The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-09-27
GREAT COAL
STRIKE.
pLNNSYLVANIA COAL MIN
RS STRIKE FOR LIV-
ING WAGES.
PREACHERS lake SIDES WIN TINE
MINERS


,Jgkrr- Hold Immense Mass Mee,ta~
Operators Employing spie. to Watch
thr Nen-A Coal Famine Predicted.
a cOrrespondent Of the Philadel-
pt.a Telegraph, writing from Ha-
1.r'oa III the heart OF the great au-
,'ra"te coal region in Pennsylvania,
-ty4: -
There never was strike. Ike
This. organized labor was never 80
,kulfuliy. handled, and instead of ex-
Noting its greatest strength at the
out'et,s is daily Igathering momen-
tpm, Gripping mine after mine, to
the Astonlshment OF Operators and
the entire country. But while the
-lrike leaders are active the opera
lor7 are by mo-. means Idle. They
are. planning To break the back OF
me strike, and they do not hesitate
To use spies III order to learn the
weak points of the enemy's line.
THESE spies are sent into the strikers
homes, and the. result OF the move
ment Is likely to bring about start
Ing developments, but certain it is
that the effect OF the. operators plans
cannot be long delayed. One sug-
gestion has been maae that the OPP
orators Will work quietly among
the men, endeavoring to induce
them to return. to work in certain
coileries lat a specified time, the
mines to be started without the
blowing OF whistle. Should the
plan tail, it is said that the old ,one
Of egglng the men on to violence
VIII De followed in order that the
strength OF the strike might be bro
ken with the military arm OF the
State"
The miners were never more firm
ly united than now. The Miners
Union in the Scranton district now
has membership OF 10000 and is
daily gaining members. At Car
bondale, last Wednesday, big rally
was held, attended by about five
Thousand miners, with their wives
and children. The leading speaker
vas Rev. ii. j. Whalen, ID. D., pas
tor OF the First Baptist church of
Carbondale. Among his parishion-
ers are several large operators and
the attitude Of their pastor is dis
tasteful to them. But DIR. Whalen
80 earnestly espOused the cause OF
the strikers that the talk of disrup-
tiOn i'll his church did not deter him
In the least, and he came out bold
ana strong In behalf OF the strikers.
His gospel to them is TO organize
and keep the faith plighted one to
another. He told them they had
better go back to the mines defeated
as all organization than win their
contention through individual COM
promises. He aroused the men to
a very high pitch OF enthusiasm and
the leaders affirm that it was the
most successful meeting that had
been held since the strike began.
Here are few of his characteristic
utterances:
"You men have just pushed your
head up and struck something. II
is the oppression OF the operators
pressed down upon you. And
beg OF you, In Gods name, in the
name OF the church, in the name OF
your wives and children, never t.
end the struggle you have entered
upon until you have won.
"If you men have not asked fol
enough additional pay to enable YOU
boys logo 10 school and let theil
work he accomplished by men, yot
ought to be ashamed OF yourselves.
"You men have only your hands
They are your capital. The opera
tors have money-capital. They hav
organized theirs. Why should no
the laborer organize his? 1t is prop
er that capital should be organized
and SO should labor.
"This strike is founded on justic
and honesty, and the right mus
eventually win"
1t is said that non-union miner
are not available in the mining n
gion, and operators cannot get me
10 run their mines, even if the stril
ers should offer no resistance. Th
prospects for success were never be-
Ter.
The price Of coal has advance
greatly since the strike, and Coz
famine Is imminent.