Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-12
PEOPLES PULPIT.


Editor Of the Courier: | was pleased
to read in the Courier recently the sen
tlment expressed by a coal operator
as to an advance to the Iowa miner in
wages. Two years ago while the con.
Yentlon was IN session in OttumWa,
the writer in an article to the Courier
expressed these same sentiments, that
inasmuch as Illinois never received an
advance the Iowa miner should not
expect it, neither should they ask it.
w. H.. Boston, then national board
! member from Illinois, who was in at
tendance, spoke on the same lines in
his address to the convention, and the
next day he was severely criticised by
the radical element of u order for
expressing this sentiment, but the con.
vention acted upon the suggestions
made and neither received al advance
nor asked for one. Now we serve no.
tice that inasmuch as eastern miners
have received an advance the Iowa
miners will ask one, and there is no
reason why they should not get just
the same corresponding advance as
they received, but no more. 1t should
be the sole object of thinking men to
put the Iowa operator on equal foot.
ing with all his competitors in the
same line of business. The sentiment
expressed by this operator has been
expressed by the writer for twenty
year in Iowa-that of competition, sup
ply and demand. But when it comes to
the place where a company is asked
to run it's mine at a loss merely to
give the writer and his fellow miners
work, | want to repeat all such argu.
ments for such a proposition are not
business. Mr.. Mitchell, in his address
at the national convention, recon
mended a substantial advance. This
we got in the making of the making
of the agreement, and we see no rea
son why the Iowa miners at our next
convention should not endorse it from
top to bottom. The writer is a union
man at heart, and to go into the con
vention with anything contrary to the
lines set down by the national con
~vention would be contrary to true unior
principles. By endorsing this argu
ment We show the degree of fairness
that our national convention did by
accepting it, and at the same time mer
it the continuation of public senti
ment which we now have. To make
unreasonable demands contrary tt
this agreement would not show a spiri,
j of fairness on our part. Let us BY
all means court the present friendly
feeling we 10Y have with our employ
ers and not go into the convention
with wild cat ideas.
President Edwin Perry truthful,
said in his address to our nationa
convention that the relationship be
tween capital and labor is so close
that when you hit n you cannot miss
the other. T. l.. Lewis, our nationa
vice president, in his address truth
fully remarked that to be a true unior
man one must study both sides of al
questions, that of your employer as
well as your own. In conclusion let u.
say the Iowa miner is entitled to al
advance above the present prices ant
let us have it according to The agree
ment made and by so doing we car
keep the wheels of industry running
We cannot afford at this day to pu'
ourselves on record as wanting tt
strike or either to endorse a suspen
sion after receiving the advance givel
our members in the east who followed
after Mitchell, Lewis and Perry of thu
Miners of America. r. Williams.