The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-03-25

Dear Mr. Baer: ] do hope you VIII
stand firm against the arrogant de-
nands Of the men who have been min
ing coal for you, and that you VIII not
again permit your sympathetic nature
TO be swayed by popular ciamor.
You must realize the weight of the
resnonsibility which rests on YOU and
l am sure that you viii sink your per-
sonal inclination to let the workmen
have their own way and consider only
that YOU are the active trustee for the
vested interests of our beloved COM
monwealth 1t is up to you, dear
Brother Baer, and l DO pray that you
will stand pat
II is unfortunate that YOU are de-
priycd of the valued advice and sup
mort OF some OF the best trustees of
our national wealth at this critical mo-
ment. Mr. Picrpont Morgan Is in
Rome-so / learn from the papers-in-
terviswing the Pope. I did not know
that he belonged TO that church, but ]
hope 1t is all right and that Picrpont
is making no mistake.
No one seems to know Just where
Brother Rockefeller Is, and IL is too bad
he cannot be found when we need him
the most. Perhaps personal inserted
in some good family paper might reach
him and call him back 10 home and
duty The pernicious activity Of ire
sponsible writer's and Teformers has so
disturbed existing conditions that the
leaders of our great vested interests are
on the verge Of nervous prostration,
and ] do hope that you will not break
down.
How can those coal miners be so un-
grateful2 il seems only a short time
ago when you shipped most Of them
over here from foreign countries. They
did not complain about their wages
then | should say not. They were
glad OF a chance to live and work in
our glorious Republic, and their names
were SO hard TO pronounce that It was
necessary to label them with numbers.
We brought them over by tens of
thousands, and what is our reward?
They want more money-always their
cry is for more money.
Talk about oliver Twist, The modern
American workman has that greedy
character beaten q mile-to use an eX-
preston coined by young Mr.. Rookie
feller in addressing his Bible class,
They should organize political party
and call themselves the "Oliver Twis-
ters," with platform declaring Tor
More, More, Morei"
They must be made to understand
that capital cannot adjust itself to con-
ditions OF permanent prosperity SO long
as they continually demand more
wages.
Two years ago you miners made
lot OF outrageous demands and You
were forced TO arbitrate with them, An
award was made granting some Of
their claims. and you stated at the
time that your companies were threat
ened with great loss and possible ruin,
Luckily this calamity was averted by
your splendid business ability, and by
an absolute control of the anthracite
coal Industry. In fact. Reading stock
has gone up forty or fifty points, and
i am delighted to know that the prop
critics under Your control have mar
ket value of tens and tens Of millions
OF dollars more than at the time when
you were compelled to raise the wages
Of your men,
And now these very coal miners have
the impudeHce to assert that they have
a right to share In this prosperity, This
makes me almost angry. In the name
of common sense, what have they done
to entitle them to share in these extra
millions earned by your mines and
your railroads? They did the work, of
course, but any one can work If he can
find some one to pay him wages
You and your associates had the
judgment. the forethought and the
money with which to acquire control
OF the anthracite coal business of the
United States. and no reward Is too
great for such a combination. When
they forced you to pay more wages,
what did you do. Brother Baer? You
put up the price of coal to the con-
sumner. All! that was stroke OF Ge-
MUS
You did not sulk In your office. Not