The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-10-20
ANOTHER PROSPERITY WAVE


The strike now In progress as sne
mines of the Chicago-virden Coal ca.
Of yirden. Illinois, - assuming seTi-
ousness which threatens TO plsce it
sIongside the great strikes OF history.
Complications have arisen, the deter
mi alton of which will be OF far reach
ing importance to the future relations
between capital and labor. Gov. Tan.
mere attitude in resisting with mill
tary force the importation OF negro Ia
Dor from Alabama 10 take the place Of
the striking miners introduces . new
feature in strikes and involves the
question Of whether or not capital will
be upheld by law in steadily reducing
labor to the cheapest level by impor-
tations OF cheap labor that will accept
the level refused By the higher priced
labor.
The strike at the virden mines was
Instituted last April, but there was no
sign Of violence until the latter part OF
september, when the coal operators i'm
ported one hundred negroes from Ala
bama. The train carrying tbes1 ne
groes was met BY armed union miners
who threatened TO shoot the first ne
gro that stepped from the train. The
negroes were finally forced to return
South. The coal operators made sec
ond attempt last week to land negroes
imported from Alabama. The sheriff
titled Governor TapDer that if the
coal operators perslsted in their eff
forts TO land these negroes that there
would be trouble and asked for State
troops to help preserve the order. The
governors reply was that he would not
| lend the arm Of the State to assist in
the importation of this undesirable
class Of cheap labor When the train
bearing these negroes with guard of
about fifty PIDkertOns pulled in at
Virden it was met by the union miners
and Immediately firing began. Four
teen of he miners were killed and sew
eral wounded, but the negroes did not
land. Later another effort was made
to land them, but this time they were
met by body of the State guards un.
der orders from Governor Tanner tC
prevent their landing. which orders
were Obeyed to the letter. And so the
matter stands at this writing.
The coal operators and the railroad
company transporting the blacks
whose grievance is that it was not per
mitted to land its "passengers," viii
have recourse to the Federal courts
which may or may not decide that Gov
Tanners action is supported by lie
gal right. We believe, however, tina
all disinterested persons will conced'
that the aim he has in view is an emf
nently proper one. In an interview
justifying his action Gov. Tanner con
cludes with the following signlfican
utterance:
"These avaricious mine-owDers hav
so far forgotten their duty to societ,
as to bring about this blot upon tn
| ldlG udulc vi HdfC 8OhC
enough, yes, too far; as they had fai
warning from me, by wire and tele
, phone, that the importation of labor
which brings to our State an undesira
BILE class of citizens had to stop, and
say now to such, and all others, tina
this is thing of the past, that it sha
] not be tolerated in Illinois while ar
4 governor. These men, the Presiden
and officers of the company, precipits
ted this riot by the bringing in of thi
}. imported labOr-are guilty Of murde
i and should be, and l believe will be, in
. dicted by the grand jury of Macoupi
county, and tried and convicted fo
this henious Offense."
If the law uphOlds these coal bar0r
. in their effort to reduce the labor {
= Illinois to the level of the cheapest Ii
= Dor in the United States, is it not only
u question of time when the combine
capital of the United States will be SUI
cessful in reducing the labor of tt
: United States to the level of the cheal
l est labor of the world?