Evening star., 1900-10-18
DRIFT TOWARD ! MCKINLEY
CONDITIONS IN wEs VIRGINIA EN-
COURAGE THE RIPuBLucANs.
Increase In Industries and in Wages
Twenty-Five THehs.nd Men
In the Mines.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening STAR

mine political results, it should certainly
have the effect of confirming the drift to-
ward the republican party which was man
ifested In 1895 Coal mines oil wells and
manufacturing plants are the great indus
trial resources. Coal mines Of long stand
ing are working with full force and on
full time and are planning extensive devel-
opment. A number Of new mines have been
opened up and there appears to be no limit
to the progress in this direction, as out OK
the ffty-five counties in West Virginia,
there are only four in which no coal pros
poets have been discovered. The oil fields
on the western border Of the state are of
recent development and scarcely a week
goes by without the announcement of the
striking Of some great flow Of oil in new
fields. All OF the manufacturing plants of
long standing are now at work and the past
twelve months has shown a most satisfac-
tory increase In the number Of Industries
added to the already long list.
In 1895 West Virginia produced IL 7O5 800
tons Of coal. During the past twelve
months the output OF the state has been
20, $4,000 tons. Four years ago q, ,422 men
were employed In and about the mines.
This year the pay rolls carry the names of
2S.0O0 men, twenty-five thousand Of these
being miners employed under ground In
1895 the coal miners only averaged 1877
working days. They were paid 33.2 cents
per ton for coal mined and their average
earnings for that year were $276.S9.
The Contrast.
During the past twelve months the coal
miners of this state have worked 316 days
They have been paid an average Of 43 cents
ton for coal mined, or an increase Of about
30 per cent over the prices Of 1896. The
average earnings of the coal miners during
the past year have been $49S, or over $3.50
more than in 1896. From one-third to one
half of the men employed In the coal mines
are colored and 1t has been extremely diff
ficult for the operators to secure enough
the extent demanded by the increased trade
West Virginia is now shipping coal to all
parts of the world. having secured an un-
usually large proportion OF the American
trade in foreign markets.
There has been remarkable freedom from
labor troubles in this state for some years
past and for three years there has been no
disturbance which could be dignif1ed by the
name of strike anywhere in the state.
The coal operators and owners of manu-
featuring plants have been making money
and have showed an inclination to share
their profits with their employees, for there
has been a distinct increase of wages In
every branch of industry.
The manufacturing Industries of this
state are nearly all INCLUDED or affected by
the market for steel and iron, and West
Virginia has received g. strong impetus
from the prosperity w1ichuhas prevailed In
this branch Of trade dnfihg5the past two or
three years. Glass. pottery and tinplate
mills have sprung up along the banks OF
the Ohio river In great: plumbers. The tin
plate mills have been|idieA for some time
past, pending the arTangeanent' of scale
a result Of a meeting held in New York
this month. The labor of West Virginia is
thoroughly we'll organized, The skilled
workmen earn good wages and are very in
dependent. The condition of the state was
very bad in 1896. and these iworkmen, .hav-
ing confidence in their "etfpfoyers, believed
what was told them tns regard to national
politics and voted the republican ticket, us
being to their best interests. These men
will vote the republican, ticket again this
year. though not to so osgFeat an extent as
they did four years ago" The very feeling
of independence arising from their present
naturally democratic in their affiliations 10
vote for Mr.. Bryan.
New Plants In Operation.
The labor commissioner of West Virginia
has Just issued his report for the current
year. This report shows that nearlyD 300
new manufacturing plants have been es-
tablished in West Virginia since 1899. the
total number now being about 500 employ
ing in all over 10000 men. During the past
year 305 Of these plants have increased the
wages paid. The new plants started this
year employ over 10000 men and represent
new capital invested to the amount of S23,-
100000 The towns which have secured
the greater part Of this increase in busi-
ness are Charleston. Clarkesburg, Fair
mont. Montgomery. Morgantown, Hunting
ton. Parkersburg. Sistersville and Wheel
ing
The coal miners of West Virginia are
largely republican. and 1t may be expected
that the coal counties win show republican
pfuralfties possibly equal to those given in
1896. In speaking of the conditions in the
coal regions Of the southern part Of the
state, democrat, who lives among the
miners said:
Il am a democrat. and voted for Mr.
Bryan in 1896. 1 shall vote for him again
this year. but l must say candidy that
l do not believe there Is much enthusi-
asm for the democratic candidate this year
in my section of the state as there was
In 1896. / am a railroad man. and travel
constantly through the southern coal re-
gions of West Virginia. 1 live in a mining
town My neighbors on my right and my
neighbors on my left are coal miners who
have families and who are doing better
now than they ever have before. I have
talked to great many of these miners in
regard to the political situation. and, as
one of them said to me. We don't dare
vote for Bryan because we are afraid there
might be some change in the conditions
which now prevail at these mines.' This
man expressed the sentiments of nearly all
of them. They may say they are not sat
isfied. but they do not want to go back to
the conditions of four years ago, when
they were barely earning enough to keep
themselves and families from starving TO
death. H. IL
His Belief.
Among the railroad men I think there
will be a slightly increased vote for Mr..
Bryan, for many Of the men were gold
democrats I'm 1896, and they do not believe
there is so much danger from free silver If
the democratic party goes into power now
as there was four years ago. In 1896 near
ly all of our managers were strongly in
favor OF the republican national ticket, and
they organized the men the best they could
to vote for that ticketso This year they are
not so active by any means; and while we
know they favor the republican ticket. they
are not working for ziS tfs year as they did
in in, 1896 t'. so far as Ws, hases been able to
The statement made, hs this railroad man
Is really the keynote 4sifsthe political situa-
tion in West Virginia. rtEday,fAnd the atti-
tude of indifference assumed by the large
employers Of labor isl,,the inspiration of all
democratic hopes. Il the state should be
lost to the republicans party. 1t will be due
to the lukewarmness OF sthose who have
benefited most from this era Of prosperity.
D, WHELPLEY
SEPTEMBER INTERNAL REVENUE.
-r>g
Statement Of Receipts Shows q De.
crease From fTsn n YEAR