The bee., 1901-06-13

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appeal to the passions, or the
prejudices of the people. We
want to use simple arguments
and plead for our county and for
our institutions. We are honest
in our opinion that the presence
of these men in our county is a
menace to the best interests of
every kind of business. We be-
lieve that to turn the affairs of
our county over into the hands
of incompetents, to take from our
people the right TO manage their
own affairs would mean the re-
tarding of our prosperity and
that it would in the end mean the
destruction of property that in
the past has paid its full share of
the burdens of taxation.
Perhaps it would be wise for
the mine operators to turn their
business over to the men who
are now at the head Of affairs in
the way of organizing the mines.
Perhaps it would be a good thing
for the farm hands to be organ
lied so that they could go on, a
strike when the grass gets thick
est and highest, perhaps it would
be best for the tobacco factories
to be organized so that when the
purchaser has a lot of the weed
that is about to spoil that the
hands could 90 on a strike while
the tobacco rots in the bulk. Per-
haps it would be well enough to
organize everything so that the
man who has his money invested
in any of these enterprises could
at all times be at the mercy of
the whims and caprices of those
whom he may have under his
employ. Yes perhaps it would
be better that all this should be
done, but if so we fail to see it
in that light.
From the time the first bushel
of coal was mined in the county
until the advent Of the agitators,
there was security felt for life
and property, peace and har-
mony, with good feeling between
employer and employe, that ex-
listed no where else on the face
of the earth.
We believe the good people of
this county are awakening to the
importance of the situation.
They can see the drift of things
lad ,i.ey feel that the business
interests of the county are worth
all and everything to our citi-
zens. They feel that the mines
that have put into circulation
more than a half million dollars
annually, and this into the pock-
cts of the people, must be pro-
tected from those who would de-
stroy that prosperity. Year by
bear we have seen Hopkins
county prosper as no other
county in the State has pros
pered. We have seen happy
and contented people. We have
seen the mine owner and the
mine employe worshiping at the
same shrine, have seen them
walking and talking together in
the Office on terms of the most
intimate equality. We have
seen labor and capital going to-
gether hand in hand and each
one ready to aid or defend the
other. The people of Hopkins
county are not willing to see the
whole thing changed, nor are
they willing to attempt any new
or untried experiment at pres
ent.
We believe it to be to the best
interests of all, without regard
to trade or profession, that the
property owners of Hopkins
county should have the privilege
under the law of managing their
own affairs. We feel that this
is the safe and conservative view
to take of the whole matter and
viewing it as we do, we are op-
posed to the United Mine Work
ers being permitted to manage
these affairs for the people. Let
Hopkins county people manage
Hopkins county affairs at all
times and under all circum-
stances.