Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-21
Miners Will Win.

b,iucinq in negro miners from the South at the
rate Of from twenty-five to $50 day. SAID
Deputy United States Marshal W. {. Mooney,
nj ,hc Southern Kansas district, land
j. will not be long until all of the places OF the
striking miners will be filled. However, the
un;on miners will not suffer much, because they
are getting employment with other mining
companies in that section. Populist oherin
Sparks, of Cherokee county, who said to HI
with the federal courts when he learnedthat he
was euioined, is quieting down and obeying the
mandate of the court He declared at nrst
that he would paw no attention to the in]unc-
t;or 70 pr, vent him from interfering with the
importation of negro miners, and MADE all
kinds of threats as to what he would 90 when
marshal showed up to serve papers on hlh'
When found him he was as meek as Moses.
"The district court of Cherokee has modlhed
;ts order of Injunction, so that there is no con-
Aict of authority between the state and federal
government now. For awhile things were III
prettv tangle. The district judge enjoined the
companies from bringing in negro miners
while the federal court enjoined the state au'
thorities from attempting to prevent their I'M
nortation. The order of the district court has
been modified, so as to enjoin the Importation OF
criminals and diseased negro MINERS
"Like the big oak from a little acorn grows,
labor troubles often start from mighty small
thing" said big coal mine operator from
Southeastern Kansas yesterday, IN discussing
the miners strike in his section. The strike
now going on in Kansas and the Indian Ierfi-
tory, which has cost to operators thousands OF
dollars and left hundreds of idle men, started
because the Choctaw Coal and Railway Com
pany discharged one union man and refused 10
re.instate him. This caused all the trouble OF
the BIO Four, and came within an ace OF drag
oinq in all of the other mine operators. Ihe
Big -Four owns mines in Kansas and the terri
tory. The miners of the territory first walked
out because the one miner was hred Later
the Kansas miners of the Big -Four struck
through sympathy. 1t was all the other mine
operators could do to keep out of the hight, and
this was only prevented by acceding to the de-
mand; of our miners for all increase IN wages
At first we thought of joining the Big Four but
after due deliberaton, decided that it would
cost more to conduct a fight with the union
than to accede to their demands.
"The trouble is that the miners are now
strongly federated throughout the country" he
continued "They not only have brains, ont
capital They are now in position to get IRON
SIS, 900 to 5000, 900 month to use IN the ran
sas 6oht and this amount can be secured month
ly Just as long as the fight lasts. This is why
7 believe the miners will win out against the
Rio Four in the end There was time when
miners were badly organized, and had no eX-
ecutive head Then it was all easy matter to
starve them into submission, but this is not the
case now. The miners all over the country
will contribute regularly. The only way see
for the companies to win is to precipitate gen
al strike throughout all of the mines OF the
conntrv. Then the miners will have no money,
and those of one locality cannot lend alc TO
those of another. This cannot be done sue
cessfully. There is no telling how long the
Kansas trouble will last, but I predict that 1t
will end in victory fol the miners"
Already The strike is costing the big coal users
a great deal of money in the shape of increased
coal bills, by reason of being compelled to buy
a better grade CT coal-the packing houses,
smelters and big manufacturing plants. Ihe
Omaha smelter has shut down for this reason
and, while the big coal-using concerns IN TINS
CITY have rot yet given any signs OF distress
the situation is rapidly becoming serious