Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1905-09-28
UNION MINERS OF WHITWELL
Addressed by w. B. Wilson, w.
R. Farley, Joe Vasey and ].
+. BoWden---Miners Still Firm
in Strike

money was the object, and men were
only a circumstance.
Speaking of losing strikes he said
that they had been lost not by the
money of the companies but by the
defalcation of men who abandoned
their fellow men in the struggle. He
defined labor as the philosopher s stone
that turns everything it touches to
gold. and said that strike was fail
ure on the part Of body of men to
make a trade for work. Speaking of
the men who take the places of their
fellow men in cases of strike, he said
no employer could have total conf
dence in them after they had betrayed
the rights of their fellow men. Men
tioning the stand taken by lead
ing Chattanooga paper in the Tracy
City affair, he endorsed the stand TAX
en- by the News in this matter, as true
and Just, and later on said that if the
Chattanooga paper alluded to would
produce evidence to point out the gull
ty parties he would expel them from
the union, and going still further,
said that if one scintilla of evidence
to that effect as charged was produced
he would Withdraw the charter of the
Tracy City local "The man., he
said, "who shoots down a fellow man
who wants to work does more to in
jure the union than the vilest cut
throat" Referring to the unity of
the members he said that as the Uni
ted States are drawn together, with no
south, no north, no east or west, SO the
u. M. w. of A. are drawn together to
work for the good of all. He said:
"Do not violate the law. Prevent its
violation. Trades unions are seeking
to raise intelligent discomfort, but we
are not society of grumblers If it
had not been for the spirit of discon-
tent sown by God the first suit of fig
leaves would have been sufficient and
we would have been savages stalking
in the forests to-day.
He showed how little children of
eight years were no longer allowed to
enter the mines to work, the age limit
having been raised, and that they were
now sent to school, That the influence
, of the union has brought about better
equipment in the mines, better venti-
lation, better conditions, better mining
and better wages. Hence, of course
it was easy to find men who were will
ing to live up to these conditions for
: which the way had been hewn by 9TH
ers. That he would not say such a
man was thief but that he was trav-
: cling on the brink of dishonesty.
l He urged continuation of the
fight, and said for union men not to be
discouraged and said that the times
demanded that they show whether they
had a strong backbone or weak knee
! He said that while there was the
: least hope of success the National or
ganization would stand by them. Il
they lost it was only the beginning of 8
fight in the future. Speaking Of Goa
!. production he said it cost more tt
make iron under present conditions
: that it did under union labor and tina
u while the operators owned the mine
q and the coal, they did not own th
Q men. He said that the men wer
u partners in the production of coal ant
e recited the story of the Pennsylvania
superintendent who thought he coul'
: move coal without men, He conclud
: ed in strong appeal not to let up i
Is the strike until there was fair play Il
J. the community. Mr.. Wilson's addres
Il was strong and impressive and man
vi complimented him on his reasonabl
stand.
MADE THEM LAUGH.
rs W. r. Farley, of Birmingham, fo
) lowed Mr.. Wilson and delivered an at
ID dress that brought roars of laughte
III from the people. Mr.. Farley fir'
+ paid his respects to Morning Glory
in witty language, and said that som
re preachers were not desirous of havin
H. the poor always with them, contrary
s. biblical language. He said that Nj
o. Bacon, of Birmingham, president I
ne the company, believed he could crus
" the union in thirty days, but that |
Sc had been trying now for nearly fiftee
he months and the struggle was still goir
lie on and that he was finding the uniC
l. miner to be the hardest proposition l
es ever tackled since he had laid out Il
he plumbers, and carpenters unions
op Birmingham. He said that 200-to
IT furnaces now had an output of onl
re 16O tons. that to fifteen cars of coal
re Alabama mines, FIVE were slack, al
n that iron was costing the makers on
at dollar per ton more to manufactu
he than under union labor That the
rs had been working non-union men 4
ng twelve months and things We're gettiI