The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-02-28

Just demands as far as he was at liber.
ty to act independently. He told them
he was going to Cleveland the next day
to confer with the other mine owners
and would use all bis influence to get
the others to agree to the rise In wages.
He repeated, his offer to treat with the
thousand or more men employed In the
Champion mines at any time they
chose to return. As he closed he made
an appeal to the men to use reason and
spoke Of the religious influence that SO
far had prevailed for the good Of the
community.
There ran through the whole Of Stu
arts speech this second time passion
ate desire to be understood as man
before men. He had never before had
such longing to be understood; neither
had he ever felt the gap between himself
and the men to be SO wide and deep.
As has been said. 1t Is doubtful II parts
Of his speech were understood at all by
the men.
AS soon as he finished there was n
great uproar Of applause and shouts.
Eric himself could not restore quiet.
The committee politely asked Stuart
to leave the park while the union went
into a conference over his proposals.
Stuart was glad to get away. He felt
exhausted with his unusual effort.
1t was 3 o'clock in the afternoon
when Eric came to the house with the
news Of the decision reached by the
miners union. Stuart at once saw by
his face that the situation was serious.
"The men voted by large majority
not to 90 back to work till all could go
back on the same terms-that is, they
demanded that all the mine owners rec
ognize the union and make terms with
1t for all the men,"
"Do you mean that the men who
work in the Champion mines refuse TO
accept my offer of the wages they de-
mand"
"Yes-that is. the Champion miners
will not go back until the other owners
make the same terms you make and
make them to the union"
(Which means simply that this strike
is a deadlock" replied Stuart decided
ly, "for know the men at Cleveland,
and they will never agree to any such
terms"
The miners will not agree to any 9TH
er." Eric spoke quietly, but sadly.
Eric" said Stuart suddenly after a
pause, tell me frankly. as brother to
brother, is this a reasonable step for
the men to take? Do you believe the
union will make anything by such &C.
ton? Is 1t just or fair?"
Erics face worked under a PASSION
ate feeling. Then he said: "The men
have a right to combine for mutual
support. In this instance they feel
driven to 1t by their condition. Why
should not labor seek to defend itself
as capital does? You-that Is. I mean
the mine owners generally-get togeth-
er In combine and fix wages. Why
should not the miners get together and
have a say about It? We have been
working for years at the price set by
men at a distance who never saw
mine or a miner, far less went down
into the ground to see what the labor
is. These men sit In nice upholstered
Offices In elegant buildings and make
1t their business to get just as much
out Of the iron ore as they can. The
wages of the men are cut every time
ore falls In price. Instead Of taking 1t
out Of their own large dividends In the
years when they have made enormous
profits every time there Is depression
in the market they cut this end instead
Of theirs. You know this is the case
Stuart.
"Three years ago dozen men in the
iron industry grew to be millionaires
from the profits Of this metal which
God put in the ground for the common
use Of man. During that year the min
ers received only fair wages Since
then financial depression and drop in
the price Of ore have followed. What
do those men do who have in prosper
Gus years made their fortunes? DO
they say, we will draw on this re-
serve, and in order that the miners
may not suffer we will declare smaller
dividends and lose sOmethingT No:
they say at once. Cut down wages. be-
cause ore Is cheaper, and we cannot af-
ford to lose.' And who suffers? Not