Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-01-30
OUR REAL MASTERS.
THE STRENUOUS COAL BARON AND
HIS SIDE PARTNER.

There have been many strikes, but
somehow this coal strike has thrown a
limelight across our civilization. And
really all we need is to see. Men are
not i'll disposed, but rather dull and in
different. So when all men get real
glimpse of truth much has been gained.
We have had glance at the feudal
state. 1t seems like vision Of the
past. The miner toiling under the lord,
held to the soil like an English villein,
just living and serving, his children
running their little lives In the same
masters mold. 1t is hardly even IL
benevolent feudalism. Mr.. Baer is no
sham baron. He has learned his noble
lesson as lord of the Philadelphia and
Reading Railroad company, fine type
Of feudalism, honest brave, virile, the
kind to which the servile instinctively
dotf their hats. We can hear his armor
clank when he declares that the rights
of the laboring men will be cared for
by the Christian men to whom God in
his infinite wisdom has given the con-
troll of the property interests of the
country" When the section of human
ity over which God has given him ju-
risdictiOn protests against his particu-
lar kind of care, he answers quite re-
gally, THE duty of the hour is not to
waste time negotiating with the TO-
menters of this anarchy, but to do as
was done In the war of the rebellion,
restore the majesty of the law" etc.
Let the powerful care for the weak
and if the weak are not satisfied put
them down by force. We can almost
see this Duke of Alva lifting his jew
eled sword, with it's motto, "Accipe
sanctum gladium munus Deo," etc.
But not less interesting figure and
even more significant Is his "ludship'
Sir John jackson, who administers
justice In the United States court for
the northern district of West Virginia.
When the leaders of the dissatisfied
men are hailed before him at his COM
mand, he describes them In his pub
lished opinion as vampires that live
and fatten ON the honest labor of the
coal miners" MAY l not ask the ques-
tion," he continues, whether 1t Is not
time for our lawmakers to consider the
question whether freedom of speech
should not be so restricted by statutes
as to suppress sedltious sentiments?
Are communism and anarchy and all
the dire evils which follow in the train
of such people as you who are preach
ing the most detestable heresies and
doctrines to be protected by the consti-
tuition of the United States? No; never,
never, neverw Then Mother Jones,
who pleads for justice to the miners,
gets from his ''ludship" significant
lecture. Il cannot forbear to express
my great surprise that woman of the
apparent intelligence of Mrs. Jones
should permit herself to be used as an
instrument by designing and reckless
agitators in accomplishing an object
which is entirely unworthy of a good
woman. There are many charities in
life which are open to her in which she
could contribute largely to mankind in
distress. 1t would have been better
far for her to follow the lines and the
paths which the all wise Being intend
ed her sex should follow" Yet on this
very day Of writing Mr.. MacVeagh is
solemnly cross examining Mr.. Mitchell
on the proposition that 1t Is wrong to
criticise the judges for their decisions.
1t will be perceived that his "ludship,"
like Mr.. Baer, does not hesitate to ex-
pound the policy of the all wise Being,
and he is as ready to encourage charity
as Mr.. Baer doubtless is to do it. They
are sincere too. They do not know that
the gulf between charity and justice is
wide and unfathomable.
These are merely side lights ON the
Pennsylvania and West Virginia situa-
tions.
What weird, almost demoniac re-
sponse came to these medieval senti-
ments of Baer and his "ludshipw 1t
quite shifts the scene and changes the
characters. Baer was not concerned
with the public; his "ludship" was try
ing to teach wisdom to the strikers.
But up rolls voice of thunder from
multitudes who were not parties to the
contest at all-strange and inconse-
quential, 1--WE challenge your right to
make us freeze" While Mr.. Baer is
claiming property in the rights of men,
men come in claiming rights to his
property. Thousands who are quite in
different whether the miner is under
Mr. Baer's heel or not are all at once
protesting that he must use his prop
erty to keep them warm - new and
startling claims, quite contrary to what
feudalism has painfully preserved
through the centuries. Very sudden,
too; the fire goes out, we shiver, and
10! we find that the owner of the coal
mine owes us heat
The next thought seems so plain now
(but, oh, how heterodox 1t seemed be-
fore we shivered): "Why should Mr..
Baer and few like him lock up from
us the bounty of God; why should they
even own it?" "If all men need coal,
why should not all men own the coal?"
"Why should we, then, not take this
prapiouc store nj I,se II for tha Qnod of