The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-12-05

horseback was on street of one of our
towns when he heard the word, "Scab!
scab!' Heinstantly turned his horse,
dismountcd, and looked for the culprit.
He returned crestfallen amid the laugh
ter of spectators, for the criminal was
a parrot which belonged to one of the
miners.
Not for generation will the en-
mites and hatred engendered by this
strike die away. Industrial peace is
in sight, but it will not bring peace
to the men who stood by the operators
in this emergency. The families which
have suffered reproach in the last few
months will not be restored to favor.
Social ostracism will remain when the
troops are gone and coal produced. A
troop of young men standing on the
street corner in Shenandoah discussed
the treatment of "scabs" when the
collieries resumed. EYES," said one
of them, "we'll tend to them good"
and any one familiar with the mines
knows what that means. A young lad
on the Hazleton mountains calmly out
lined scheme whereby the "scab"
could be blown to pieces by powder.
The lot of these men who exercise
their natural right to work will be
sad one for many days to come. No
foreman will be able to protect them
from the hatred of the union men.
This division of sentiment, 80 re-
plete with hatred and rancor, wrought
havoc in many of our churches. The
clergy, as above stated, were, for the
greater part, silent. The Slav con-
gregations are wholly made up of
mine workers, and their clergy inva-
riably sympathized with the men. The
Irish Catholic and Protestant congre-
cations were divided, for the manage
ment of the collieries is in the hands
of the English-speaking, most of whom
are connected with one or the other of
the above churches. This accounts
for the silence of the Protestant and
Irish Catholic clergy. Of these two
classes, more of the latter than of the
former have expressed their sentiments
on the question of the hour. They
could not do it without giving offense,
and many instances occurred where
members in the congregation rose and
went o,t of tue church as the priest
denounced the one or tue other of the
contestants from the altar. Some
Irish. Americans today worship either
with the German or Slav Catholics
because of the sentiments expressed
by their priests regarding the issues
involved in the strike.
The division of sentiment in Prot
estant churches, however, caused
greater mischief than in Roman Cath
olic organizations. This is due partly
to the greater independence of the in
dividual member, and partly to the
fact that the management of these
churches rests in the hands of the laity.
A prominent Sunday school teacher
and chorister was, at the inception of
the strike, sworn in as deputy. Im-
nediately his choir vanished, and his
class said to the superintendent, "Give
US another teacher; we won't have a
scab to teach u.s." Another teacher
in Sunday-school joined the Citizens
Alliance, and on the following Sab
bath not one OF the young men be
taught was present. A deacon, trus-
tee, and Sunday school worker-the
best man the church contained-re-
fusei " respond to the unions call to
quit work, and at once his fellow-mem-
bers asked for his resignation from all
offices. The man has not been
near the church since. In July
one of the churches of Luzerne county
held chi,dren's exercises. The choris-
ter was working every day, and many
Of the children who took part belong
ed to foremen who worked. The un-
ion faction in the organization planned
to hiss every one who sang or recited
whose relatives were working. Tue
The chorister absented himself, and
80 did many of the children, rather
than disgrace the sanctuary on the
Sabbath evening. The male members
of another church at the close of a
prayer-meeting were discussing the
question of the strike, when a dispute
arose and fistcuIs were avcrted only
by the prudent departure OF one
of the debaters, who thought it was
time to go home. A Sunday school
which numbered $50 before the strike
can hardly now muster $50. The