The daily tribune., 1904-03-15
No Time to Strike.
fContinued from second page


past their own door into the maTt-ss
which they formerly Supplied. With
large uumbers OF men in western
Pennsylvania unfamiliar with the
principles Of trades uuionism It could
not be depended upon to remain solid
during . long conflict under conditions
70 this kind. II our forces in that
field are defeated aud lower wages aud
worse conditions are forced upon them
II would be impossible for the miners
in the other fields to maintain even
the rates that are now being offered.
and. with . weakened organization
we would be confronted with thu.
possibility that some Of the operators
may seek to widen the difyerentiai
between pick and machine mining.
The experiences OF the past have
shown copolusively the folly Of strik-
ing when the markets are going down
All we have to do IL to remember
the anthracite strike OF 1875. the
dissolution of the joint agreement OF
1899, the coke strike of 1891 and the
general suspension Of 1894 in order to
be convinced of the truth OF this state
ment. We are now upon the eve of
a presidential election and these years
are proverbially dull because OF the
commercial dietur urbances which they
produce. A two-yesr contract would
carry us beyond the period of the
election and the unsettled industrial
conditions that follow in its wake.
In addition to that it would cause our
contracts to expire at the same time
AS the anthracite award and place us
then in a position to act with greater
unity. If We so desired, than we could
at any other time. When we consid.
er that the price offered to us in =
two-year contract is the highest price
we have had in many years. except
the present one. We repeat that it
would be the most serious mistake our
organization has ever made to take the
chances of losing the scale we are
offered. the eight-hour work day. the
seven-cent differential between pick
and machine mining, already estab.
lished in some states. the check. of
system, the joint conference movement
abled Us to secure these things and
many other rights and privileges
which we did not formerly possess, in
an attempt to maintain rate Of three
nj 70
than we can secure by peSceable
agreements This is all we can hope
to gain by a strike, and the posi- bill
ties Of loss are SO much out of proper.
tion to fhe amount that can be won
by q suspension We earnestly urge you
to vote in favor Of accepting the ulti-
matum of the operators rather than
enter into strike at this time.
BY your votes you have placed us
in positions where we have an oppor-
tunity OF seeing the entire field. You
have given us opportunities of observ.
ing the situation, that, in the very
nature of things, you caDnot possibly
be possessed Of, and we say to you in
the light Of that greater experience
and wider observation, which you
have enabled us to obtain. that the
present and future welfare of our or
ganizstion and its members requires
that the ultimatum Of the operators
should be accepted. Two years Of
peace will enable us to give more at
tention tc the unorganized and partly
organized fields than ever before. pro.
tectlng their interests and improving
their conditions 80 that they will not
be as much of q menace to us in the
future as they have been in tile past
1t will avoid the hardships and suffer.
ing that always come with strikes
1t will strengthen us with the public
because it will dem opstrate that a
trade union can, when the OCCASION
arises, gracefully accept q reduction
as well as strenuously insist upon An
advance. and it will leave rs with an
organization. strengthened by its con-
servatism, ready to take advantage
of any improvement In the future Of
the coal trade, to still further better
the conditions Of the mine workers.
The operators and the miners are not
the only persons who are vitally in
terested in our failure to reach an
agreement. Millions of people who
have no voice in our negotiations
would be compelled to suffer because
Of our quarrel With our employers.
When any great principle is at stake
IN the standard of living is involved.
We may we'll ask them to suffer in
patience until the battle is over. but
when the difference between MS is 20
small we cannot afford to ibflict upon
the public. of which we are an i'm.