Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-01
vox PoPULI, vOx DEF.
Tho People Tell tho Coat nnrons That
They Claim an Interest la tho Ma
TONS Coal Fields.

Snys the Chicago Farmers Voice;
There have been two phases devel-
oped In this strike which are worthy
of more than passing notice, One II
the frNternnl relations which appear
TO exist between union men and those
who, while not affiliated with the I'M
ion, yet are 80 impressed with the JUS
tice OF the demands Of the union men
as 10 stand with them for what they
deemed their rights The Importance
of this cannot he oycrestimnted, and
were II 10 become the rule, labor,
which stands for so large n proportion
of the entire population, would eNpc'
riencc no difficulty In securing liz full
share Of It's own products II has been
workman ngnlnst workman TO which
has been due In large part the failure
OF labor as whole 10 impress itself
with that power which really nheres
IN II, aud which some day must be felt
by the world, The other phases are
the unusual influences which have
been brought TO bear upon the mine
owners and railway monopolsts them
selves and which have compelled the
q ncesslons NlreOdy granted, Never
before have the controllers Of natures
grcnt resources been told In language
so plain thu they must administer
their trust with better sense aud grace
or there would be change In the
trustccship; never before have men
who usually stand for the rights Of the
rich, whether or no, come 10 see 50
clearly the peculiar conditions which
attach to natural monopolles and the
obligations which their control Inn
pose, and TO speak their mind so lrcc-
ly, And the effect upon the coNl bar
ons and controlling railway systems
has been inmcdNtc,
For instance, here Is what the
Times-llerald of this city, the organ
Of 0rlstocrncy, has TO say on the sub
Jcct; "'Fhc monopoly Of natures sup
plies could not receive better Illus
tration than II has in the coal fields,
Locked up in the state Of Pcnnsylv0-
mia Is practically all of natures ma
terlnl Of n certain sort which Is im-
mcdiNtcly accessible 10 the people Of
CHS country, and II Is material upon
which millions depend for heat and
cookery and the running Of multi
pliclty Of great industries, Yet II Is
said that ~ per cent of the producing
territory is directly controlled by nine
railroads, while the remaining per
cent. is under their domination, And
while the number Of men which they
employ in the mines Is large, II Is not
one-hundrcdth part as large MS that
public whic" Is obliged 10 seek one
OF the Indispensable accessories Of life
from those same corporations and
wngc-wOrl.crs, II X clear, therefore,
that there is n radical difference be-
tween this trade rs II Is managed and
The ordinary private business, and
that no purullism can he instituted
between them. Neither operator nor
miner can say that the strike Is his
exclusive affair II is the affair also
OF the people who must have the conl,
and who have right to protest
against eXorbitant prices, Nor do
we have 10 appeal 10 modern sociology
cal doctrines to Justify this assertion,
The monopoly by its tyranny over
trade really otIcnds against the rundn-
mental principles Of the common law.
Whether we cnn II arbitration or not,
some method, and that of compL-
sorry character, will have 10 he adopted
To safeguard the interests Of the peo.
pie In such controversies. \ tribunal
should he established TO pronounce up
on them whose constitution would he
a guaranty Of fairness and whose de-
crecs should I've obligatory and final"
Whether we altogether agree with the
remedy or not, IL Is an encouraging
sign OF the times that such newspapers
have caught n glmmer of the truth
which lies at the foundation Of the
strickland all other social and eco
monte differences. More light on the
subject will direct the way TO per.
manent reform.