Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1905-12-28
An Extremists Views.


letters to you but on reading them over
put them in the fire simply because |
expressed myself in an unsatisfactory |
manner l am an extremist in all
matters, political, religious or secu-
lar, and am apt to say pretty hard
things. While l think the union men
are principally to blame for most OF
the labor troubles, on account OF their
trying to prevent so called "scabs
from working for such wages as they !
can get, it is possible che 'scab
element do not exercise that forbear-
ance taught by Christ, Resent not
evil but If stricken on one cheek to
turn the other l am no coal digger
but | am coal burner in CRATE,
and if it is a good quality don't care
whether it was dug by union man OF
"scab''. l own plenty Of timber but
am too lazy to cut it, SO Ipay "a. 90 per
ton for coal in preference to cutting
wood at 90 cents cord. watch
mans" letter, from Tatesville, is re-
sponsible for this epistle. He finds
fault with Gov. Cox for sending
troops to Tracy City. He says that II
it is right for companies to organize
to build railroads and other industries
it is also right for labor to organize.
I admit the right of any and all peo-
pie to organize but I deny the right
for any organization to say what l
shall do or not do, or what wages
shall pay for my labor, or what | shall
pay for work done. If owned a
mine or a factory I would let it lie idle
until Gabriel blows his horn before l
would be dictated to by any one under
the sun, union, ''scab'' or what not.
/ would do more. / would do as they
did in Mississippi. would burn or
blow up my plant rather than submit
| to dictation. Our forefathers fought
for independence, for the right to
think and act for oneself SO long as
such thoughts and actions did not in,
terfere with the rights of others to
think and act for themselves.
l spent nearly four years during the
late rebellion fighting for the privil-
edge of doing as l pleased with my
own muscle using it for such wages
as could get at the time. / have
been hireling great part of my life.
Worked on the farm, in the shop, and
telegraph line, dug dirt on railroad
and done more other things for wages.
| never cut wages, always tried to
keep the price Of labor up. Yet
day and boarded myself and as high as
ten dollars day. have made it a
point never to be idle if l could avoid
. it, and would work for small wages
rather than tramp.
Does Mr.. "Watchman" know of any
: manufacturers union interfering IL
order to prevent other manufacturer
, from manufacturing farm implements
, clothes or steel rails, plows, wagons
| or other goods? Do they send walking
delegates over the country trying t,
? prevent each other from doing busines
= in their own line or in their own way
/ Mill men are organized for the man
r ufacture of -four and meal, does an,
s set Of mill men combine for the pur
1 pose of preventing the building mills
o Having had hard road to travel near
9 " all my life l can and do sympa
Q thise with those who toll for thei
d daily bread am in favor of union
: and organizations for the upbui ildin
g of labor and bettering their condition
/, rounded up rs years yesterday
l. and today begin the 10th year Of m
It life, I feel that / can not begin
o new year of existence better than b
IL trying to get laboring men to see ths
il their union will never succeed so Ion
a as it antagonizes the right of each al
lr every individual to work and act f,
1t such wages as hecan get and is willir
10 to receive.
as You union men have bad adviser
ar to say the least of it. They may
m honest in their advice, which l douh
If honest they are ignorant of the fir
e. principles of political economy, of ju
st tice and the rights of others. l Ell
as phasize it, you are pursuing the wrol
ey course to succeed. You have it in yo
es power to better your condition al
n. make a success and have all the nect
u sities and luxuries of life if you wi
he without interfering with ''scab'
IT. bor would cheerfully give you q
Ter vice if thought you would benefit
l it, but so long as you listen to MitC
W ell delegates and others of that ilk,
en- is useless to try to get you to act
ey your own and your families best
by terests. am some what older til
of many of you, have seen the rise a
he fall of many orders during my Ii
in Have belonged to several of them d
led are now defunct. Am president
in one at present that is gotten up for
of betterment of men and laborers gen
IN. ally. Whether it will be a success
not depends upon whether our or
will be satisfied with doing well.
have created better times, and if
xrvsn L.. rnr,konk ..~s&L ..,-l .