The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-10-07
: LITTLE SKILL !
-
Required to Be a Miner Accord.
ing to Chapman's Views.
1.-THE MINERS FRIEND
Tells Them They Can Quit II They
Don't Like the Pay.
LOW WAGES IN JACKSON COUNTY
Mcbride Refused to Pay Arbi.
traitors Salary.
To the Editor:

The Democratic press would have
the public believe that H. L. Chapman
is the best and truest friend the min
ers ever had, but we are inclined to
believe that he is not their friend. We
form this belief from his own lam
guage, which we find in his argument
against the miners in 1885 (see Ohio
Mining Report for 1889, from which
is copied the following:
"Although the rule has been long
established that the miners In the
Hooking district can mine more coal
per day, and consequently can earn
more money per day than the miners
in the Jackson district, and while this
may be true, yet by reason of steadier
work in the jackson district, the min
ers at the end of the year Jared better
than in the Hooking valley"
Mr. Chapman of Ohio and DeArmitt
Of Pennsylvania must have graduated
from the same school, where they
study the benefits of cheap labor.
He further says: eff. however, 1t
is established that the Hooking miner
can earn more money by the same la
Dor than his brother miner in the
Jackson district, the supposed profits
of the operators furnish no ground for
an increase of wages. Because he who
is paid the least is satisfied with his
wages, and content to remain with old
associations, wife, sweetheart and
friends. None of them were under
any compulsion. They voluntarily en-
gagged in the business. They are
equally free to leave the survice and
go to other coal fields. There Is moth
ing in the occupation requiring much
time in order to become a practical
miner. Natives can learn the business
in three or four months. It requires
much more skill and apprenticeship to
run plow,. care for live stock and
| drive team of horses than is required
j to make an average miner. He has
no capital invested, and takes M risk
in the business"
! Nothing short of tyrant could
think Of using such language In order
deceive the arbitrator and defeat the
miners in their demand for living
wages.
In the same argument Mr.. Chapman
said:
"If the strikers succeed to advance
the price of mining in Jackson county,
the miners of the hooking valley
would soon make demand for higher
7 wages, and that would cause another
strike, and possibly disturb. If not de-
stroy the mining interests Of the
state"
Chapman requested the arbitrator to
''let well enough alone" and the re-
quest was granted.
So disgusted was the Hon. John Nc
Bride (then president of the OHIO
Miners union) with Chapman's tac-
tics and the decision, that he refused
to pay the claims of the arbitrator for
his labor. 1t is matter of history
that the persistent efforts of Mr.. Chap
man to keep down wages in Jackson
county was the cause of the great
Hooking valley strike in 1SS4-5. About
three years ago the Massillon district
miners suffered reduction Of 15 cents
per ton, and are now working on the
basis of Hooking valley, because the
Jackson miners failed to re-establish
the former differential existing be.
tween them and other Ohio coal fields
The miners can't afford to support
Chapman for governor of the great
mining state of Ohio.
I COAL MINER.