The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-10-24

ing to remedy and to instruct you as
to sycdrt duty concerning them. Eight
days later they again appeared before
you, dropping the commonplace Judge,
and proposing to abide by the verdict
Of a tribunal appointed by you, but at
tempting to describe within a fixed and
narrow limit the character and voca-
ton Of the men o were to am To
this proposition as the operators made
it we were Eunalterably opposed.
But now that YOU have yourself re-
moved the objections, by broadening
and strengthening the conditions we
feel confident our convention will de-
clare its Willingness to have the ques-
tons between the employing compan-
les and IS per cent Of their employees,
members of our organization, deter
mined by the board of eminent and i'm
partial 1nen$chosen by you've feel
grateful to you for the patriotic efforts
which you have made to bring about
an honorable settlement Of the strike:
efforts which5you continued despite the
remarkable spirit and conduct which.
you at first found in the company man
ayers. We were in q position to sym
pathize with you,s inasmuch as we have
long been forced to endure arrogance.
insults and false witness from the same
source. Our gratitude is due to YOU. to
the American people, and the press
WAIS AAnFS ooPPO1L Co$yO0 Jill us ia the
long struggle which we hope is about to
close. 8@
II our proffer Of arbitration or I'M
partial investigation had been accepted
six months ago instead#of now there
need have been no strike. We have
been eager to respond to the peoples
demand for coal. During the strike
we have more than once offered arbi-
tration, but have invariably been met
Wi h nHrsar,J : .ESIg yTT ~N .-s3 -.AtgA--zrE u
outsiders to dictate to us in the man
agement of our affairs. We have moth
Ing to a~rbitrate.'s Now that The man
agers5o OF the companies have been conn
PEELED by you and a thoroughly aroused
public conscience to recede from this
position, we appeal t them now as
we have from the first to cooperate
with us in an effort to establish better
relations between employers and en-
ployes for the advantage OF both. We
forgive them their arrogant refusal to
deal with us, and In this hour, when
they are forced to acknowledge their
inability to operate their mines with
out U consent and cooperation, we
hold out b right hand Of Fellowship
and ask them to Join us In securing
amicable relations and wholesome con-
ditions in this regfon.$W e forgive them
even the false accusations which they
have made against us.
1.-THE pretense of the operators that
they were unable to produce coalabe-
cause intimidation kept from work
men who were Willing. to work has been
proven false by the fact that the pro-
lection which they demanded has de-
creased rather than Increased the
number of men mining coal. A hum
drsd thousand troops could not have
enabled the operators to start their
mines, for the simple reason that the
men who worked them9are members OF
the United Mine workers, men who
were determined to stand to the last
for their right to organize,and through
their organization to- demand better
Wagessand Improved conditions Of EN-
ploymeIt,
THE recognition of our strength,
forced upon the operators BY stern
necessity, we exuit over, not III any
narrow spirit, butbecaiuse we believe
II marks asforward step towards a new
era Upon DISCRIMINATION laid through
this war we are ready to Join with
them In building Tor better equations
and long and lasting peace.