The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-08-23

CHANCE FOR SOCIALISTS.

If any one thinks the anthracite min
ers have not justice on their side, he
may lay aside the idea. The Catholic
Telegraph of Cincinnati is conducting
a fund for the benefit of the strikers,
and took occasion to quote Father j.
j. Curran of WilkeSbarre, Pa, as Il
witness to the justice of the miners
contention. In doing so, it stated
frankly that it had only the secular
press as authority for his position, but
presumed his attitude was correctly
represented. At once Father Curran
wrote the editors, commencing the plan
to raise a fund, taking occasion to say:
There is no doubt whatever of the
oppressed condition of the poor mine
workers of our districts. While it may
be conceded that the actual days
wages of these men are possibly on a
par with those of other wOrkmen
throughout the country, still they are
prevented from working every day Of
the year, as the rest of the people do.
Last year-the banner year for a quar-
ter of a century-the number of days
worked was 1888. You may ask why
the men did not put in more time. The
answer is simply this: The operators,
ten to fifteen years ago, oVercrowded
the mines with men in order to pre-
rights Were it not for the fact that
the boys and girls of tender age have
been taken from the school room and
sent to the coal breakers and factories,
the miners families would have been
in starved condition for the last ten
years.
This is the statement of a conserva-
tive Catholic priest who lives in the
heart of the mining region, who is pas
tor of thousands of the struggling min
ers, and the friend of all. This he
proved when he journeyed down to the
operators, some weeks ago, laid actual
conditions before them and asked JUS
tice for the struggling men. He tells
us that the operators refuse to recog-
niZe the poor fellows claims" and he
also states that the reports of rioting
which go out from time to time are
either untrue or grossly exaggerated.
Surely he ought to know
The purpose we have in view, how
ever, says the Catholic Union and
Times, is to direct the attention of So
cialists here in Buffalo to the fact that
it is a Catholic priest who is making
this struggle for justice for men who
work, According to the Pittsburg OBJ
server, socialists are endeavoring 10
profit by the strike, a number now
being in the mining region distributing
tons of literature and organizing
groups and clubs and the like where
possible. Not one of those propaganda
lists is helping the mine workers by
striving to get the mine operators to
do right. The men must wait until the
majority of Americas S0.0C0,000 people
adopt socialism. which may take place
10000 years after the general resurrec-
ton. We are pretty certain most of the
miners will be dead before socialism
dominates, and we think it safe to as
sert that most of the propagandists
are equally certain. AT best, all they
can win for years will be few local
Offices possibly legislator or two,
who will probably sell out to the cor
porations. as it is alleged the Populists
did some years ago in Illinois.
Not only this. 1t was a Kansas
priest who suggested that the Tele-
graph raise the fund for the miners.
In the same letter he declared himself
not socialist. Socialism, he asserted.
is delusion. And may we not take
pleasure In stating that it is a Catholic
paper which is collecting the fund?
There are Baptist, Presbyterian, Meth
odist and Campbeliite papers at Gin
cinnati, and these condemn socialism.
but they have not thought enough of
men who work to help them win their
battle. They must be afraid of their
constituents, many of whom are MEM
bers of trusts and combinations. We
have said before that the Catholic
church is not afraid to dare the world
for the sake of truth and justice, and
the great strike is proving out state
ment true. The Telegraphs miners
fund is still in progress. How many
Buffalo socialists will contribute to it?
How many will in Cincinnati?