The Advocate and news., 1898-01-12
STANDS UP FOB THE MINERS.
10. O. Clemens Proposes a Practical Plan for
an Extra geegiOn.

the Legislature for the relief OF the miners
Df sOutheasteFn Kansas I'm accordance with
this Idea he addressed the following lettor
60 Chairman Taylor Riddle at the opening
OF the POpulist conference last week
Hon. Taylor Riddle. Chairman Of the Peo-
NV ple's Party State Committee:
AS Popullst with some right to be
needed, and as an Office holder having q
X political interest to protect, clalm your
attention TO what follows; but scorn 20
N place my appeal upon such grounds In
the name OF patriotism, In the name OF
humanity, appeal TO you and TO the State
committee TO induce the administration 10
end the rebellion Of the coal mine operators
and 70 rescue their victims from eondls
tl0n In which no man should be allowed
70 remain on Kansas soil.
After years OF vain endeaVor the coal
miners OF Kansas secured the enactment
" s0f q law requiring the men who work
shall be paid In lawful money What eylI
was that law intended to remedyS WY
not content with paying wages which,
even II paid In full, would mean lives unfit
for free men to live, mine operators had,
by paying wages in scrip, good only IN
merchandise at the stores owned by the
VIZ operators themselves compelled the MIN
I. ora to buy goods at high prices, thus
reducing wages to the point OF slow star
4 walton. That law is on the statute book.
II is the command OF the people Of Kansas
to q few men who had been compelled to
lIbe human in their treatment OF more use
full men. Is that law obeyedY 90 70 Ins
collection OF "scrlp" used by mine opera
Y tors. They have treated the law. OF tho
" State with as much contempt as II 1t had
been decision Of some school house ~
ceum. Why? Because the miner who
dAres make complaint to set 1t In motion
will be discharged and blacklsted; that Is
be sentenced to death or expatriaton by
these lordly rebels against the State.
Criminal prosecutions under that law, or
\ amy other mining law, are ridiculous; The
operators can make more from their plucK
,anf ho nOnnnlIA0 IN
pay In fines. and rebellion Is profitable.
Nor is this the only law that has been
i dehed. Not an act yet passed for the pro-
lection OK the miners has ever been q single
y. day honestly obeyed. The operators know
their victims dare not treat their masters
rs those masters treat the State We hear
much about the penitentiary mines. Some
people feel exceedingly sorry for the poor
miner because OF the inconsequential COM
petition of the State mines. But no tears
seem to flow on account OF the conditions
forced upon the miner by prosperous trail
tors to a peoples will.
AS a Populist, but more as a citizen OF
Kansas, / demand that the whole power
n OF the State shall be employed, II need be,
to compel submission to the laws BY these
upstart nullhers. Not a criminal prose-
cutlon under the existing laws the penal
ties are a mere license upon disobedience.
Besides, the validity OF the existing stat
40 till after q tedious delay OF judicial
proceedings. We have Legislature Let
!. IL DO convened III extra BesslOn. When Che
interests Of stock raisers were threatened
we had q special session for their exclu-
aive benefit. A. special session has been
urged In order to pass maximum freight
et rate law and the Governor has repeatedly
said he would convene the Legislature II
assured such O. law would be passed. l
u insist that men, as mere men, are or as
much consequence as men because they
are stock raisers or shippers OF grain. The
thousands OF suffering Kansas miners are
as much entitled to have special session
sB called to rescue them from q state MD
W eougy near slavery as men able to live IN
comfort are entitled TO q special session IN
s order to make them more prosperous. A
special session called to protect the help
less laborer from the greed Of his en1-
" ployer would be glorious novelty In
American political affairs; but as Popu-
w lists we profess to believe In caring for the
poor as well as the rich.
Let the law passed, instead Of existing
over, be put beyond doubt as to constitu.
tionality-let 1t cover the entire field OF
~ the miners wrongs, and let II be more
drastic than any such law hitherto en-
4, acted. Let 1t be enforced by injunction In
the name OF the State, to be granted sum-
lnarily like injunctions under the prohib-
N tory law. Then provide that if that In
junction is violated the company itself
shall be fined a thousand dollars, to be
collected by immediate levy, and that the
officers shall go to jail instead OF merely
fined. Pass a general amendment to the
corporation law that any corporation fall
F Ing 10 obey any statute OF the State shall
20 subject 70 an enormous nnei II the Vio~
fine shall thereafter be thousand dollars
a day, and that no doubt of any laws
n validity nor any injunction against Its en-
1y forcement shall excuse the corporation
shall be held valid at last.
believe legislation OF this heroic char
acter might tame the defiant pride of a
few habltual Kansas rebels, and there Is
Y n no reason why heroic measures should not
be taken bY sovereign State to compel
"A submission to its sovereign will. II these
measures did not compel obedience, then,
IL / were Governor, l would use force to
end the revolt. Either the militia or the
coal operators would be exterminated. II
mine operators wish to leave the State
they might, perhaps, be induced to also
TO leave their mines, and the people could
\ use them and try to endure the tribula