Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1906-11-01
Letters the nc Editor
Remedy Not Strong Enough.


have friendly chat with Uncle
Gid" see by his letter in the issue
of Oct. IS, that he was bemoaning the
fate of the Knights of Labor. Now
'Uncle Gid" / am an old timer IKE
yourself, and 1 can see no reason why
you should be so blue. The X. OF H.
is dear in memory to me, but dld you
ever think for moment that the X. OF
L.. outlived its usefulness and the tao
tics you spoke of were all right in the
days of that organization but would
avail nothing in this day and time. IL
would have no more effect than so much
bird shot hurled against Moro csatle
in an attempt to demolish it. WhyE
The reasons are plain, but they are
several. First-Most firms were OF an
Independent character in 1886 and 1887
and one firm was competing against
another firm of like character. Hence
to hold his percentage of the market
the operator frequently was FORCED
to meet with his men and further, he
was forced to accede to the demands
his employees made upon him If an
operator had one thousandth part
of the market of the U. S. he had to
hold that percentage or step down and
out. SO when his particular coal, or
other products became scarce in the
markets, and other companies had be-
gun to bid for his orders, then Mr.. OPP
orator would speedily call in the prop
er parties of the X. of L. and be more
than ready to meet the miners half
way, but the law of evolution applies
to our industrial system as we'll as to
all other forces of nature. Thus we
see that capital combined for the pur-
pose of protecting it's interests, or in
other words SO they might change their
methods in the wars waged between
the capitalist and the wage slaves. At
ter they were organized yon saw some
of the results at Tracy and Whitwell.
Well to the point. The operators at
Tracy City and Whitwell did not lose
anything in the last struggle. Plenty
of money was furnished the Whitwell
and the Tracy City coal companies to
fight their battles. Their coal orders
were filed, and they were paid from
their organization, the average capaci-
| ty, or output, of their mine. We can
only ameliorate conditions when we
are in shape to do so, or when condi-
tions bring forces to bear upon Mr.. OPP
orator, which will force him to accede
to the demands of his men. Unlucki-
ly for us we are not in position to cope
with the operator in this day and time
while the policy pursued by the U. M.
w. of A. was used to the best advant-
age and many thought that capital
fighting capital was bound to win but
when the wage slave is brought to
remember that he only gets II per cent.
of the wealth he creates, less than one
fifth and ,surrenders more than four
tifths to the operator, and maintains
his family out of the II per cent.
which he keeps as wage, he gives the
SO per cent. to the operator for the
privilege of working for him. and the
mite the working class affords to do
nate to their organization is not ade-
quate to cope with the powerful coal
corporations. Thus we are beaten at
each protest against the tyrany of the
operators. The strike is our protest.
Now don't blame any individual for
this state of affairs, "Uncle Gid. I"
but blame our system. You strike and
starve yourselves nearly to death to get
better conditions, then walk to the
polls on election day and vote to per-
petuate these conditions. No doubt
you will say l am liar. Be it so, if
/ can make you think. Well. when
ever you vote for Democrat or Re-
publican you vote for the conditions
that you experienced at Tracy City
and Whitwell. There is no difference
in those parties as far as you and are
concerned. They both stand for CAPT
talism, and make laws in the interest
of capitalism, and they will use these
laws ON you in time of strike to beat
you into submission. Now, these laws
are divided into two arms, the civil
laws and the martial laws. Now, Just
so long as it is to the interest of CAPT
talism, she will use the arm of the
civil law, and on YOU and enjoin you
off of the earth When they see you
are not going to violate the civil law,
then their henchmen, private and pub
| lie detectives and U. s. marshals and
sheriffs, form conspiracies, like the
mine owners of Colorado did when
they blew up the depot at Independ-
ence and and killed fourteen miners.
Then these detectives stir up some
thing and they will shoot you down
like dogs. Now, Uncle Gid" you
have voted for these good Democrats
and Republicans to represent you, or in
other words to make these conditions,
and the detectives and marshalls and
sheriffs are either Democrats or Re
publicans, but they are standing
shoulder to shoulder, and heart to
heart for capitalism. The soldiers,
likewise, are for capitalism; they are
Democrats and Republicans Just the
same, but willing to murder you il
you protest and want more for your
work. The bullets shot under a Dem