Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1908-08-13
Why ! Worked In Time of Strike

Editor News.
/ Joined the union in '9l and kept |
my word and oath until in time of the |
lockout at Tracy City when everything |
looked gloomy, thought it wOnld he |
best for me to go to work, and | did, |
and If God will forgive me for il, / |
will never pick up another tool TO fight |
the labor union with. Gentleman, | |
am ashamed to write this, but il is a
fact. The company told me of all the |
good things, and said, II will stick TO |
You and | bet on il but now they |
are giving me what they like best and |
not what my appetite desires. Now,
| want all men to know / am true
union man, and have experienced |
what man gets when he LAYS down
unionism, He is fool. This is
fact, was almost afraid TO die,
felt so little, | made good money, but
1t dld not do me any good could
look out on the streets and see the
good men standing around, who knew
had sworn lie with my right hand
toward heaven and knew some of
those men had little childen, who pro-
badly were destitute of bread, and
knew | was helping the cause of their
fathers not having bread for them,
and at night my pillow would be wet
with tears as thought what would be
my destiny. Gentlemen, | had rather
have the name of being one of the
meanest of men in this world than to
have people to know that | swore false
ly in order to take bread from my
neighbor's little children.
1t almost broke my heart when !
went to work and my little girl said
''Pappy you are not my pa now |
said, why, hOneyp' She said, BE
cause you are scab now. l had a
time to get my conscience clear with
God and man. | wrestled with God in
the mines and at home, and the devil
would tell me to work and he would
get me anything | needed. | thought
was all III all, but the devil is Civ
ing me what Paddy gave the drum,
but man reaps what he sows.
In the midst of my error my wife
said, lis there not something wrong
with your" | said yes" and she
said, what is it2' / said, 81 am
sorry ever dropped the union" She
said, Il thought you were working
through ignorance. / thought you
were fool when you let the people
know you swore lie." This almost
broke my heart. | could look at the
little boys and girls, and | thought
when | became an old man they would
call me scab. 1t grieved me so badly
that could not rest at night. God
knows why / did like | did, for don t.
1t looked like the whole world had
their eyes on me and I just fell down
and asked God to clean me up and /
would do anything he wanted me to
do If he would pardon me for working
against my fellowmen. Some people
may think it is little thing to work
in time of strike, but let me tell you,
gentlemen, you never had any such
feeling unless you stole horse or
something of the kind.
| Now, | want every man who has the
least idea of ever scabbing to get it
out of their heads, and never let any
body know you was born of woman
and yet low down enough to- steal
bread from your neighbor' little child
rem, who has got an honest father.
Now, study this, and when you get the
idea in your head that you will work
in time of strike, Just ask if any of
your folks ever went to the asylum. ]
am not afflicted in any way but if the
company had not had all the people out
of the asylum at work, guess | would
have been there now. Ask yourself
this question and labor can gain Just
us easy as you can know who is your
fathers brother. Do you know it is
Just as easy to win as to know who
| o. Ia mi 1u1N
today. They haven't got any sense OF
they would get what they ask for
1t is said man can live nine days
without anything. How long can the
world live without coal' Every Goa
digger can say, II will lay down my
tools, and in 48 hours you can heal
the call on every side, For Gods
sake, boys, go to work - The maj
who has millions of dollars had rathel
see the working class die than to los,
a dollar, and the only way they hav,
got to kill them is to put them t.
work.
Now, gentlemen, Just look at tn
fool union. just look at the poor mel
in Alabama idle, and men who CLAIM
to be union men at Tracy and othe
places filling the same contracts whicl
the poor men in Alabama filed | sa,
this is devil of way to win strikes
Just as long as they do as they are do
ing they will never gain an inch, no
, be recognized either. 1t is a sham
, that man who pays in the union on
dollar a month dues for his own inter
est, when in time of strike gets hi
brothers job and his dollar back, an
at the same time hasn't got sens
| enough to know it, Ten days ag
Tracy City was only working tire
, days a week. Now since Alabam
: came out on strike, all you can hea
/ is, more coal, for Gods sake, boys
l give us every car you can" and tn
/ dern fools are doing it. | am asham
, ed of the way men, do who claim t
D have common sense. Doesn't anybod
: know just as long as other men fill til
t contracts of men who are on strik
S that they cannot gain. 1t is impossi
t BILE. "Oh," some will say, I'VE can
g come out until our contract is up.
z Durn the contract. This is Just wha
0 the company wants you to say / sa
g let the Alabama union men fill tn
r same old contract if it is ever filled
e Now, word to the good union me
t of Alabama Boys, stick tight. | pra
e for Gods sake don't be as big 81
d of fools as the Tracy City boys.
/, know they are gritty, but some of thel
l the gap l would lay down my life fl
T my principles. l wish you all well.
t will pray while you all fast, too, an