The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-17
NEGROES PART IN THE STRIKE Unions Have Negro Of ficers and Members. UNION MEN EXPLAIN 1T Fairlsy is Working for Political
 Capital. He is Making Desperate Efforts to Get the Federal Government to Inter- fsre--How the Miners com-
 nsisssries Are Con-
 dueted.
UNION MEN EXPLAIN 1T
nY nRuCE KENNEDY.


 The time will come when the people of Alabama must deal with very seri- ous condition that has developed, and is daily developing, in the mineral dis trict. There is a mixing of the white and black races at the rniping camps that portends an evil day for Alabama It is doubtful if the people of Alabama generally realize that the United Mine Workers of America puts the white man and the black man on an equal plane in the organization. Many of the local unions have negro officers. In a number of the mining camps negro miners are the recognized leaders When 1t is considered that perhaps 50 per cent of the union miners are for etgners, many of whom do not speak English, the/ domination of the negro leaders over the white man is appar- ent
 The mining companies provide : schools and there are two or three churches at every. mining camp. I ean- not state 1t as fact. but have been told by reputable men that at some of these schools, and at many of the churches, the negroes and the white people mingie and mix as equals. At Dora the other day 6 mass meeting of miners was held. It was e sort of all day picnic. In other words 1t was a social affair. A number of speeches were made. but the chief address was by a negro preacher. his audience con- sisting of white and black miners and thsir wives and children.
 This negro preacher talked openly of social conditions in the South, and his references to social equality were re- ceived with applause by both whites and blacks. During the day a young white man made a speech. While he was talking a big black negro ad- vanced to the platform and putting his arms around the shoulders of the white speaker whispered in his ear as though advising him what to say.
 As repugnant as the scene was to some white men, it appeared to meet with the favor of the white men, wo- men and children in the audience. It might be safe to say that 25 per cent of the coal diggers in the mineral dis tFict are native white men of Aia- bama- No one doubts that these white men are opposed to mixing the races on social lines. ~
 When I put the question of social equality to W. M. Lewis, who is lead ing the strike at Blocton. he expressed deep regret that 1t had become neces- sary for the union to receive negro members. MT. Lewis is a native of Alabama, and he is intelligent enough to see the dagger that these conditions
 The Unioasp standpoint.
 There are so many negro miners here" said Mfr. Lewis, ''that 1t became necessary to unionlze them for the pro lection of the white miner. You must understand that a large per centage of these men on a strike have been brought into the union within the past six weeks. A great many open, shops were organized just before the strike was declared. There are possibly 50 per cent of the strikers who are new in vvzffg not be permanent, and as soon as the strike ends those of us who subscribe to Alabama customs hope to bring about an improvement in this particu- lar matter,
 we have already discussed the ad- visibility of organizing negro branches of the union. We realize that 1t is In- evitably unsafe to continue with negro leaders of white men. IL could not be done here, if 1t were not for the fact that such large number of our mem bers are foreigners. The strike has put us in a desperate position, and during an emergency of this kind we are com pelled to submit to conditions that are repugnant to many of us"
 While MT. Lewis no doubt believes that the union will adjust these con- ditions 1t would seem that he Is hop ing in vain. The chief strike leader is ". R. Fairley, an Englishman. Mir. Farley is a Republican, and like most Republicans his aim Is to make all of the capital possible out of the negro race. Right now MT. Farley is Chair man of the Ninth Congressional Dis- trict Republican Committee. He is shrewd frugal and smart. No one may undertake to say that he advises social equality, but one may say that he does not counsel against 1t.
 It is safe to say that Mfr. Fairley Is keeping the Republican party well in- formed as to the progress of this strike. Readers of newspapers know that the Republican press of the East and the West Is already making great capital out of the conditions in the mineral district.
 Some of the best informed men in