Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1906-06-28
THINGS / OBSERVE

Second What is the United Mine
Workers of America or who are the
Union Miners of Whitwell and Tracy
City.
The United Mine Workers of Ameri-
cal is an organization of labor compos-
ed of men and boys working in and
about coal mines and around coke ov-
ems when such ovens are located at or
near mines) Of the United States of
America and Canada and formed for
the purpose of collectively seeking to
secure by honorable and lawful means
fair remuneration for labor performed,
OF the just fruits of their toll, by
methods of Cancellation, arbitration or
strikes. These methods are applied
in their respective order, First, Con
ciliation; Second, Arbitration; Third,
Strikes, it being positively understood
that strikes are only adopted as last
resort. 1t may be well to insert here
the 18th and last clause of the preamble
to the Constitution of the United Mine
Workers of America: viz. ITO use all
honorable means to maintain peace
between ourselves and employers ad-
iusting all differences so far as possible
by arbitration and concliiation, that
strikes may become unnecessary. Z"
The union miners of Whitwell and
Tracy City are composed of men and
boys (who have worked in and about
| the mines or around the coke ovens of
each respective place, and are members
| of the q. M. w of, A, and are only en-
titled to its protection by abiding by
| its laws and rules which are commonly
known by its members and also
known by employers doing business
with the Union, they (the employers)
being presented with copy of the
constitution of the U. NJ. W. of. A.
Whitwell and Tracy City have been
we'll organized for nearly eight years.
The men and boys forming the local
unions at these two places have in
numbers of cases been there most of
their lives, were there prior to the I'm
ion, joined the Union, there remain
and intend to remain there; hence
they know the difference even at the
same place, between Union and non
union prices and conditions of labor.
It was the Union men of these two
places. who built the churches, halls
and largely the homes Of the town.
The membership of the various
churchel and benevolent societies are
very largely composed of the Union
miners, they have been more station
airy and had less per cent. of transient
miners than any other mining camp of
Tennessee or the Sonth.
The T. c., l. and R. R. Co. prior to
the present trouble, did not have to
in any way advertise for men, much less
send out their numerous agents and
sub-agents to hunt the slums of cities,
etc, for men.
The union men and boys Of Whitwell
and Tracy City are people who have
been there for years. So that when
we ask ourselves the second question
"Who are the Union miners of Whit.
we'll and Tracy City" we are led to say
the same men and boys who have lived
there for years and who used to put
out an average of about eleven hundred
(1100) tons of coal per day at Whitwel
and over twelve hundred and fifty
(1250) tons per day at Tracy City, who
knew how to perform their labor and
do it six days per week. The SAINT
people who in past years built the
: churches and halls, and composed the
membership of said churches and ben
evolent societies together with thu
, trades unions of the town. The sam'
people who built up the present hust
ling and progressive Whitwell Mercan
tile Co., the same people who built ~
> the many homes at each RESPECTIVE
, place. They were not lawless no
murderers, nor assassins, nor propert'
destroyers then. Neither are they to
, day.
Yes these are the union miners o
Whitwell and Tracy City. There is
/ or should be, two sides to a question
! and the union miners of these tw
+ mining camps stand ready at an
n time, and willing for fair, and i'm
: partial, thorough and complete investi
cation as to their every act. The un
ion has never furnished it's men wit
q guns, ammunition, whiskey or anythin
else that would incite or invite law
E lessness in any degree, neither hav
they gone to bring men to Tracy Cit
q and Whitwell whom they knew nott
ing of whatever We repeat that th
+ acts of the United Mine Workers {
America will bear the test of examini
# tion and investigation, which we bt
lieve can't be truthfully said of the sic
.s represented by the T. G. l. and R. F
Co. Do not condemn before a fa
10 trial
Next week under Things Oberve
\ l shall write ON the question No
: viz: What is the cause of the presel
70 trouble at the above mining camps
JOE VASEY.
,e Knoxville, Tenn, June %, 1906.