The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-08-07
Col. Poormann Ml.sono,p,lon,


The big mass meeting held by the local
labor leaders Thursday night to express
sympathy for the striking miners, and as
a part of the campaign in which the
labor unions Of the country are to give
the miners their moral and financial sup
port, was a success in point OF numbers,
and in that respect did much good, for It
impressed all with the earnestness OF the
sympathy for the unfortunates who are
struggling for living wages.
1t was unfortunate, however. that the
speaker who had been announced was
unable to be present Mr.. Mahon would
doubtless have presented the practical
purpose of the meeting, Col Poorman,
OF BellaIre, who Is an effective political
speaker, and who filled the place Of Mr.,
Mahon, did not seem to understand the
purpose. Judging from the speech he
delivered, he mistoek Il for a political
meeting instead OF a gathering of men
regardless of politics for the practical
suggestions for the financial and moral
support of the strikers. which was the
purpose of the meetings called through
out the country for Thursday night, Col,
Poorman made 1t the occasion of a
speech aryayIRg the poor against the rich
and denouncIng capital The miners
strike was only an Incident with him,
and on account OF Mr. Poorman's mis-
conception of the purpose Of the meeting
the worklngmen are now wondering
what practical thing was accomplished
for their suffering brethren in Ohio and
Pennsylvania.
There were enpresent who were
not members of labor unions. who Just
as sincerely sympathlzed with the cause
Of the strikers as any one. and who ex-
pected the main object for which the
meeting was called would be preached
In order that they might be afforded the
opportunity to express their sympathy
In a substantial way. This was only
done in the brief but appropriate intro
ductlon by Chairman Tighe Col. Poor
man, however, though he realized the
condition which confronted the miners,
sought rather to theorize on economic
conditions which In his opinion brought
the condition about,
However we may agree or disagree
with him in his conclusions, the fact re-
mains that the crying need OF the hour
was not to advise men how they should
vote three years from now. but what
they must do for starving. underpaid
brethren to-day, and what to do to aid
them to obtain the wages they are asking
for. Eloquent though he was. and illogi-
cal though he was in his generalities
Col. Poorman misunderstood the main
point of the moment. He also clearly
showed that he has not studied the
causes that unlerlIe the present coal
strike.
In making II appear to the wage work.
ers that their employers are their enc
niles to be despsed and in even advIs-
Ing them that they should not vote for
the interests of their employers, without
explaining to them where their employ
ment is to come from II they vote against
their employers interests, Col. Poorman
was not showing them how they could
contribute to bring about settlement OF
the strike. That was the thing they
wanted to know, and they were ready to
respond to any appeal within reason.
Col. Poorman is one of the ablest men
In this community-s above the average
in point Of ability. and all who know him
respect him as such, In attributing the
coal strike to the economic system Of the
country, and to tariff and currency laws
he did not do his own intelligence justice,
however. The condition Of the miners he
knows full well 10 not due to these things,
nor to the desire of employers to reduce
their men to the condition OF serfdom.
but wholly to the peculiar circumstances
surrounding the mining industry-the
fact that there is too much competition
and lack of uniformity of methods.
prices and rates OF frelghts-conditions
that the mine operators in the greatest
and most important Of the mining dis
trlcts are at this moment laborlng to
remedy In some manner.
1t is serious state of affairs, due to
these seemingly unavoidable clrcum-
stances and one which could exist under
any form Of government, and form of
law governing social, financial or fiscal
conditions. The remedy to be applied Is
the adoption of some method which Will
either curtail the coal production or
bring about fair competition among mine
owners and better prices for the product
Of the mine. In the meantime, Bympa-
thy for the poor miner should be mixed
with the hope that the operators may be
enabled to improve the condition by an
agreement on some sort of fair and rea-
sonable basis. Appeals to passion and
prejudice will not bring this about
-
Judge Lawrence and the Wool Schedule.
our esteemed nelghbor. the Register,
quotes Judge Lawrcnco's criticism of the
wool schedule in the DIngley tariff bill,
and seems to think that II b making a
strong point against the measure Now.
Il should occur to those who have been
reading tic Register for some years past
that Judge Lnwrence's criticism should
really commend the wool schedule to
a.. ... t.,.,,so a.. tolge'a ro,,.