Washington sentinel., 1900-09-15
The Bill
ODS OOdl !HOlIlSl . dads oil the
Dinner PaiI. pre- press .n. amu


paper Shuhites with Hanna ring
through their noses have ceaseC
for time to call the representa-
tives of one-half the American
people anarchists, and are now
making a queer attempt to faster
the responsibility for the labor
troubles in the Pennsylvania coal
regions upon the Democratic
party.
Strikes under any circumstances,
are to be deplored. Strikes in the
Pennsylvania collieTies are partic-
ularly deplorable, Tor it is here that
the Republican trusts have re-
duced the brutality Of starvation
to a science, and the consequent
misery following a strike is sppall-
ing.
No Democratic arguments were
necessary in the train Of events
which have led up to the troubles
in the coal regions. Pennsylvania
is hidebound Republican State.
Here in the collieries laboTers are
lashed to the polls under threats OF
discharge, to vote for the Interests
Of the masters who oppose them.
We fail to see any Democratic in
fluence in this fact.
Here I5o, 900 starving Republi-
cans, bound like slaves by the
party they vote for, are wrestling
earnestly with the problem OF Mr..
Hanna's iull dinner pail.
Let us see how full the Pennsvl-
vania miners pail really is. The
Republican coal trust boasts OF the
fact that it pays its men 81. 90 per
day where it torr- erly paid 81. 10
or less. But when the miners were
working for SI.4o a day they
worked full time. They now work
only three days a week, for about
$3.50
Mining powder is manufactured |
for about 80 cents a keg. The |
miner is forced to buy it from the
Republican coal trust for S2,7s a
keP--a profit of over 800 per cent.
The miner is required to trade
at the company store" on orders |
signed by the cashier. He is thus
forced to pay from 20 to 100 per
cent more for the necessaries Of
life than he would pay at an out
side store. But if he does not
oatronize the company store" he
S discharged without money or
character. Do you see the handi-
work Of Democracy in this7
The law calls for the semi
monthly pay OF the miners. The
Republican coal trust, in spite OF
he law, pays them monthly. Eight
hours is the usual days work.
The Republican coal trust forces
IS 10000 slaves to work ten
hours.
A ton OF coal in the mining re-
lions is legally reckoned at a,24o
pounds. The Republican coal
rust forces its victims to dig as
much as 3, 800 pounds for a ton.
are obtained by the
masters to prevent outside butch
RS from selling meat to the labor
RS.
The miners live in trust houses
costing about Saso each. For
hese they pay a rent amounting
o % per cent OF the value Of the
house.
Thus the great Republican trust,
10 harassed by Democratic perse-
:ution, profits about as follows:
House rent as compared
with house value........ "a per cent
Excess prices OF company
store,...,. .,.'.,. .:.....' $500. 40 per cent
Profits on powder extor-
tlon.,.....- ......... ..,........ 900 per cent |
Extra time of miners en-
forced laborper day.. as per cent
Extra illegal weight OF
coal per ton",,..,......,. 2S per cent /
miners wages
per week of 3 days." IS 90
Is it any wonder that with all
these merciless percentages to con-
tend with there are thousands of
who do not receive as much
as ten cents cash in wages from
one years end to the otherP
We commend these facts to the
attention of the Hannaites and the |
rabid portion of the Republican |
press. The Democrats have moth !
ing whatever to do with the Penn |
sYlvania Republican coal trust. |
They have brewed their own mess
OF pottage and must stand to it.
OF course the miners will con- |
tinue to vote the Republican ticket !
this fall, simply because they have
to. They should remember, how
ever, that their ills have not been
brought about by the policy or
plans ofthe Democratic party,