Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1908-08-27
To His Friends.

Editor News:
| don't intend to discuss the union
question, but l have some good friends
over the country that are interested in
my welfare and want to try to ease
their minds so they can go on about
their own business and religious du
ties, and not be losing sleep and lay
ing out of Sunday school and church,
studying some slang to throw at some
body My Illinois friends seem to
think that everybody will know that
| am working at Empire. That is
ust what / want. am not ashamed
TO look every man in the state of Ala
bama in the face and tell them that |
am working at Empire. | am not
afraid to meet the Saviour when he
comes in that great day to judge the
quick and the dead, but | am afraid
some of my good friends who are
studying so much about my welfare
will be weighed in the balance and
found wanting. Every man has to
work out his own salvation. Since |
began to work out mine find that |
have got every day work. l have no
time to look after other peoples bust
ness | have nothing against the I'M
ion. l am sure if the union people
would stick to their obligation they
would quit talking about people and
throwing out slang which is not be-
coming to a gentleman or lady. |
have taken the obligation in three
lodges, and am sure neither one of
them teach any such stuff. If the un-
ion does dom want any Of it, and if
it don't when people do this they are
breaking their obligation.
As for the Empire strike, have
nothing to do with it. have got
nothing to strike for. | am getting
the same wages that | started with
when came here. The company has
been good to me and befriended me i'll
need. SO have the people. There are
some good people here, people that |
love with all my heart. am sure
will do them no harm and | dom
think they will me. I don't fall out
with them for their views, if they
think they are right and think they
ought to allow me the same privilege
| AS to my Illinois friends, don t
consider they are interested in the EN-
pire strike. 1t may be that | will
meet you some day face to face and if
you have anything against me | think
| you will be gentlemen enough to talk
| it over with me. am sure | can talk
with you and that will stop this slur
and slang in the paper. want you to
understand that | don't care who
knows where | am working. My
friend says to be man. l am not on
4 lxrt ~ h,,H Tho Ri hlp
says if a man smites you on one cheek
to turn the other This | will try to
do. If man tells me to my face that
| am not a gentleman, the Bible does
n t say what to do after he smites both
sides. Everybody has faults. There
are none perfect. | could call to mind
a good many little naughty tricks that
some of my good friends who are Sc
interested in me have done along the
path of life, but that is not my bust
ness God is the judge.
The Bible says to confess our faults,
one to another. This ] am willing tC
do and this | think my friends are
willing to do. | hope my Illinois
friends won't worry any more. If
should have to lay down my tools and
walk out of Alabama | will write you
personal letter and let you know
where l stop. | hope we can all soon
go back to work as friends and broth
ers should, and lay down all malice.
have a good many Odd Fellow and K.
of P brothers here and God knows
would not do them any harm and
hope and pray that the time will soon
come when we can all meet and work
together in brotherly love and friend
ship as we should do.
Everything is progressing nicely as
the union people seem to be enjoying
themselves. The company is going
right ahead, putting in their haulage
rope and building the new tipple.
They have just about got all the men
they can work at present. think by
the time the strike is over some OF
those slang throwers will have talked
themselves to death and the world will
move on around the sun just the same
and they won't be missed much. just
let them go their way.
JOE O'NEAL,
Empire Ala, Aug. "a, 1908.