The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-05
THIS IS The TINE
Settle the Coal Strike Before Prop
erty Is Destroyed.
THE CLAIMS OF THE MINERS
Are They Justified In Striking r.
Some of the Injustices
Complained Of.
Cow ro-s s., soeesn, .so-v,o. >.


Chicago, June 5.-A special to the Rec
ord Herald from Wilkesbarre, Pa, says:
According to information received the
efforts now being made in New York and
Washington to induce the railroad presi-
dents to arbitrate or settle the coal
strike have been prompted by George W.
Perkins of j. P. Morgan & Co. Mr. Per
kins, it is said by those familiar with the
inside situation. is determined to bring
the strike to an end at an early day, and
has 1ntimated In the proper quarters that
II sufficient pressure be brought by bsards
OF trade and other outside influence, MI
Vanderbilt may be induced to bring Pres
idents Truesdale and Olymphant OF the
two Vanderbilt coal roads to see things
in new light. 1t is further declared by
we'll Informed persons here that the Nor
gan properties are now willing to join in
any steps which the Vanderbilt roads Will
agree to in the direction of settlement.
President Mitchell is doing everything
in his power TO preserve good order and
has so far succeeded beyond his eXpecta-
ton. He realizes that disorder on the
part of the men would weaken his cause
with public opinion. The only comment
Mr.. Mitchell had to make to-day was that
"the strike is now complete; we will win
in the end ,.-- ... - ge>-E
Are the Strikers Justifcd:
Were the miners justified in striking?
Are their wages too low? Or. do they suf-
fer other wrongs which gave them
moral right to resort to the last weapon
within their reach? $50 ~
Answer to these questions must neces
sarily be largely matter of opinion. So
long as man is working and earning a
wage upon which he can live and sup
port his family, so long as he. can keep
out of the poor house or avoid the need
OF charity, some will say he should be
content. Those who take this view as to
the miners point to the facts that they
are not starving; that what they do earn
they earn with an average of about AZ
days work per week; that their
wages were advanced 10 per cent in sthe
autumn Of 1900, and finally that when
their delegates met in convention only
small majority of them voted to strike.
All this is true. 1t is true that a ma
jority of the men were reluctant to go on
strike. President Mitchell used his in
fuence agains: strike. Other conserve
alive leaders did the same. Had the rail-
Maf presluents made them the slightest
concession, had they offered 5 per cent
increase of wages; had they consented to
arbitration or even a neutral investiga-
ton, there would have been no strike. If
the strike was a mistake the railway
presidents must take their share of the
responsibility.
1t was not the money consideration that
prevented their granting concessions.
They claim it was; that they could not at
ford to, add six or seven cents per ton to
the cost of coal. But every one knows
this was not the true reason. 1t could not
have been the true reason, because they
had the power to take every penny of the
increase out OF the customer, just as in
1900 they bought peace with 10 per cent
increase Of wages, or 9 or 10 cents ton,
and Immediately turned around and made
the public pay from 30 to so cents per
ton more for coal. ......-a --..
-. The true reason why no concessions
were granted. was the stubbornness Of
pride. Well. for the same reason the
miners struck. They could have gone on
without higher pay shorter hours.
Some of them were willing to do it. But
the majority showed that they too, have
pride. Mostly foreigners, they are be-
coming Americanized They are acquir-
Ing the American spirit. Having organ
lied for the purpose of lettering their lot
having submitted what they thought rea-
sonable demands, which were discussed
but in no particular acceded to- or even
seriously considered with view to ar
rangement of differences, the majority
were too proud to surrender at the first
rebuff. Their leader, ever conservative
always mindful of his great responsible
=ity, was against a strike at this time,
was in favor Of delay. The men outvoted
him.
When $4,000 men quit work at given
moment, give over wage earning without
surplus on hand to put food on their
tables many days and without any knowl-
edge of when they will go to work again
there must be something at stake, some
thing more than a few cents of wages
something more than a mere playing
of game with millionaire antagonists
There Is something more: si
There is an Inadequate wage, I'M
Just method Of measuring the work a man
does, a feudal, serflike system Of deal
ing with employees.
Till 1900 wages in the anthracite re-
gion had not been increased in twenty
five years. During all that time the
standard of comfort had been gradually
rising among the men and their families;
their wants increased; their wages re-
NAMED fixed. --'...a--- b.. --.-..
Meanwhile, also, the economies of pro
duction were being perfected; capital be-
came cheaper; freight rates fell; and
more than ALL the operators learned