Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-10-01

change through the assistance of the
possibly still worse conditions-could be
looked for. The future seemed bleak
and hopeless, unless the men themselves
could be reused from their legartgy. and
be made to feel that perhaps by submit
ting to little more hunger and hardship
for a time, movement might be inaug-
urated from which would spring better
conditions for the miners, their wives,
and their little ones-better conditions
not humanely or wisely sought by the
far-slghted and philosophical employ
ers, but wrung from them through dire
necessity to save themselves from finan-
cial destruction.
1t was this alternative which confront
ed the miners when the authorized order
for the suspension of mining operations
in the competitive bituminous. coal dis
trict was issued, July 3, 1897, to take
effect on the following day. In re-
spouse to this order, more than one hun
dred and fifty thousand heroes emerged
from the bowels of the earth, dropped
their tools of labor, and sulenly looked
+ The future in the face, thinking that
abstinence from all work for time
could scarcely entail much greater hard
ship than they had already borne. They
determined that If the future should
mean nothing more than misery and
degradation, they would not become re-
signed to their fate without at least
registering such a mighty protest as
would live for all ages to tell the tale
! that the miners were not willing slaves.
Before the strike, a continual reduction
in wages was the order of the day; no
operator could see, nor did he care,
where the limit of wages would be the
discussion of a minimum rate was scout
ed as absurd, not to be considered for a
moment. Could the coal-trade entertain
an idea of an increase in the mining rate
Perish the thought, Nevertheless, at
the time of writing this article august
! g. the miners strike has lasted five
]
great change in the attitude of the oper-
ators.
To-day we hear no one discussing the
reduction of wages, either for the present
or the future. Why this change in the
attitude of the operators and why this
upward tendency of rates: 1t certainly
is not because Of a more humane consid-
Grafton of the just claims of the miners
by the operators. If so, the claims be-
fore the strike were as just and fair "a
they are now. In a recent largely at
tended conference of mine operators at
Pittsburg, it was resolved to endeavor to
effect combination among them, and
all other operators in their competitive
field, for a uniform minimum mining
rate. OF course, there are some who
doubt the sincerity of the leading spirit
in this move, and who ascribe to him q
purpose to evade the issue presented by
the strike; charging that it is cleverll
devised scheme to befog the public, anC
thus to defeat the present miners move
ment for a real and permanent basis of ;
uniform minimum rate. But is not tn,
purpose of this article to impugn tn,
motives of the promoters of this schem,
and of those who participate in it. |
we take the declarations as they are, W,
cannot fail to conclude, protestations t,
the contrary Notwithstanding, that tn
conference was held and the declaration
for uniform minimum rate were mad
as the direct result of the miners strike
If this be not so, pray why was the con
ference not held previously to the strike
when the miners so earnestly pleade
for it:
II is, therefore, not an improper in
ference, when we claim that though tn
miners strike, as a strife, may not re
suit so successfully in all its phases a
we may wish-the writer certainl
hopes and believes that it will-yet as
matter of fact, it has already been sue
cessfu to very large extent. No NOR
shall we hear of reductions in miners
wages: the limit has been reached. AL
though neither prophet nor the son o
a prophet, a reputation is ventures
upon the prediction that the worst
over, and that the future of the miner
will be better and brighter; tending up
ward and onward in full touch with tn
progress of their fellow-workers.