New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-21
THE MINERS MISTAKE.

THE MINERS MISIAhE
without knowing much about the particular
grievances of the striking anthracite coal
miners the average citizen will probaoy Oh
general principles be inclined to sympathNe
with them. No class of lahorers In TINS couh-
trv have harder conditions OF existence anu
with the development of mining machinery the
prospects ir their trade are most gloomy Many
keen observers who have studied the subject
are inclined to believe that apart from any
grievances which might be removed by more
inst or more generous employers, the coal
minor is being forced 10 the wall by conditions
Of no mans creation and beyond any mans OF
set of mems power 10 change. However thaI
NAV be- he is a traditional type or the over
bUrdened and unhappy toiler. He was SO
known in England three-quarters of century
100 and that reputation follows him here, per-
hans partly from a trick Of the IMAGINATION
transferring to him the darkness and grlml-
ness of the mines SO when anybody hedrs
that the coal miners are striking his impulse
is to wish that they may get what they want
and it is easy to stir up popular feeling in their
behalf if they will only be moderately reason
able in their conduct
When, however, the miners organization be-
gins its strike with an insistenee that all miners
shall repudiate their obligations TO employers
who are dealing honestly and fairly with hem,
simply for the purpose of Gripping whole
industry and running the good as we'll as the
bad engaged in 1t, then they repel natural
sympathy and tend TO raise every mans hand
against them for their hand is raised against
every man We know the arguments made in
behalf of such methods. 1t is said that II the
operators against whom there Is no grievance
are allowed 10 work their mines the teup VIII
not be complete, and so the effectiveness of the
strike will be destroyed. So intimidation OF
the West End miners. who are perfectly salts
fed with their conditions Of labor and insist
ence on making them punish their just en-
ployer for the sins of other employers in other
places is defended. The doctrine is carried TO
| further extremes at Jeddo, where the operators
have long standing arbitration agreement
with their men. which they have hitherto
| kent and now in the face of demands Of their
| miners are proceeding to carry out. The labor
| union leaders insist that the miners must re-
| pudate this contract and go on strike even II
! their demands are complied with-that is, the
union announces to the country that the en-
ployer who endeavors to meet their views.
| establish the arbitration system they advocate
! and deal Justly with them wastes his time,
! for the union at its own convenience, and with
no grievance, will treat him as badly as its
worst enemy. This responsibility of unions
|
| labor situation An English court recently
| pointed this out and laid down the rule that
associations permitted under the law to exer-
| else the great powers and privileges allowed
| TO labor unions must be held to an account
ability for the consequences of their acts The
abuse Of that power made injunctiOns neces-
| sary. for If a body of men could do damage
for which nobody individually or collectively,
could be held responsible, then the safety Of
society required preventive measures.
The only rule of conduct which will justify
the unions reputation Of arbitration agree
ments and interference with just employers, is
that all is fair in a strike as we'll as in love
and war. In fact, the union practice means
nothing less than war. war between two classes
of men, as classes, not as individuals which
abrogates ali treaties, silences all laws. That
is the doctrine that the demagogues preach.
On the one side all labor, the other all
CAPITAL. When some labor has a dispute with
some capital. the whole nation of laborers must
enlist against the whole nation of capital. The
Just employer, private friend, must be treated
) as a public enemy and his business destroyed
J That is what the adventurers who would array
7 class against class work for. and unfortunately
some labor unionists help them in their work
But that is not the spirit of American institu
tions. Our society is composed not of classes
but of individuals. In it there are good employ
! ers and bad employers, good workmen and bat
2 workmen. and each should stand on his owl
: merits and he treated by his fellows accord
t ing TO his individual deserts. He is an enemy
4 TO American civilization TO the manhood OF
t which it is founded, who would substitute fo
: that individual right and responsibility class
. | alignment and force on this country system
= under which the good workman must degrad
e himself to the work and wages of the bad work
e man, and the good employer must be treated
e as the bad one. That means levelling dow
l. | TO the worst.