The bee., 1901-06-13
of every kind of la

| DOI.
We do not wish to be under
stood in this connection as being
opposed to labor, or opposed to
labor having its just reward for
every effort and energy expended.
But labor organized to destroy
capital becomes as oppressive as
does capital to oppress labor. 1t
also destroys the individuality of
the men and places the matter of
strikes in the hands of few men
who are frequently irresponsible
and not the friends of either la
Dor or capital.
We wish to review the situa-
ton in Hopkins county. We
shall do this in a calm and dis
passionate manner. What is the
result from the agitation that has
existed here for the past six
months? In what way has the
mine owners, the miners, the
farmers, the merchants, the peo-
pie at large been benefited in the
least? Have the men who are
here for the purpose of organiza-
ton been benefited?
During that time two men have
lost their lives in battle that
occurred between the contending
forces. Five men have been ar
rested, indicted, tried, and three
of them are now in jail with the
verdict of a jury which says that
they must serve a term in the
penitentiary. The trial which
has just ended has been one of
the most bitterly contested of
any that was ever known in the
history of the county. The peo-
pie have as a result been worked
up to the very highest pitch of
excitement, while threat after
threat has been lndulged in with
reference to those who did not
see things alike. The trial has
been a tax, a heavy tax to the
people and the end is not. Law
yers have had fat fees from both
sides and still there is more
money needed to defend and to
prosecute the cases.
The mine owners have been
put to heavy expense in the way
of guards to protect the property
which they have had good rea-
sons to believe has been in jeop-
ardy. For this thing aloEe thev
have spent thousands of dollars
out of their own pockets. That
they have not called upon the
county to foot these bills. though
that was their right to do is to
their credit. When they believed
their interests were in danger,
they could have demanded that
the county should furnish pro-
lection, but rather than place a
heavy tax upon the people, they
have shouldered the burdens
themselves.
Since the Mine Workers have
been in the town it has been
found necessary to increase the
police force, but whether it was
necessary, or whether their pres
ence was the cause, one thing is
certain, it has cost nearly double
for police protection that it did
formerly. While we do not
charge these men with that Of
fense, since their advent into our
town and county, there has been
an unusual amount of shooting
on the streets at night and the
custom of carrying concealed
deadly weapons has grown to
great proportions.
Since the coming of the Mine
Workers into our county, per-
haps two hundred men who were
engaged in mining and who were
making good wages, have quit
their Jobs and now these same
men find themselves without any
means of support whatever.
1t is the sheerest folly for any
one who can see, who can reason,
or who can think, to take the po-
sition that the coming of the
Mine Workers to the county has
been an advantage in any way
whatever. Outside the saloons
and few boarding houses, no
business has been benefited.
The farmers have not sold a dol
lars worth of produce that they
would not have sold otherwise.
Business of no kind, except that
mentioned above has been bene-
flied in the least.
The men who are at the head
of the move are not Hopkins
county men. They are from
other places and some of them
from other countries: they are
white and black, men who have
no money invested in property