The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1900-09-28

1Tnracite Goal trust
tigation of the causes that led to the
present strike. As Mr.. Creelman says,
the American public should under
stand the situation:
Enough TO Damn the System.
'F'Or a number Of days." says Mr..
Creelman, ST have been wandering
from shanty to shanty in the dreary
anthracite coal settlements gathering
from the miners and their wives the
actual facts Of the situation.
mo exaggeration is necessary to
this story OF patient suffering, for the
most moderate statement of truth is
enough TO damn the industrial system
which has darkened the homes and
bliRhted the lives Of something like a
million men, women and children.
"One does not have to be a profound
political economist to understand the
nature OF this struggle for life. The
humblest man in the country is cap
/ able of pointing out the real seat of
responsibility.
"The miners of the anthracite coal
regions are striking because the trusts
have so raised the cost of living that
the men cannot support life on their
wages. This great multitude Of toll
ers deserves the sympathy and sup
port Of every good man or woman in
the United States"
Nearly every republican newspaper
has given evidence of the GOODNESS
with which the trusts and their allies
have met the desperate protest and
appeal Of the desperate mine workers.
The eruelest element in the whole
scene is the light tone of scorn adopted
by the organs OF the coal trust.
PftifuI Story Of Living.
'Three days ago we were in McAdoo
and there We ate with the miners in
their houses; and such pitiful shelters
for human beings to live inl
1--WE we're at the very heart Of the
trust questionable dinner table of
the workingman. It would have been
interesting had Mr. Mckinley and Mr..
Hanna been there to talk about pros
perity and the full dinner pail.
''The grizzIed father sat at the head
Of the table, his hands rOughened BY a
lifetime Of labor. His three daugh-
ters-al compelled to work in the
flower Of their youth, sat around him.
The mother, with face scanned and
puekered by the struggle against star
walton, waited on the rest.
"F'Or q years the miner and his wife
had lived in that little shanty. Ten
children had been born there. Some
we're dead and the living we're all en-
gagged in the battle for bread. Not q
dollar had been saved.
"And this Year, The trusts had put
up the price Of everything. The coal
trust has kept wages down"
Strike Deliberately Invited.
The mine owners-oomposinR to-
gether with the coal railroads, the an
thracite coal trust-ssy they we're not
approached BY their employees with de-
mands for better wages This asser-
ton is false. The invitations to the
mine owners Of the Pennsylvania an
thraCite coal fields to meet and adjust
the mine workers grievances was sign
ed on August Is by J. P. Gallagher Of
Silver Brook, Pa; John 7. Dempsey Of
Scranton, Pa, and George Hsrtline Of
Shsmokin, Pa These are the repre-
sentatiEss Of local mine workers.
There Is every reason to believe that
the mine owners and the coal railroad
owners have really invited this strike
in the hope Of destroying the mine
workers union and then having the
men at their mercy.
And while this desperate struggle
between bare existence and brazen
greed is in progress Mark Hanna is
declaring there are no trusts and is
continually lauding the fun dinner
pail. The Issue Is joined.