Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-01-03
COMPANY STORE TALK.
COAL OPERATORS REQUESTED TO
OBEY THE STATE LAW.

Pleads with Its Anarchistic Friends
Stores and Pay mi-Monthly in Cash.
From the Philadelphia Times.
Since the Times began the agitation OF
the lawlessness of the company stores
directly or indirectly owned and con
trolled by large mining operators,
VIII olesome sentiment has been developed
in the mining regions, and some of the
large employers have publicly announced
the entire abandonment of the company
stores and the right of all employees to
deal wherever they can buy to the best
advantage.
Two Pennsylvania laws are well un-
derstood by the most ignorant miners
employed in our state, even though they
are entire strangers to our language.
They know that the laws of the state
require employers to pay their employees
semi-monthly and in cash, and they
know also that the company stores,
whether owned or controlled directly or
indirectly, are violation of the law for
which severe penalty is imposed on
conviction.
They know that every employer who
does not pay his employees semi-monthly
and in money, aud every one who is
interested directly or indirectly in
stores at which employees are expected to
deal or endanger their employment, are
guilty of persistent lawlessness; and
when employers set the example of law
lessness with impunity, they feel that
they have an equal right to be lawless
in their movements to redress real or
imaginary wrongs.
1t Is OF vital importance to the large
employers of miners of the state who are
subject to the laws referred to. that thev
should be scrupulous in setting an exam
pie for their employees of obedience to the
law. In no other way can we expect to
maintain law and order when disputes
arise between employer and employees
1t is simply a mockery to talk to innamed
strikers about the ajesty of the law
when they know that the employers,
against whom they are striking, have
been guilty of lawessness and believe
that the lawlessneSs of the employer has
been the cause of the strike.
Let every employer in the state who
is subject to the laws relating to the
payment of employees and forbidding
interest in company stores, start the
New Year in open and manly declara-
tion to their employees that they mean
to obey the laws with the utmost fidelity,
and they can then ask of their employees
that they all shall be obcdient to the
law, and thus assure safety to person
and property. The employers have
every interest in setting the highest
example of veneration for and obedience
to the law; and until they shall with one
accord pay their employees as the law
demands, and eliminate the company
stores entirely from their business opera
tions, they must not complain if their
employees in disputes as to their wages,
initiate their more intelligent and more
interested employer in lawlessness.
There is safety to every class and con
dition of men in manly obedience to law.
and we believe that If the employers of
Pennsylvania would start the New Year
with the example of implicit obedience
to all laws affecting employees there
would be peace in industrial circles
throughout the year of 1898. Let law
be respected by all, and that will give
peace, safety and prosperity.