The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-01-15
CAPITAL AND LABOR.
Taylorville Miner Gives Some Time
ly Recollections of the Mine
Strike of 1866.

Below is the second of series OF
letters from a veteran miner showing
what the history Of mine strikes has
| been i'm the Lackawanna valley. 1t
| Is pertinent now when there is more
or less talk Of another strike in our
| mines:
Editor of The Tribune
Sir: Since ] wrote to you before some
things have transpired in the city OF
Scranton by the United Mine Workers of
America that | would like to dwell upon
and have something to say about rather
than go back to relate of the disastrous
clashes that took place between capital
and labor in past years. But being as
that my first intention was to treat on
the past, in order to be consistent with
myself ! will refrain for the present from
saying hardly anything about the doinss
and actions of the United Mine Workers
of America.
1t is acknowledged by the workingmcn
of the country that they resort to three
means or methods to elevate and better
their circumstances. First, by shorten
ing their hours of labor: second, by ad-
vanccment of their wages, and third, by
claiming a share in the management Of
the industry in which they are employed,
and also their share of the profits. And
in the year 1869. on the 10th day of juno.
the whole anthracite coal field, with the
exception of the Delaware, Lackawanna
and Western miners. inaugurated strike
under the name of a suspension. This
was not inauguratcd to shorten the hours
of labor nor against a reduction of wages,
nor for the advancement of wages, but II
was for the establishment of a system
what we termed basis and that meant our
wages should he regulated by the price
Al. ~ r<,t,,
viz: when the coal would bring IS per
ton we should receive 81 per car for min
ing the diamond car. That was the basis
claimed by the Delaware. Lackawanna
and Western miners and all O. her miners
from Carbondale to Bears Gap had their
fixed basis claimed. but ] must admit
these were very slippery and flimsy, as IT
was proven afterward, to the loss and
sacrifice endured by the Lackawanna
miners from Pittston to Carbondale.
TO REGULATE THE MARKET.
Also, there was another issue advocated
in the strike of 1862 which was to regu-
late the market. Whenever the market
would be glutted with coal suspension
should be called, to continue until the
market would get firm and healthy. The
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
miners took a boldstand against adopt
ing this, ard we'll can | remember at a
mass meeting held in Fellows hall in
HYDE palk, about the 18th day of June.
1869. the urpracticalness and unfairness
of tho plan were stated by such men as
Thomas Barrow. James Oliver, Law
renee Duhigg, Patsy Mahon, William j.
Price, David Mosier, Henry Lclghtner.
Thomas r. Morgan. John +. Lewis and
q host of others. toe numerous to nien-
tion--men as good as steel in the labor
ranks-and at that meeting We elected
delegate to go to Hazleton to attend
the grand council and when the delegate
arrived there the grand council was In
session III Il large hall, and hundreds II
not thousands, of miners were present
as spectators.
The grand council Was composed or
John Gardner, of Jermyn; Mcdonald, of
Pittston: T. NJ. Williams. of Wilkes
Barre; Tom Edwards, of the middle coal
field; james Kelley, of Columbia county;
the Kemps, of Carbon county; Platt OF
Hazleton, and John Sincy, of Schuylkill
county All the privilege that was given
to the delegate from Hyde Park was to
make a. statement OF the reason why
the Delaware, Lackowanna and Western
miners would not suspend work with all
the others from one end to the other In
the anthracite coal field, and here 1t Is:
We wanted the middle coal field and
Schuylkill county to establish. a stipu-
lated days work, the same as Lacka-
wanna miners had. For instance, seven
ears constitute a days work in the Dia~
me nd vein, and so on in other veins ana
no more, and that We would not suspend
work until those regulations were adopt
ed by them, for according to the present
rule of working with The lower coal
regions every one loads as many cars as
he can; If he had a good place he W. uld
load twenty or thirty ears day; and
also the striking business that they had
in vogue, We wanted some restriction on
that before we would suspend work.
OUTSIDE DICTATION.
Something like that vas the message
Of our delegate. l have forgotten who
the delegate was for sure, but 1t was
either Thomas II. Morgan or John +,
Lewis. but it's immaterial about that
can remember the report that he
brought back, as given at a mass meet
ing in Fellows hall, Hyde Park. The
thing. He should not vote on any ques-
ton nor take part in any Of the dis
cussions; all the privilege that they were |
willing to grant him was silent seat |
in the council. So he Withdrew from the |
council and returned home. and they |
were the sole dic,ators in our business |
interest, and by the way, If / am not |
greatly mistaken, we are drifting to en- |
lure the same treatment at the hands or |
he United Mine Workers of America that |
we had in the year 1869 when we We're /
driven into a strike for three months. |
through agitation and intimidation of |
outsiders. Taylorvile Miner.