The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-27
NEW YORK REPUBLICANS ARE IN
 BAD FIX OVER GOVERNORSHIP
Race Question Imporfanf
 Issue M WineYs' Strike
Time Calling Out Men Inopportue and Act Was Cruel
 Must Be Sitting of Good From Bad Strike Is Colapsng
BY FRANK V. EVANS.

insist upon 1t that the race question is an important issue in this season or discord. Here in this country there nap pens to exist race prejudice to harm- ful degree. There are some White men who hate the negro and negroes who hate white men, The negro-hating white man, generally speaking, is the ignorant white man. and the negro who mates Caucasian blood is the vicious feiloW whose prejudices can easily be aroused by the voice of agitators of either race. Left alone to work his own way the southern negro has never caused troupe in a general way. Naturally he is sub mtssive and easily influenced by whites.
 In Springfield, H., the other day. when the racial disturbance occurred the cry went up from the white populace-"Kill the nigger!" Down here in the south when the white people are aroused by disorders committed by both races and when the averaging hand is to be raised to estop disturbances the first impulse and inclination is to dispose of the white vil- lains who seek to disturb the commun- ity.
 AIabama's Coal District.
 The coal fields of Alabama underlie F counties These counties pour millions of money into the treasury of the state every year. large majority of their citizenship is white. The coal mining in- dustry Is the wealth producing agency in all these counties, and the coal indus try made possible the building of this great city and other cities and towns which have done so much to make Ala bama attractive, strong and rich. Estop the wheels of these mines, put out the fires and flood the entries and you TOD the entire state of wealth and glory. This is what the leaders of this strike have tried to do. This is where they nave in- suited and sought to stab the common wealth. This is where they have shown disrespect to law and contempt for civil government. They have made mockery of courthouses and toyed with hinges of jail doors.
 For these things they deserve the con tempt and condemnation of the people and severest punishment by the state. Making It Hot.
 |, Early In this strife one of the leaders stated that whether or not the miners succeeded in winning a final victory they would make it hot for the operators" Well, surely the heating process has act ed as a boomerang, and the operators and the people are not the only sufferers by the plot to break down and to destroy. e,,ffa suffering today; and the pity of 1t is that the ignor- ant. and the innocent weak men and helpless women and children, are under the ban of conditions brought about by the murderous spirit of those who have sought to get gain and to fatten on the misfortunes of others. Perhaps the make 1t hot" fire, kindled by the tongues of agitators has not all as yet been uuenched and that even yet the flames may reach and devour the evil spirits which ignited them.
 We shall see what we will see.
 No Tenting Quarters.
 Governor Comer's order that the tenting proposition planned by the miners union should not go into effect for sanitary req sons was most timely and introduces providential interference against fright ful exposure by the Fairleytes of the health and lives of poor women and tender children. In this order the gov ernor clearly recognizes the duty of the state to care for the health and lives of it's women and children, no matter how profitable to union miners officials such terrible exposure might prove. By this act the state reaches out its protecting arm to the innocent and says to MT. Fair ley: "Thus far shalt thou go and no further''; and these women and children are to be spared from the hazard of poor shelter and from the blasts of bit ing winter winds.
 'The best laid plans of mice and men
 Aft gang agley"
 Time Inopportune.
 "Ill blows the wind that profits mo- body" What meant this strike any how? Who caused it. and for what purpose? Was 1t not iniquitously con ceived at an inopportune time?. The people had just passed through a season of industrial depression. Men were weakened by lack of opportunity to la bor and had been fed upon the charity of employers whom they sought to stab, There was no pressing demand for the fulfllment of heavy and profitable con tracts. Men wanted work and just as the way was clearing to give employ. ment evil designing persons came among us and for the accomplishment of selfish ends, for the sake of greed, and without regard for the welfare of those who desired to do honorable la bor induced them to turn away from opportunity and decline the helping hand of reviving business conditions.
 Surely the time to strike was hope lessly inopportune. Who has profited by all this commotion?
 Mir. FairIey Knew.
 In this connection, and in order to emphasize the fact that the leaders knew early in the contest that the miners were poorly prepared to enter into warfare of this kind, I quote from the first letter I wrote on this subject on the 23d of July, part of an interview I had with MT. Fairley. MT. Fairley said:
 "There has been no scarcity of labor In this district since the panic began. Furnaces and mines have been closed down and there has been more labor than work. Hence the advantage of the employer as against labor"
 And yet with this truth plainly be-
 T.