Arizona silver belt., 1901-08-15
LABOR'S NEW CHAMPION.


 cently-the editorial on the Jerome strike in its issue of August 5, and it's unbroken silence on the same subject since. The editorial was remarkable for the vehemence with which the Re- publican espoused the cause of the strikers, as we'll as its seeming ignor- ance of the situation at Jerome, for the Republican IS usually we'll in- formed. The editorial would occasion no comment if 1t were not so radical and contrary to its customary attitude on the labor question. In common with other republican organs it has in dulged Tn ali the platitudes commonly employed to convince its readers that labor IS receiving its full share of re- ward from the unprecedented prosper ity the country IS enjoying by the grace of William Mckinley, president. During the last political campaign the ''full dinner pail' was one of the re- publicans stock argumnnts, and "Gen- eral Prosperity was paraded on every occasion.
 The motive which prompted the edi- torial referred to was evidently politl- cal. It was an attempt to discredit Clark who as United States senator, owning the most valuable mining property in Arizona, IS supposed to be a factor of some importance in Ari- zona politics The Republican could have made n stronger case against Sen ator Clark by plain statement of facts, instead of lampoonlng him in language that has no place in the vo. cabulary of refined journalism. Sena- tor Clark Is no saint, neitber is he n philantrophist. We even suspect that Tn granting the eight hour work day to his employees in Montana he was in huenced by the desire to force the hand of his old enemy, Marcus Daly, and of the Amalgamated Copper com pany, and make political capital for himself, rather than with any idea of bettering the condition of his miners, and having made this concession in Montana, in order to preserve sem blance of consistency, he gave miners at Jerome eight hour shifts, also.
 The men classed as miners at the United Verde are but small minority in the total of employees. The help CTS and top men outnumber them probably seven to one. Therefore, Clark could afford to grant eight hour shifts and S3.50 wages to the few when the many were working l2 hours at S2.25 per day. We understand that the wages of surface men, or some of them, was recently raised to g. 50, and they have strnck for an eight hour day, not an unreasonable demand from those who work about the furnaces and in other places where the labor is hard
 The Republican editorial conveys the idea that they are the miners who have struck, which is not the case. Many of them, it is true, are idle, for the reason that when the surface men struck work in the mine was necessar- fly curtailed. We judge that it will be more difficult to maintain q success ful strike at Jerome than in most other mining camps, for the reason that the United Verde's force is continually changing-men are coming and going at all times and few have any fixed in- terest in the camp. Several hundred are reported to have left Jerome with in two or three days after the strike was declared, and should the shut down continue any great length of time few could remain even though they were so disposed. Furthermore the striking surface men are not likely to receive the earnest support of the miners whose wages and hours of h. Dor are satisfactory to them.
 But why the profound silence on the Jerome strike in the Republican editorial columns since its issue of August 5, when it concluded its skin ming of Senator Clark with the follow ing pledge to the strikers:
 "Men of Jeromel We are with you. We hope you will win. You ought to win your eight hour day We will fight for you with pen and pocket book.