Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1907-02-21
AS A UNION MAN.

wish to write few lines this week
as read piece from strike break
err, of Reed Hill, Heart broken Min
er. NV friend and brother, ], as
union man say to you, am glad that
Almighty God has brought you to see
the condition into which You were
drifting. You see that you were in
turing Yourself, besides inJurlng in
fants for generations to come. Ihat Is
fatal You may do away, with the
union and in fifty years from now men
that have to labor for living will be
worse than slaves. Now, can t see
how man can work against himself
in favor of these companies, knowing
at the same time that he Is working
against his own interests.
Now, Clyde Griffith, tell me If men
were not digging coal at Whltwell be-
fore the union was organized at 39c
and 3715c? And didn't we have only
half day rum |, for one, have climb
ed that mountain for one car and many
half day I went up there and got
none After we were organized we
got raise and everyday work. And
why? Because the company could de-
mend ON union men for work. They
could fill orders from everywhere.
They knew the union men would do to
| trust.
AS far as the farmer not being able
to sell his produce you are mistaken
about that. hear them tell the differ
ence IL the place. | know there were
two or three that could not sell their
produce, but they We're the cause OF 1t,
There is something else you have not
got straight You say we were on
strike six months in the year, crying
for higher wages. Do you know that
the non-union men at Whitwell are not
getting full value for their labor? They
lack about TIC ON the ton, and day
men in proportions OF course you do
not. It takes a competant miner to
know the real value of mining. You
say a man could not get a job at any
thing. I have heard you cry that cry
before and you packed it on the union.
Under union conditions the name OF
every man who applied for work was
8 taken by the bank boss, and he was u
saw when q man could 80 on. And
they went on as they were taken down
by the bank boss with no discrimina
: ton. Of course there were some wht
3 applied for q room who were not com
petant miners and did not get work OF
that account, and some that had dug
i coal there day or two out OF a weel
that the company didn't want. know
who you are striking at. After tn
= strike set in the company hired thes'
4 same men that they would not nav
u when the union was at work, and the.
hired miners to dig coal that never dul
a lump of coal before.
You know it is the truth. You sa,,
thev could not get job when the un
ion was in power. The union did no
own the mines any more than they o.
l now, they simply owned their own Ia
n Dor, which you do not now. Accord
9 ing to your statement you are blamln
y the company and trying to blame tn
e union too. Get off of one OF thes
II ideas. Don't try to ride both at tn
II same time You wrote that you ma
} said all you felt like saying. l don
e know how you felt like saying as muc
!e as you did. | am union man and
Is thank God for the privilege of bein
10 one. | thank God that / We that muc
n virtue in my soul that [ can do unit
81 all men as wish them to do unto mt
" If a man has not got union prime
q piles God has no use for him. l woul
D. hate to work against the interests
as my fellow men and acknowledge that
y caused women and children to suffer
70 my account.
)e hope, Clyde, that you will reform
~ Ask God to forgive you, and come o.
I'd err on the Lord side that we may a
Ia be able to get pay for our labor. "
want to live and let live. This is OF
as motto. Read the Bible and the pie
you wrote and see if they run togethe
LII and look ahead and see where you a
III drifting. 5. 7. SAMPL4.
lie Tatesville, Tenn.
to -