The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-10-14
ON THE RUN


Ii is now evident that the coal
barons are on the run. Certain il is
hatthey are not keeping their prom
Use TO mine coal should they be given
protection. Ten thousand soldiers
are surrounding the mines. but they
report that there are few miners to
protect.
The New York Mail and Express. in
commenting on the situation. has the
following to say:
The coal operators have declared that
all that Is necessary is protection Tor
their property and for men willing 10
work TO enable them to resume the on.
Grafton OF the mines and the shipment of
coal They have now suddenly ahau-
doned that claim and through Mr.. vii
cox vice president and general manager
OF the Delaware and Hudson Comnanv
called upon the President to have n s,,;,
brought against the United Mine Work
ers Association as an illegal combination
under the Sherman Antitrust Art nj
1870, as in restraint of interstate com
merce.
This Is a futile move, and one thar l.
calculated to weaken the position of rho
operators, II ii does not turn the vveanon
they present against themselves for
there Is much more likelihood of proceed
hgs against the anthracite railroad and
mining combination than against the
miner association, which has no other
relation TO interstate commerce than
that OF affecting the production If n
commodity with which il is concerned
Mr.. Nllcox's legal reasoning i certain
~ extraordinary. Ii is in effect that coal
Is an important article Ofinterstate com
herce ana must be produced from thu
mines IN order 10 enter into the com
merce. The miners association under
takes to control the terms of labor In IN,
production. and, therefore to determine
whether II shall be produced at all there
oy exercising the power not merely TO re.
s'rain out 10 destroy interstate com
ineree IN that particular commodity.
inns application 70 the President IL q
practical aband oment Of the Dreviors
claims OF the companies The respopsi
putty Tor mining and Transporting an
tnraclte Is upon them. provided they re
cleNe the iull protection OF the law In
uer that protection they must emplov
men Tor the work upon such terms a.
they Will accept.tOr men cannot beforced
10y law TO work upon anv terms bpt
their own. Are the operators ready 10
admit that they cannot work The
mines and keep up the traffic in coal up
on their own terms for labor? If so the
miners have won, and other terms must
be accepted.
Secretary Moody in a'speech in Wis.
consin said that the duty OF GO cents
ton on coal was ''smuggled into
-
the Tariff Act in a sneaking and
cowardly manner" Comingfrom So
high source. this charge should he
investigated, so that the blame can
be clearly placed. This duty is only
one example of how the Dinglev Law
works, and proves better than anv
argument that there is "a need of re
vision.
II there were no duty on coal we
could now be getting fuel not only |
from Wales but from Canada. which /
Is much nearer home. They have an
excellent quality of coal there and
the cost of shipment being largely bv
water, would hardly be more than
cost OF transporting from the Penn
sylvania or Maryland coaIfelds to
the seaboard cities.
Whoever sneaked the duty on coal
into the Dingley Bill ought to be held
up to public execratiOn, as there has
never been any reason for imposing
IT, 1t being a natural product. and
not in need OF protection as an Gin
FAINT industry"