West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1902-05-08
RIGHT AND JUSTICE.
The Checkmam Wcighman for Tho
Miners At Tunnelton Talks Straight
Out From the Shoulder.
1vNNKLroN. w. Va. May s. ,eea /:


1usNELroN. w. Va. May &, rooa.
Special Correspondence OF Tho Argus.
Owing 10 the present dissatisfactio
amongst the miners OF this place In the
cmployc OF the Merchants Coal Co. being
brought about by unfair and unjust mea.
sures presented by the Company's General
Supt. w. IL. Morris. and his subordinatcs.
I thus take this means OF giving to the
| open public aud TO our fellow brothers
elsewhere who may chance TO see this a
word OF explanation In behalf OF the de.
spiscd aud oppressed miner.
The people OF Preston and surrounding
counties and throughout the mining dis.
trict OF West Virginia aud more especially
those who are interested In the welfare
OF Labor well remember the dishonest
measures brought upon the miners OF the
German Coal & Coke Co, at West End,
| w. Va. through the German Company
Supt.. and representative VIM. Ramsay,
In the spring and summer OF 1900.
| Measures that are being forced upon the
miners OF the Merchants Coal Co. today
arc as oppressive and far more rotten than
those which the German Coal 4 Coke Co i.
employed.
Whilst the miners here are quiet and
peaceable and are cndeavering to bring
about satisfactorily adjustments between
man and company, yet are firm and dc.
tcrmined that their rights and privileges
TO which as American citizens they are
entitled, shall be respected. and to attain
that which Is right and Just will as men
stand shoulder to shoulder and positively
refuse to accept any measure which will
| tend to dsiranchise them OF anything that
is justly theirs.
In the meantime whilst we have enlisted
in our cause. good, honest and honorable
men, yet there is another class. styled as
| low, mean, contemplate. cut-throats, suck.
ers and spoilers. who would resort to any
dishonest or dishonofable means towards
the furtherment OF measures already con.
fronting us and who make IL point to
keep IN touch with the men and to also
keep the company well informed as to how
their schemes are being received, and
should an employe openly express his
feelings too freely he Is then spotted" as
| dangerous man and some frivolous charge
preferred to insure his being dispensed
| with the management then to draw sus.
picion from those 10 whom Il Justly belongs
and to further drive home their poisonous
darts and to cause strife and contention
| among tile miners, accuse good and honest
mon OF being men that the miners should
renounce Us suckers" and doing them
dirt: men who are known by their words
and work to spurn the very Idea OF allow.
ing In the least such menacIng conditions
as OF late that have been looming up
against us. Either through the incom-
petencc OF the managers or from desire
to secure the endorsements Of measures
as exists In the "black.lcg regions of
Pennsylvania may justly be attributed for
results attained since MIR. Morris having
fuil charge. IL also seems that they have
been counting trouble all the while since
Mr.. George w. Morris. mine superintcn.
dent positively assured the miners good
treatment and that all grievances should
be Justly righted, has as positively ignored
snch promises In many instances, thus
losing the confidence and respect OF the
men as gentleman.
The miners OF Function to insure better
treatment and to know that they get what
with our State Mining Laws, which allow
them the privilege OF placing on the tipplcs
and at the scales check-weigh man whose
duty IL Is TO see that all coal is properly
weighed and to suppress any and all un.
fair measures which the company may
employto rob them OF their hard earned
labors. When Robert II. Johnson general
store manager and paymaster for the
Merchants Coal Co.. first entered upon his
duties. endcsyorcd TO ignore the rights OF a
check weighman and thus cause the men
to dispense with same. but when forced to
compare weigh-sheets aud tonnage OF coal
his work was found TO be grossly wrong.
Verifying the fact that IL we'll paid the
men TO have their interests cared far.
We all are aware Of the fact that there
Is an enormous quantity OF sulphur In the
upper Free Port vein OF coal and in load.
ing this coal II Is an impossbility to load
same free from sulphur 10 which the
managers here have In some instances
taken exceptions. aud 10 abolish the scales
and adopt system OF loading by the car.
have docked the men for this fault In the
coal. and when the check weighman re.
1 1850 W o''VH AHtH w tUus TOD MS iciiOM
miners they then Immediately discharged
the men.
| By the miners placing man az the
scales whom the managers could not con.
troll and who stands firm for his brothers
rights has caused the demand for his re.
movsl and the placing OF one whom they
can control and who will readily fall into
| their schemes OF dirt and unfair measures
towards our oppressed brothers.
This one question for consideration
What viii become OF the coal industry
throughout this region should the manage.
ment OF the many companys and corpora.
tons prove TO be as rotten and contemp.
table as that Of the German Coal Coke
Co OF West End. and the Merchants Coal
Co, OF Function is today
| am respectfully In the cause of labor
and justice. Elias w. Myers. Check weigh.
man at the Merchants Coal Go. south side
| mines.