Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1908-09-17

deeply interested in the welfare of the
common people or the work-a-day
slaves, think shall push my pen
from now until after the presidential
election. Now, have been reliably
informed that the non-union element
at Whitwell, and know that a great
er portion at Tracy, want the organic
alton, but to these l want to say you
have waited too long. There is only
one chance for you and that is at the
ballot box 1t is useless for me to tell
you what the &. o. p. has won for
you in the past, but want to say that
there are men of our own craft on the
race for governor of this state, and al
so for me Supreme Bench and Court
of Appeals and r. R. Commissioner.
If you want to know their names just
say so in some Of your letters to the
News and l will be glad to give their
names. They are men that are just as
competent as any big lawyer who is
worth half million dollars, or more
so, and further, | want to assure you
that they are men that would be salts
fed with their salary without trying
to exact anything else from the people,
and are men that have pledged them
elves to the laboring man, and there
fore are duly entitled to their support.
Now, just for instance, when Patter-
son and Carmack were before the peo-
pie for the nomination for the Office of
governor, the like was never heard of
speaking and electiOneering. Since
Patterson has got the nomination and
since this state is a democratic State,
and its impossible, or has been in the
past, to elect anything else in the state
at large except a democrat, we haven t
heard anything more of Gov. Patter-
son. He thinks the race is already
won and now would be the time to
fool him by electing a laboring man
| for Governor. | would like to hear
from someone else on this subject.
noticed dandy suggestion in the
editorial columns of the News recent
| ly if it could only be carried out and
that was that the miners write and
ask President Lewis, of the National
organization to buy up some coal fields
and put the miners to work for them
selves, which if it was possible to do
would be the thing, but President
Lewis is just as powerless to buy coal
lands as any other man, in so far as
money is concerned. Despite the fact
that there is over a million dollars in
the National Treasury that is put in
there by the miners of the United
States, and is therefore subject to the
order Of the entire National Executive
Board, and outside of what goes in to
defray the expenses of the National or.
ganization, is to carry on strikes and
lockout and couldn't otherwise be used
for anything else, but the miners
could go in collectively and make uI
money and buy coalfelds just the SAME
as putting up cooperative store and
in that way could dig coal for them
selves, but they are too selfish for that
Take the contract system, of which
there is so much of out here, why ev
cry man on this mountain could b.
getting SOC a car for this coal if i
were not for the selfshness that exists
For instance, when man gets a con
tract for SOC per car or more, then h
could take as many men in as woult
take to put out the coal, let every maj
pay his pro rata part of the expense
that occurs in putting out the coal
and in that way it would only be
short time until every man would b
getting SOC car or more, but, nc
when a fellow gets a contract and buy
mule or two he naturally thinks h
has some money invested and is there
fore entitled to percentage for nj
money, and at the same time think
that the miners need boss and tina
position, of course, he has naturally il
herited, and therefore entirely forget
his fellowmen and proceeds to do
contract business, and some call it
legitimate business.
There was an old friend of mine tol
me the other day in town that he ws
at Whitwell few days ago and sal
that there was couple of fellows
; two brothers, he didn't give an
names asked him if there was goin
to be strike at Tracy, and he to-
them he thought not, and they sal
that they wished they would strike OF
there as times over their way we
e very dull and there was no money
; all, and said where there were strik
y there was money. / want to say
e them that l only hope that they ms
9 never get another dollar until they ca
5 get it out of strike at Tracy. | tn,
/, could rest assured that they would
= a long time getting their glad hand {
b.. another dollar, for if there is anyboC
!. out here wanting strike, it's pa
i of them that tried working during Il
last strike. l don't think there a
= very many that stuck out to the las
that are anxious TO engage Intensely
q in another controversy, especially uni
the other fellow proves that ne has a
cumulated enough of Suitability
is last him longer than it did before.
Now, then. what about strikes al
lockouts that you have heard so mu,