Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-02-21
Sermons by the People. |

(By R. Williams. of Kel

| notice in the last edition of the
Miners Journal in the report to the
national convention, they ratified the
ril /, 1902. While this might not
meet the approval of the radical ele-
ment of our craft the conservative
elements will say amen to it for, af-
ter watching the proceedings of the con-
vention daily, it was evident from the
start that this was all that could be at
tanned at this time for statistics be-
fore us show that it only found one
half of the miners of the United
States organized. Again. when one
looks back few years and sees how
the miner has advanced it leads us to
feel happy over the result of this de-
termination that the hours of labor
have been reduced from ten to twelve
in working in the dark cayerns of the
earth. to eight hours. Our wages
have been raised until the trapper
now receives as much per day as the
head of the family received for COM
mon labor twenty years ago. 1t has
been only few years since the miner
would not dare to put up notice call
ing a meeting of his fellows. If he
did he would wait until after dark to
do it, and then would sign no name.
If he did he would be discharged,
fact well known to all miners. To-
day he can post up his notice, sign his
name to it, and ask the boss for tacks
to put it,up, without fear of anyone.
Let us ask ourselves what has
brought this around. Organization
and establishment of condolences with
employer. 1t has only been few
years since we had the pleasure of the
joint conference with our employer.
But now one can meet them face to
face and discuss our troubles as they
come up.
These are only few things we
might mention in this letter that one
has gained So it will be wise for our
coming state convention to ratify in
the main just what our national con-
vention has done. According to our
present agreement it would not be
wisdom on our part to ask an advance
for our mining or day labor above
those of our competitors in the mar
ket. and by so doing shut out home
trade. We should not expect to get
it for the agreement is not based on
business principles, and our present
agreement has been lived UP to in the
main. We have had the best years
work the Iowa miner ever saw, at bet
ter pay than he has received for a
number of years. We have gained
recognition for our organization and
merited the confidence of our employ
er. Let us work to maintain it, that
in the future this can be accomplished
by following the example of our ma
tional convention.
The editor of the Journal truthfully
says that the day for bluffing has gone
and one must mean business. If we
find that there was some small mis-
take in the making of the agreement
or something was overlooked for the
benefit of our craft, let us rectify
them, but by all means let us look to
the interest of the miners by working
to maintain our present trade and
court administration of the public by
doing as well as our employers. A
miners greatness consists in honor
and integrity not bluffing Let us re-
member this in our deliberations and
hope that our state convention will be
harmonious one, and one that will
work with the largest number of our
people and strive to maintain the time
one now has, which is the best the
world ever saw.