Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-10-02


MERGE. an old and conservative journal,
contains the following sensible observa-
tions concernieg the strike of the coal
miners and the hardships their course is
inAicting upon the country
"The coal strike is an object lesson
which at least has the merit OF bring
inc home to everybody the posi-
bilities of abuse inherent in the accepted
methods of organized labor. The more
clearly the consequences attending a
suspension of anthracite coal mining are
understood the molepreposterous does II
appear that any body of men should
have the power to infiict on the COM
munity an amount of hardship, suffering
ard incidental loss of life, comparable
only to that which might attend "a con-
dition of civil war. Want of fuels only
a less serious deprivation than thewant OF
bread, and in cold weather a coal famine
would be as destructive as pestllence.
If a bread famine were to be created III
our great cities by the refusal OF the
millers to grind -four, no amount OF re-
spect for the rights of property or OF
labor would stand in the way of making
very short work of sucha situation. AS
the fact that fuel is as Indispensable as
food becomes painfully manifest, those
who are stopping its supply will have to
reckon with a public sentiment quite as
little disposed to argue the case as would
he millions of famished people. 1T Is
one thing to reason about the right to
labor or not to labor; the right to operate
mines ornot to operate them; and quite
different thing to stand helplessly by
while sick people, old people and infants
are perishing for lack of the heat whose
source of supply had been arbitrarily cut
off. Public patience, pretty well ex-
hausted already, will not stand test
like this; labor movement which de-
nands such sacrifices will be stamped
out as if it were centre OF contagion.
That there are among the miners many
who are willing to return to work but foI
the fear of violence TO themselves and
their families, is sufficiently well attest
ed; that those charged with the execu-
ton of law in certain regions of the
State of Pennsylvania are powerless to
extend to these men adequate protection
is demonstrated by every days news. Ii
is at this point that the most serious
aspect of the peril attending the
virtually irresponsible despotism OF
the trades unions reveals itself
the disposition of men in pubic
position to truckle to it. The
Governor of the State of Pennsylvania Is
neither better nor worse than the major
ity of our public men in trying to make
the enforcement of the law agreeable to
those in whose interest it is being broken.
A man holding an elective office does
not require to be hardened practical
politician to be very much disposed tc
cultivate the labor vote, and very much
afraid to challenge its hostility. Ever
President Roosevelt made some quite
unnecessary concessions to what he sup
posed to be the demands of this vote II
his first message to Congress"
The deplorable condition of affair
brought on by the strike is nationa
calamity. 1t has put out the fires il
countless humble homes and numberles
factories stand with motionless wheei
and idle hands, awaiting the fiat o
the man who ordered the miners TO qui
work and who has the power to cal
them on again at his own sweet will