The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1900-09-28
STRIKE CAUSES.
CONTINUED from F9rst Paqe.

II ---~-r--------- ts 3Nff
Continued from First Page.
for u 25 pound key. 1t is true that
they can buy the same grade from
dealers for ST.. so, but it would cost
them the difference to cart it and
store it. Powder isn't commodity
like sugar. Railroads will not carry
/ it,; it must be carried. 1t must be
/ housed in an isolated building and
1guarded by reliable men, if the re-
quirements of the law are lived up to.
Now, the mines are not in the cities,
and it absurd to think that the in
dividual miner can go to all this ex-
pense for powder. So the company
takes the matter out Of his hands and
charges him for it, which is no more
than right. m
I" When the operators and employees
agreed on the last scale Of wages, the
miners accepted 50. rs as the price for
| powder without murmur. The
1 powder issue is but an imaginary
grievance that has emanated from the
fertile brains Of those who have TO-
mented this strike, and is used to de-
ceive the public. 1t is as senseIess as
the issue they make that the bosses
have favorites to whom they give cars
to fill while others are idle. This is
not true, as any one who has recently
been in the mining districts viii
.vouch for. The opposite is the case.
Business has been SO brisk that the
companies have had not enough cars
to fill their orders,and they would have
worked the men ten hours instead Of
nine, had they the cars with which
to get the coal out of the mines.
Again, fancy boss having favorites
in a mine where from 7C0sto !, COO
men are working. The boss hasn't
time for favoritism.
Now word as to the manner Of
men the miners are. Originally the
mines were worked by Welsh and Irish
5lul SIdutS, WIN WOLC A1Ai1oAo VI uAo
highest skill. Gradually these have
grown old, and have given up the
work. Their sons, being American
born, in the great majority of cases
have higher aims than the lot of
miners life, and they are the clerks,
teachers, business men, and even mine
owners where their fathers once.
delved. To take the places of these
men, Hungarians, Slavs and Poles
have been imported. They are an in
ferior race to the sturdy Welsh and
Irish stock, and as rule are ignorant,
Incorporate and easily influenced.
AS workmen they are not in the same
class with their predecessors. They
form seventy we per cent of the
strikers. Now among these foreigners,
agitators have been working for the
past six months or more. They have
held secret meetings, and addresses
have been made to them where they
have been told that their poverty was
due to the greed of the operators, and
not to their spendthrift habits. as is
actually the case. They were worked
up gradually to the point where,
if the leaders ordered a strike, itsmet
i their hearty support, and being largely
in the majority, the Welsh, Irish and
American miners were forced to go
out with item. 1t can truthfully be
said that the great majority of these
Il men were compelled to strike, much
i against their will To illustrate this.
!, met Welsh miner in hardware
store in Will5esbarre the other day.
He looked to be man of superior in
telligence, and drew him into CON
versation. He told me that he and
his 1S-year- old son had made $120
during the past month, and that he
was indeed sorry to strike. The poor
man couldn't bear to be called a
scab, and went out with the rest.
This strike was undoubtedly the
y out come Of contemplate double
y Edeal'N 1t is common knowledge in all
the mining centers that President
Mitchell, Of the Miners Union, I'M
augurated the strike only When he
learned that he would not be bought
! off by the Republicans leaders 1t is
we'll known fact also that emissaries
! of the Democratic leaders have been
] fomenting discontent among the
! miners for 4 long time. 1t is generally
known, too, that Mitchell didnot ex-
pect to call the men out ten hours be-
! fore he issued his order. On the whole /
! would say that the strike is but the out
come Of political deal which was
. made to reflect on the President and his
administrati n Theanipers who have
been so prosperous during the past
four years are now made the tools of
inscriptions politicians. The strike
! was made to injure their best friend. =
q