The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-10-13
ORIGIN OF THE BATTLE.
Governor and Company In Conflict as
to the States DUTY,


to the States Duty.
Chicago, Oct. 13.-The difficulty at the
Virden mines originated April I, 1S9S
when the miners of the fourth district
of Illinois went out on strike instl-
tuted by the United Mine Workers.
Troubles followed at once at Pana, but
the Virden mines remained quiet
through the summer. The strikers had
asked for 40 cents ton, and were Of
fered 2S cents. Actual disturbances at
Virden began Sept. 25, when the Chi
cago-Virden company. the principal
mine owner at that point, imported a
hundred negroes from Birmingham,
Ala.
When the train arrived with them on
board it was met by large body of
armed union men, who threatened to
shoot the first negro that stepped from
the cars. The negroes We're finally pre-
vailed upon to return to the south, and
the mines were not operated.
President T. c. Loucks. of the Chi
-Virden company then proceeded
to make preparations to get other
miners. Oct. 0 Sheriff Davenport noti-
fled Governor Tanner that there would
certainly be trouble. and that state
troops were needed to preserve the
peace. The governor asked II 1t was
the purpose of the coal company, In the
event of troops being sent, to import
miners from other states to take the
places of the strikers. Superintendent
Lukens. who was with the sheriff at
the time the request was made by tele-
phone for the militia, said that the
company proposed to operate It's mines
in its own way, and that they ex-
pected to import labor both white and
colOred, from the southern states.
The governor told him that the best
class Of miners got employment at
home and only the criminal class would
come. men who would soon quit work
and get into the poorhouses, jails and
pententlares and become a burden
on the taxpayers of the state--that he
was opposed to the system-that while
there was no law to keep them out of
Illinois, he did not feel 1t to be his
duty as governor to use the arm of the
state to give protection to mine owners
in operating their mines with this class
of employees. Lukens, according to
N'oNSih'i lSPliCu tHdl lHC
mines would be run al all hazards-that
the company would employ such labor
as they saw fit--that they would i'm
port this labor. and operate the mines
with it. even If they had to do 1t at
the point of the bayonet and the muzzle
of the Winchester No troops were
sent
The next day Mr.. Loucks notified the
governor that his mines would be
operated, and demanded the protec-
ton Of the state. The matter had been |
brought before the state board Of ar
btraiion. and that board decided in
favor of the miners. but also held that |
an injustice had been done the Chicago |
Virden company.
From this point the trouble has been !
a dispute between Governor Tanner |
and the mine operators, carried on by |
telegraph and other communicat tions.
The governor steadily refused to call
out the state troops. and charged the
operators with importing ex-convicts
and an undesirable class of workmen.
The operators declared that the men
they desired to bring to their mines
had been chosen for their ability and
tHcll CdpdNlty " DttollS Sbuu CltlLoIlS.
They also said they were willing to
take back the strikers al the scale OF
2S cents a ton. but that they could not
open their mines at the exorbitant de-
mand of 40 cents. The mines, 1t Is !
claimed. are all operated in accord
knce with the state law.
Sheriff Davenport has been in SYM
vathy with the governor, and says he
does not want to enforce laws that will
bring negro labor into the state, and
nfered to resign rather than undertake
he task.
One hundred Springfield miners re-
nforced the Virden strikers Oct. 10,
armed and determined to prevent the
negroes from going to work. Armed
men have since been practically In pos
session Of the town. A rumor was cir
:ulated the day before yesterday that a
small body of negroes had been landed
rom a train just outside of Vlrden,
md under cover of darkness conveyed
o the stockade. They were supposed
o be making the shaft ready for the
miners who were to come. This made
he strikers more than ever vigllant.
Manager Lukens, of the Chicago
Tlrden company, swore out writ Of
Injunction against 81 Of the leading
trikers These men had run out of
own four ex-policemen who had been
lired by the operators. The strikers
lad not displayed violence against
theirs until they began to suspect that
1ore negroes wore to be brought in.
Manager Lukens said last night;
The blood Of every man shed at Nir-
en- Is on the governors head, Most 4