The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-07-16
THE REAL CAUSE OF THE COAL
STRIKE.

The frantic efforts OF the Bryanite and
demagOgic press to make capital out of
the coal miners strike would amuse all
weil-informed people If it we're not such
dastardly attempt to confuse and mis-
lead the minds OF ignorant ard un,hink-
Ing people. by deliberate perversion
Of the real facts in the case II any
lsboring man viii take the pains to in
vesigate the matter for himself he win
hnd that the reason why the strike
was brought about is the very opposite
OF that alleged by these newspapers for
ii..They represent that times have grown
worse instead of better since McKinley's
election. and that the strike is due TO
the discOuragement Of the miners over
the continued low wages they are re-
ceiving. Now. tire fact is. the strike
was ordered at this particular date for
the express reason that time are grow
ing better. and 1t is so stated in The
official order calling the strike. The
rate which the miners are now demand
ing was hxed upon at the last annual
convention of. the United Mine Workers.
held at Columbus. Ohio. in January. 1t
was provided at that time thar the scale
decided on was not to go into erect
Immediately. but the proper time was
left to be fixed by the national executive
board and the district presidents. These
officials have decided tina; this IS the
proper time to enforce the scale, and
the reasons for the strike is given IN
their order as follows: The signs Of !
1.-THE times are that business IS reviying,
that an upward tendency in prices OF /
"all products is apparent In the gen.
''eral business revival and Industrial i'm
''provement we ought TO share. and IL we (;
do not attempt TO share we shall be !
false to ourselves and those dependent /
upon u.s. II this is the Language of |
the order under which nearly a quarter
of a million men abandoned their work 1
few days ago-and any interested per-
son may verify the truth Of it by
letter OF inquiry 10 any assembly of the /
United Mine workers-what are the read
ers Of populist papers to think of the !
intelligence or sincerity Of the men who
run and have run these papers? Nor
IS this all tliat may be learned with |
profit by those who are disposed 10 ac-
eept Bryan's statements and the fulmi-
nations of populist organs as law and |
gospel Secretary Ryan. who signs the
strike order for the United Mine Work
ers, says the miners under the old scale
can make but IS cents day when |
working all day, and that many Of tn IN
average but half time every day That
gives the miner and his family but 81 1-2
cents a day for support. But what Is
the reason the wage rate Is so low? Mr.
Ryan says it is the intense competition
among the mine-owners. He declares
that "the insane competition inaugurated
by the coal operators has brought aJoul
a condition of suffering and destituuon
which was never equaled'' in other
words. the coal companies are running
such close rivalry that they have
coal below profitable produc-
tion, IN order TO undersell each other
The strike, then, reasoning from Mr.
Ryans. statements, must be intended to
stop competition, and raise the price Of
coal to consumers. This is interesting
when one remembers that
the workingmen are supposed be
bitterly opposed to all combinations or
I
trusts which restrict trade and destroy
Yet here are 25O,tOO men
to prevent competition. and for
20 other purpose than to put up the
price Of necessary article to the con-
sumins public. There could be no better
illustration Of the difference between the
theoreteal and practical sides OF an
economical question. The truth is. in
ihis or any other case. that any product
'an be too cheap. Coal or anything else
Is TOO cheap when either the labor or
'apttaI required to produce It does not
receive fair returns This is a plain.
'ommon-sense fact and no amount Of
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