Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-13
WEST VIRGINIA COAL MINERS.
Not in Sympathy With the General
Strike Talk.
,rrespondence OF The Star.


| KYLE. W. Va, February H. 1906.
In view Of the statements that have
gone forth from Indianapolis lately
garding the likelihood OF enlisting the nom
union coal miners of West Virginia In the
great contest OF the National Mine Work.
ers of America against the mine owners
now contemplated by the leaders of that
organization. 1t is desirable to set forth
the fact, plainly evident here to any one
who talks with the coal miners. that
President John Mitchell and his associates
are evidently reckoning on false assump-
ton. 1t Is altogether unlikely that the
West Virginia miners would follow the
lead of the National Mine Workers organi-
cation in general strike. One of the best
| informed of the miners said today that
there every prospect that the nom
union men of this state would. in the
event OF q strike, remain at work. His
discussion of the situation Is characteristic
of the views which obtain here. He said:
II noticed recently statement by a
speaker In the United Mine Workers con-
veption that If the cooperation Of 10000
miners Of West Virginia could be secured
the operators AS unit of that West
Virginia element 1 desire to say that the
miners Of West Virginia will have to have
conclusive evidence that they are to be
benefited by a strike before they will bulge
an inch.
Previous strikes have proven so dfsas-
trous that any proposals made IN that re-
spect will be long and earnestly considered
before any attempt is made to better the
conditions now existing in these fields. A
feeling of contentment and satisfaction now
prevails, and there has been remarkable
absence of agitation during the past two
years, which leads one to believe that the
present conditions are so satisfactory as
to prevent the West Virginia miners from
going out the list Of April. Careful In
quiry among the better class of miners of
this vicinity reveals the fact that. although
friendly to the interests of the United Mine
Workers, they would make no effort TO bet
ter the present conditions, and would OPP
pose any effort made in that respect in the
way of strike.
II desire to say as an individual I am
heartily in favor of the complete organiZa-
ton of all branches of labor and of the af-
filiation of all trades for the betterment of
the laboring class of people, but l am not
in favor of calling thousands of men into
idleness and producing a state of lawiess-
ness in the affected district, which will be
the inevitable result, not among the men
who comprise the conservative element OF
organized labor, but the hoodlums and
thugs who take advantage of such occa-
sions to pillage and assault the business in
terests of those who are unfortunate
enough to be established within their reach.
The combined efforts of the law and the
organization have failed far to provide
protection from this class of people
No Reason for Rioting.
Because I refuse to labor for a man at
the price he offers is reason why should
countenance the destruction Of his prop
erty. and If 1 so do I become q greater
menace to the public welfare than the man
who seeks to Cypress me by monopoly
calculated to secure my services for less
than value. l do not believe in forcing
women and children to suffer the privations
which necessarily follow a strike, for it is
an assured fact that large percentage of
the striking miners will be unprepared
financially for strike which may be con-
tinued indefinitely. And mental calcula-
ton will speedily convince you that even
S5iOO0,000 would not go very far among a
half million men and the families depend
I'VE have not brought into consideration
the price that will have to be paid for fuel,
which will affect the man in the tenement
the same as the man in the brown-Stone
front, and send many child to the cinder
bank for stray bits of coal that have es-
capped the eagle eye of the charwoman. II
the question Is not too perplexing to the
distinguished lawmakehs we have chosen,
l would like to ask them why they have
not tried to effect an agreement, pass
a law that would compel the settlement of
dIsagreements between employe and
ployer, without causing the country to be
thrown into condition such as strike of
the United Mine Workers will cause.
Surely 1t would be no infringement upon
the liberty for which our nation is so ia
nous for Congress to take steps to estab-
lfsh laws by which the laborer and en-
ployer can have their differences settled by
a jury of their peers. In my humble opin-
lon that Is the only real solution of the
labor problem as 1t stands toda.- II the
government controls the wage s. stem of
the great enterprises of the time, especially
coal thinning by forcing the operator to pay IN
proportion to his profit, would that not
ameliorate conditions to a great extent,
save millions of dollars damage by yio-
ence. privations and hunger contingent to
strike. and give such men as Patrick Do
Ian credit for considering women and chill
dren first. who are the real sufferers in an
international strike.