Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1897-08-25
Noble Struggle of Coal Miners.

Editor Idaho Denocrat:-The gallant fight now
making by the Pennsylvania coal miners against the
plntOcratic mine owners commands the admiration
Of the civilized world The miners are contendinR
for chance TO earn by honest labor sufficient to
keep their wives and little from absolute starva
ton. The mine owners are trying to force the men
TO work for less than dollar day, buy their goods
at the company stores and board at the company
eating houses. As the men, many OF them, tan get
work for only five six months Of the year IL Is
clear that they but exc out miserable existence
under such regime. The programme on part Of the
mine owners is to enrich themselves and starve the
miners. What care the bloated coupon clippers roll.
ing in luxury driving their gilded carriages sporting
their diamonds, and living in palaces In winter and
In costly cottages at the side in summer the pro-
duct OF the toll Of these workers under ground II
the miners children ragged their wives have
not sufficient clothing to shield them from the win
ters stormf Nothing. According TO their logic the
miner dogs should be content with the crumbs that
fall from their masters tables And these swagger.
ing, bloated capitalists using the force OF their
combined wealth and all the authority OF the federal
courts that are fast becoming stencil In the nos
tris Of patriots TO starve the men into submission
TO their unjust demands
The issue is fairly joined and the battle IL on II
Is drawn and brain on one side and unadulterated
hog on the other. II Is greed against humanity
The struggle on part OF the miners rises TO the dig
nifty OF the sublime. II passes local boundaries and
like the raid OF John Brown at Harpar's Ferry be
comes of world wide significance.
When Charles the First levied twenty shillinQs lille
galy upon the lands Of John Hampden the Indignant
farmer LETT his pillow, reused England and became /
hero when the head OF the tyrant fell on the memoir
able Both OF January and the English nation changed
front
The American colonies rose against the mother
country because OF an unjust tax The cry OF tn,
fathers OF the Revolution then millions for de
Tense but not one cent for tribute" James Oti
Numbered IN Fanue Hall and Patrick Henry pouret
forth his lava fires Of eoquence before the Yirgin
convention because of few dollars wrung uniustl,
from the pockets Of prosperous people, All 0
THESE are counted heroes but the sooty OF tn
pennsylvania coal mines who to-day contend agains
the putocratic combine for the right TO live de
Gently for the right to assemble peaceahy and dis
cnss their grievances, right guaranteed to them b.
the constitution OF their country and purchased By
the blood OF the founders OF the republic striving i
settle their contest by the might of moral s,Iasor
rather than by the might of bullets struggling
along from day to day while starvation stares then
IN the face, waiting patiently and appealing to tn
world through the majesty Of their sufferinps born
quietly and the faces Of their wives and children
lifted beseechingly towards heaven, are by any tru
estimate as great heroes as those who fell at Bnnke
Hin or left the imprint OF their frozen feet in bloo
ON the ground at Valley Forge. Their struQRl,
against the eneroachments Of putocracy is NOR
sublime than any contest for political supremacy b.
all that makes human life with its infinite height
and depths more sacred than property, man thai
chattes IL eclipses Naseby makes Yorktown insiR
nifcant. and rivals Appomattox.
And this is but the commencement OF war tina
will not cease until the naienable rights Of
again established upon permanent basis and human
equality will be grand fact instead of an empt
shadow and name as II is now under the reign o
the plutocrats- the real monarchs OF the world
J. ID. FLENNER.