Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-07-22

Columbus, Ohio, July 19.-President
Ratchford summed UP the strike situ-
aticn in an interview TO the state
Journal as follows:
The manner in which the miners
are conducting themselves commeDds
itself to the country and gives their
officers renewed encouragement and
strengthens the belief that victcry
will ultimately crown their efforts.
The history of industrial strife has no
parallel 10 the present movement.
Deputy marshals, coal and iron police
and secret detectives have been at
work, but their presence has failed TO
tncite the miners TO acts of lawless-
ness or even to q resumption of work.
Their presence in peaceable communi-
ties with a chip on their shoulder gave
some cause for alarm. and ordinarily
would have caused Il resort 10 vio-
lence. But our miners In this in
stance, profiting by the experience or
the past, would neither cause trouble
themselves, o allow themselves to
become involved in the trouble by the
action OF others.
Reports from some of the cities to
the effect that the coal supply is not
short are only intended 10 discourage
the miners. If the coal supply is not
short why are prices advancing. Why
is coal worth a dollar q ton, and even
$50 more than it was two weeks
ago? Why are the railroads confscat-
ing coal shipments? Why are the
shops and factories whose wheels are
put in motion 10y the labor OF the
miners ceasing to operate! Why are
operators all over the states offering
their miners n rate even higher than
the one demanded if they will only
continue at work? The reason Is
patent TO all, coal is scarce. Those
who have it To sell get fancy prices,
and those who offer n advance. par
ticularly in West Virginia and por-
tior.s Of Illinois. do ii for the purpose
Of checking and defeating this move
ment. and miners who do not know
this will realize II fully when the bat
tie Is over if such operators have their
way.
I'VE have started into this move
ment realizing fully the Importance or
the work before Us, and the RESPONSE
hility resting upon us, n after Two
weeks of suspension involving more
than 1.0.000 miners. we are well salts
fed with the results. Only those who
are best acquainted with the condition
of the miners have any idea OF the eX-
tent of this suspesion and its paralyz-
inc effects upon the labor and busi-
ness of the country. II has no yet
reached it's full proportions. The COM
ing week will add 10000 men to the
idle column. The week following VIII
bring greater accessions TO II ranks.
The movement will continue to grow
not Only from the point of number IN
volyed. but public opinion will become
crystalIiZed more fully and through
the rress of the country will demand Il
solution Of this great difficulty.
'"The organized trades of the u
try are in closer touch than ever be-
fore. Never in the history of labor
tloubles have they been found SO
closely allied. Our demand for living
wages and the determination OF u
miners TO secure il have brought ex-
pressians Of sympathy and moral u
material support from almost every
branch Of organized labor whose el-
forts IN our behalf will endear them
10 all lovers of fairness, and
for the miners. with their own efforts.
n living rate of wages.