Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1908-07-23
LABOR SHOULD UNITE.

There are narrowing scenes in Ala
bama. Men are being shot down, and
all on account Of labor troubles. At
ter getting a lot of nonunion men to
dig coal for them at low wages, the
mine operators yet employing union
labor refuse to pay union men any
more than they do the non-union,
this defeating the very purpose Of the
union, viz. to give men earnings from
their labor to live like intelligent be-
ings, and not cattle. The result was
that large numbers of nOn-uniOn men
who had been barely subsisting on the
meager wages paid them, joined the
union, locals being formed all over the
state, and so the fight is on, and there
is violence and bloodshed The same
old story is being repeated, men are
commissioned as deputies, who are ir-
responsible, and now the militia of the
state is called out to assist in quelling
disorder.
The mine operators seem determined
to enact the injunction by the sweat
of thy face shalt thou eat bread, for
by the low wages they seem to declare
that bread alone is the only thing that
the miner and his family require.
They would reduce American labor toI
the condition of the Chinese coOlie who
can subsist on a handful of rice day,
and who is as ignorant as the COW
that munches grass in the meadows.
God deliver this free country from
such fate as that, which poor wages
can bring it to. The difference is
worth striving for, for on it depends
whether we shall go forward or retro
grade, whether we shall improve our
selves by enjoying the benefits OF some
of those advantages that our rich peo-
pie enjoy in such profusion.
But there is a vast deal of work to
be done. There is a vast hord of ire
sponsible, unthinking people to be con
vinced Young men who will work at
any price, because they have none de-
pendant on them for a living, dis
gruntled individuals who hate the un-
ion because they couldn't do as they
liked in it and obey its rules and regu-
lations, individuals who enjoy fat
sinecures with companies and who
are selfshly afraid they will lose them
if they speak word for the union,
which they secretly believe is right in
its principles. They are to be taught
better things if it is possible And, In
addition, you have large numbers of
people who have no principles at
stake, but to whom money is para
mount and who will do anything-for
monev-from writing intlammatory ar
ticles against the union to seizing
gun and pouring lead at its members
The fight is this: The union is
for wages proportionate to prices
charged for the necessaries of life-and
these mean many things, not bread
alone. The non-uniOn man wants the
same articles, but will work cheaper
hoping that he will get them, in which
he fails So, in his ignorance, he
pulls down the standard of wages set
by the union, and neither get the
things they desire But the rich mine
operator gets the difference and buys
more coal lands, enjoys expensive
European trips and while he is sailing
around, butterfy-like, enjoying pleas
IRE after pleasure, chuckles while he
remembers that his slaves at home are
raaping dollars for him when fighting
one another interests.
Let no man work for any less than
another, and watch prosperity shine
over the laboring people