The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-08-29
THREE MEN WHO COULD
END THE STRIKE.

tie marked increase in the cos, # food
supplies during the last few years and
presents figures of unquestoned reli-
ability to substantiate the unpleasant
fact. The Baltimore Sun makes the
following observations i'll a strong edi-
torial which appeared in last Sundays
issue
The writer presents strong array of
facts and figures to prove his assertion
that existence is becoming Il serious
and vexatious problem for he men and
women who have to earn their livingn
Everybody of limited means feels
acuttly the advance in prices. Food
the purses of the people. While the
cost of living is steadily increasing,
there is no compe sating advance in
wages The problem is worthy the
consideration of our ablest statesmen
and pnblicists. is the greater cost Of
living due in part to the trusts? Do
our laws foster Il system which enables
huge combinations of capital to oppress
the Peep e, That is Il subject in which
everybody " no has to work for living
is deeply interested. 1t is an internal
problem" a. President Roosevelt elias
sites such things, which touches the
poe ketbook of every man and woman.
At present the people of the United
State-, who depend on the Peonsyl-
vania coal operators for their supply Of
fuel, are in very lad plight. The
cost of coal has reached an almost pro-
hibitory figure. The supply is pa IT,
cally exhausted, and Il ere is every
prospt ct that unless the strike is settlt d
at cnce and mining is l., sum d, the
public WI suffer great ha dships. Our
President, in his spt ech at Hartford on
Friday, ignored this pressing Int rnal
problem altogether, and confined him
St If to discussion of Americ II achieve
ments in Cuba and the Philippines.
| Incidentally he observes that 'kt epIl e
our household straight j. our first duty,
| but we have other duties.N 1t may be
permissible to remind the President
hat the people are thinking great
d, al more about their empty coal Gel
lars than they are about the Philip
pines and Gun a. They find it impossible
!
! long as present conditions prevail in
the mining regions and the price of
coal scars at an altitude which plac S
an indispensable article of fuel beyond
the reach of persons whose purses are
not well-filled. The pub ic is vastly
more concerned alb ut the possibility
Of coal famine and the suffering
which it will entail than they are about
the fortunes of people living in Il trop-
ical region who are not at the mercy Of
coal barons. The achievements to the
credit of our army and of our civil adj
niinstrators in Cuba, Porto Rico aud
the Philippines will tie no compensa-
ton to the millions of Americans for
the hardships of winter without fuel.
1t is true the President aunou ces that
unless tie Moros Of the Philippines be-
have themselves they will be chastised
by our trooIs 5. Every good American
likes to see the III jesty of his country
up ED, but doesn't the President know
that we have Moros of our own in the
| coal-mning business, and that they
are causing great deal more 81 tross
to the American people than the saw
ages of our reu. ote archipelago? In his
speech at Providence recently Pre- sidcnt
Roosevelt discussed the trust problem
i'm general, but there was not a sentence
in his address which will give comfort
to those who need immediate relief
from the coal barons. There were inc
generalities about that good fortune
that comes to the Just and unjust
alike" and about the weather"
which 'being good for crops is good for
| dc g. Leo ~ fIhnra MI
.tions on the attitude of the poor toward
the rich. Envy, hatred and Jealousy
on the part of the poor" says the Pres
ident, "are the sources of much unhap-
pine $50 But there is not word about
The coal strike; nothing that would
offend the sensitive christian men,
to whom Providence, according to the
Philadelphia ana Reading Railroad
! president, has given control of the an-
thracite coal mines. "Much of the
complaint against combinations is I'M
warranted" says the President. Still,
| he recognizes that evils exist, aud the Sc
he would correct by legislation. If
Congress finds that it has not the
power, then Mr.. Roosevelt would
amend the Constitution of the United
States so that the trusts can be dealt
with as they deserve and as the public
welfare demands But it is not an
! easy matter to amend the Federal Con
stitution. A long period must elapse
before the amendment is incorporated
in that instrument. Meantime the
coal barons would be unnolested.
They would administer the property
which President Baer says Providence
has given them, regardless of the gen.
eral welfare. 1t will probably he many
year before coalbins are filled with
fuel at a reasonable cost by amending
the Constitution Of the United States.
There are three men, according to the
general belief, who can settle the coal
strike, if they will exert their influence
in behalf of the public welfare and
urge compromise. They are Presi-
dent Roosevelt, Senator Hanna and
Mr.. j. p. Morgan. Mr. Morgan is
quoted as saying that he docs not see
why matters cannot be let alone, or
why things should be stirred up in this
way" If Mr.. Morgan will adjust his
spectacles carefully and take another
look at the situation, he may be able
TO see, in the growing public demand
for settlement, cogent reasons for his
Interference. Senator Hanna is still
preaching the gospel of the Golden
Rule" for the regulation of the differ
ences between capital and labor, but
he doesn't appear to be making vigor-
Gus efforts to settle this strike. Posi-
bly, he finds that the "Christian menn
t. whom Providence has given the
MINIS have a monopoly of tie Golden
Rule as well as f the coal President