The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1906-11-15

t1on not only nave, but thev ice,
Z highest praise that can he ira
item by the good CITIZENSHIP ~
State. esf
The people whom I represer,
refrained from presenting in hst
demands any symptoms OF f-,I ESs
ism, but after due discussion anI|El +
~sideration, formulated such OIL
lions as. they felt that homes, s
scientious men could agre. m
them in. In the utmost good "a.
haye they done that, not wisbi,S
rectly to harm any man in The -
QUESTION of wealth or pronesIy
the management of his prone-.v W
realize that it would be a de5,s-".
state of affairs, If n set of mon tU
Gertook, under a Tree govern -
to dictate to another class il he ~
ADMINISTRATION of their affairs and ~.
business. Such is not the pI,rna-a
O can such be thought to be N,
purpose OF the miners, by a fair "a
ference to the demands prescatsl
here by them.
There are some things, and Sd f,x
a great many things that have 90
Cured at different coal propertie; I,
the State, that ! know mcntber; ~
this Commission would be :lstOunJss
and astonished at, should shey CIV.
10 light, and what we are asking =
TO reach out and take hold OF thos.
conditions. not seen by the men wha
operate their plants and thel: pros.
erty upon that high plane whaIa
they respect the wishes, and take in.
to consideration the condition nj
their employees, for god knows We
have hundreds of men Of thai kind
in this state, who think Of their EN-.
ployees and their condition, and Goa
knows at the same time there are
men who do not. in the operation OF
their plants n their properties
give to the wage Garner those condi.
lions that God Almighty intended he
should enjoy. 1t comes, gentlemen
of the Commission, to u great extent
from men. whether rich or poor, los.
ing sight of everything in life eXcap,
the race after the almighty dollar
| But this Commissions purpose, as |
understand it. is to raise human life
chants, the coal operutors-every.
higher than the dollar. Gentlemen
the women. the ministers, the mer.
body knows that the conditions unI
der which the miner works, require
that our good citizenship take hold.
OF those conditions, not to tear down
or destroy men who AVE invested
their all in their properly, but 10
encourage them, but while doing
that, look out over distant sections
of the State where men, man. OF
them starting in business, lose sigh:
of the condition of their employees,
and jeCpardiZe their lives every day
and hour. 1t is those things
that the Commissions attention IS
called to-. Those are the things tina,
the miners wan this Commission to
look after. Those are the conditions
that they beg the Commission to
look after. and l want to say Mr.
Chairman, that very much do | ap
preciate the sentiment by your Sec
recary expressed. that you want tG
have good conditions. That is al
we want. Gentlemen, we are al
for West Virginia as against thu
world. We are all anxious tina
West Virginia shall reach the zenitt
of her glory as rapidly and as quick
ly as she can. That cannot be dont
by building up one class of citizen!
and tearing down another. Thos'
are my sentiments, and it is not on
purpose or desire or ambition to tea
down any class, out God Almight,
in His wisdom, II I say that thi
Commission in it's wisdom ought t
and will look into the conditions 0
our people, who are knocking at tn
doOr of justice, you might say, an
improve our conditions, SO that W
will be better capacitated to fill tn
land with happy homes, instead o
mourning widows and orphans. l
is a frightful thing, gentlemen of tn
Commission, to think of the widow
and orphans in this State who hav
been turned loose upon an uncharl
able world within the asst twelv
months. I say that every homes
man, every good citizen, deplores i
and it is the ambition of every goo
citizen to correct the evil as far a
it is possible to do SO. lake tn
legislation as strong as you will
make the penalties on the miners :
strong as you will. Il say again
make the penalties upon the miner
strong as you will, and make til
penalty upon the operators as stron
likewise as you will, and if one
our people goes into the mines /
violation of the law, let him answe
for his wrong doing at the bar {
Justice: if the operator violates thu
law. let him likewise answer upo
the same level at the bar of justice
When you have that situation in tn
State, then, gentlemen of the Con
mission, you will bring back to you
State thousands of good men VII
have taken their departure to a ha
pier cline. l know that there hay
been a great many men to see NJ
from different coal plants and prof.
critics in the State. A man will CON
to me and say. L cannot work there
their management is bad; they IL
the fans stop; / am afraid to wor
there, afraid l will be killed or Grill
pied, and l am going where I ca