation
to exclude foreign coal from this coun-
try by high duties, and gave them a
monopoly in the market, and then put
up the price to whatever figure they
may be pleased to demand. If they in
reduce the exorbitant prices of the coal;
or, if the worst come to the worst. they
nave the power to add the additional
charge to the price of the product, and
take 1t out of the pockets of the con-
sumers. In this condition Of things,
where they have full power to recoup
themselves, they could, at least, afford
to be generous to those who produce the
money. But instead of this they are
determined to hold the poor wretches
down to the lowest possible level at
which they can work and live. In their
ness and that of the whole country;
they lead the working people to look
upon their employers as hateful and
cruel monsters; and they generate a
sentiment which produces anarchy. The
hanging Of about a hundred of these
scamps would be benefit to the COM
mOnwealth, and Gods sun would shine
the brighter after they were gone. Men
VINO, While they are overloaded with
wealth and abundance of all kinds. will
insist on depriving their fellow men Of
their right to place on this earth. have
no claims on the sympathy of mankind.
If they are bound to precipitate blood
shed. their own blood should be the first
to be she'd
AS usual they have invoked the courts
to protect them in their course of greed
and persecution.
The miners have behaved up to the
present time in the most peaceful and
orderly manner; they have simply tried
to persuade their fellow miners to CO.
operate with them in demanding living
wages. But the courts have gone so far
as to deny them the right, sacred under
the constitution, to hold meetings and
protest against disagreement. They
have not only directed that the strikers
should keep off the property of the coal
companies, but they have even denied
them the right to the use of the public
roads in the vicinity of that property.
The public roads. as their name implies.
are for all the public but for the first
time in the history of this country. citi-
Zens are prevented by The courts from
travelling upon such roads,
We quote part of the decree as pub
lished in the Pioneer Press, in a recent
issue:
f,rrfh how
strained from assembling in the paths.
leading to and from their homes and resi-
ployes of the Monongah Coal and Coke
company compelled to travel to get to
them, or in any way interfering with the
and from their work either by threats.
menaces or intimidation; and the defend
ants are further restrained from entering
the said mines and interfering with the
employees in their mining operations within
said mines, assembling upon said prop
erty at or near the entrances of said mines
1t will be seen from this that the
miners are forbidden to assemble in the
paths, approaches and roads" of the
company's property. The roads cannot
be the property of any person-they are
the property Of the community; but here
we find the strikers prohibited from
travelling upon sid roads. They are at