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
the whole anthracite coal field, with the
exception of the Delaware, Lackawanna
and Western miners. inaugurated a strike
under the name of a suspension. This
was not inaugurated to shorten the hours
of labor nor against a reduction of wages,
nor for the advancement of wages, but 1t
was for the establishment of a system
what we termed basis and that meant our
wages should he regulated by the price
q
viz: when the coal would bring S. 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 her miners
from Carbondale to Bears Gap had their
fixed basis claimed, but ! must admit
| these were very slippery and fiimsy, as 1t
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 1869, which was to regu-
| late the market. Whenever the market
would be glutted with coal a 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 well can l remember at a
| mass meeting held in Fellows hall in
HYDE l'alk, about the 18th day of June,
| 1862 the urpracticalness and unfairness
of the plan were stated by such men as
| Thomas Barrow. James Oliver. Law
| renee Duhigg, Patsy Mahon, William j.
| Price, David Mosier Henry Lelghtner'
| Thomas II. 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 We're present
| as spectators.
The grand council WAS composed OF
John Gardner of Jermyn; Mcdonald, OF
Pittston: Y. NJ. Williams. of Wilkes
| Barre; Tom Edwards, of the middle coa
field: james keeley, of Columbia county
| the Kemps, of Carbon county; Platt, oi
Hazleton, and John Siney, of Schuylkill
county. All the privilege that was given
to the delegate from Hyde Park was tt
| make a. statement of the reason why
| the Delaware, Lackawapna and Western
| miners would not suspend work with al
| the others from one end to the other II
the anthracite coal field. and here 1t Is
| We wanted the middle coal field ano
Schuylkill county to establish stipu
| lated days WORK, the same as lIackd
wanna miners had. For instance, sever
ears constitute a days work in the Dit
| monl vein, and so on in other veins anc
| no more and that we would not suspend
| work until those regulations were adopt
| ed by them for according to the presen
| rule of working with The lower Goa
| regions every one loads as many cars a:
| he can; II he had a good place he W ul(
load twenty or thirty cars day; ant
also the striking business that they had
in vogue. we wanted some restriction or
that before we would suspend work.
OUTSIDE DICrATION.
Something like that vas the message
| Of our delegate. l have forgotten who
the delegate was for sure. but it was
either Thomas II. Morgan or John +
Lewis, but it's immaterial about that
I can remember the report that HI
brought back as given at a mass meet
ing in Fellows hall, Hyde Park. Th'
Hyde Park delegate had no voice In any
thing. lie should not vote on any ques
tion. nor take part in any of the dis
cussions: all the privilege that they wert
| willing to grant him was silent sea
In the council. So he Withdrew from thu
council and returned home, and the,
were the sole dictators in our business
interest and, by the way, If / am no
| greatly mistaken, we are drifting to en-
| dure the same treatment at the hands O
the United Mine Workers of America tina
we had in the year 1863, when We wer'
driven into a strike for three months
through agitation and intimidation o
outsiders. Taylorville Miner.
Try "Hotel Jermyn" cigar, 1oc. -