The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-01-11
THE lNTELLlGENCER.
I.wnEELINo. JANUARY II, lsos.
yves. virginia Miner. on o. N III, Rlsht rrael.

Hafal 80 a ID. ar INK
on Saturday last there was born al
Charleston an organization OF West vir-'
h .ginla coal miners, which. tif the spirit
that dominated the meeting and the an
nounced purposes OF the movement are
carried out, will not only place the
miners OF this state In a position to bet
: ter their own condition. but will bring.
lasting benefit to the coal Industry OF
West Virginia. and advance the mutual
4 Interests OF the miners and operators.
The meeting OF the Kanawha miners to
organize the West Virginia Independent
7, Miners AssociatlonTa characterized by
4 the good sense that prevailed and the
wise counsel that was adopted. The OBJ
4 ject twas tcrsely stated by AR. W. H.,
( Toler, who called the convention to order
I'm language which will be applauded
throughout the state, and from which
we quote literally, because It outlines a
notable move that marks a new and
y wholemose advance, as affecting the
( great mining industry In state which is
destined to be the chief coal producing
b commonwealth In America. Mr.. To.er,
addressing the miners, said in part:
q ss"The object OF this convention Is:
First. to establish a board Of arbitration
4 TO consist Of three operators and three
; miners, to whom all questions OF dis
& puted prices in reference to mining coal
10y, tn.t afarr fhr rnft atN1- In
case of tie, they will appoint a disln-
terested man to decide the question, and
byiths method do away with strikes, Nas
Z the mines will run on while the question
4 IS being arbitrated., This will bring
+ about a better feeling between the oper-
4 a tor and miner and supply long-felt
want OF union between the operator and
Z miner. Their interests arc Identical,
and when one Is fighting the other 1t Is
detrimental to both, and in order to bring
the, miner and operator together we have
+ taken out state charter for the West
Virginia Miners Association We be-
lleve all disputes can be settled better
1 before a strike than after, as all men
q are human, and will be more liberal
= when in good numor. Our greatest
:; aim Is. TO get rid Of strikes. rs they have
been the greatest drawback to our state
= OF all the trouble that we nave under
gone.
81 do think that strikes have caused
more loss OF money, time and property.
and even life, than anything else we
have had to contend with. There Is
nothing / think Of that has more horror
q TO It than u bad miners strike. These
Strikes can be prevented by arbitration
and We have plenty OF miners and opera
tors who possess the ability to settle
their own disputes without asking the
y d!ctation Of any other states. Charity be-
i gins at3home. Let US take care OF home
\ first, and then so out to look for objects
4 OF charity. This old sympathy racket
that was played on the West Virginia
3 miners in the last strike, which caused a
! loss OF over s., 900, 900. besides the starva-
{ ton and misery that 1t brought ABOUT,
did no good for either operator or miner.
But 1t did great damage 10 the entire
{ state Of Yves. Virginia."
The sentiments here expressed, and
7 which were applauded by the miners OF
the Kanawha Valley, are precisely those
that were advocated by the Intelligencer
and the majority OF the newspapers in
the mining district during the "sympa-
: thy" strike OF last summer but which
: at that time. some OF the miners, who
5 were listening 10 the professional agita-
4 tors from other states. refused to heed
y to their cost. At that time the Intclli-
I gencers predicted that the time would
Z soon come when the miners OF West Vir-
I ginia. who were being used as catspaws
/ by paid workers from other states. would
4 have their eyes opened to their own In
terests and realize that their own well
fare lay in their independent action
j That time has come much sooner than
+ was then expected. il
% The above sentiments by Mr.. Toler
Z were not all that he expressed. In fur.
tier outlining the purpose OF The conven-
ton. which was carried cut, the speaker
Z declared that he had been fighting the
z battles OF the miners for years and was
I proud that he had lived to sec peace
made between the miner and coal opera
y Tor. THE convention to-day" lie said,
twill lay the corner stone OF shc creates.
II Organization that has ever. been formed
\ IN West Virginia. I.wlll forever bury
I the stomahawle between the miner and
4 the coal operator, and will bring peace
& and prosperity to the homes OF $4,000
Y souls. There are about $1,000 miners AID
mine workers In, Yves, Virginia. This
a number, when multiplied by I'VE. gives
+ $4,000 persons. This union will give the
miners better wages and the operators
better returns for. their investment"
~ Perhaps the moot Significant dcclara.
ton, holding out hope and cheer for tiie
future and affecting directly the welfare
Sot'the IVES: Virginia miners, a sentiment,
which found a ready response from, the
convention. was the following. which
3 contains very large grain Of common
gSsense: AZ
West Virginia has been made cats
8i paw OF 50 long by other states that |. is
4 time for us 10 look aftcr(our own inter-
est. There are 4 lot OF men In our state
VINO are getting fat salaries from the
slAdues that the poor miners are paying,
who'are lighting the Miners Association,
II LOOK out for the Benedict Arnolds who
~ say II a man Joins tho West Virginia
4 N ners Association he Is q traitor. Just
i8 remember: tho spider and tho fly, and let
~ i,set %. Wn haYe our charter from the