The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-09-21
Whole No. 272
DISCHARGED
FOR DISTRIBUTING APPEAL To
REASON-NINERS ON CABIN
CREEK DEPRIVED OF POLITE
CAL FREEDOM.

H|N hEflSlSED OF POLITE.
CAL FREEDOM.
The Constitution of the United
States guarantees to every man po-
htitical freedom, yet it seems thar
the coal operators on Cabin Creek
are able to deity the constitution.
and deprive the sovereign citizens
OF our state of this blood bought
privilege. Some time ago j. Il.
Meadows, miner working for the
Wake Forest Coal Company, on
Cabin Creek, was instrumental in en-
Sasins socialist speaker for that
point, and entertained the speaker
while there. For that ofrense
against the laws laid down by the
slave driving coal barons, MIR.
Grimes, Superintendent and Mana
ger of the Wake Forest Coal Com
pany discharged Comrade Meadows,
and demanded his house at once.
The miners met and appointed a
committee to wait on the Superin-
tendent. and told him il he did not
| felnstate Meadows they would all
strike. with the result that. Comrade
| Meadows was reinstated. Comrado
Meadows is class conscious So
clallst. and must be doing some.
thing for the cause, SO he ordered a
bundle Of the Labor Day edition OF
the Appeal toeReason and distribute
"a them among his fellow workers..
For that ofrense ne was discharged,
and ordered to leave the premises
of the coal baron, by their Iackey,
Mr.. Grimes. The only charge they
could bring against Comradc Mead
- ho h
was distributing Socialist papers ana
taking subscriptions. This man was
prosecuted on account of his poll
tics. Where is his political free
dom? What is the constitutional
guarantee worth to him? And, he is
| supposed to uphold tho constitution.
That piece of paper. drawn UP by
| plutocrats. that places property
rights above human rights Where is
the freedom and liberty of wage
slave? Their freedom is a mockary
and their liberties are imagl-
nary.
The, public don't realize what the-
| miners in the non-union field must
endure. They are robbed on every
, hand. The coal operators force
their men to buy at the company
store, where they are cheated every
way Imaginable, and charged extor-
tionate prices for the necessities of
life. Below we submit a table Of a
few articles, showing the difference
in prices at the Wake Forest Com
panys store and John Aliens indipen-
dent store:
Coal Conpany's Store
Peaches, dried, 1Sc. per ID.
Flour, $500 per barrel.
John Aliens Store
Peaches, dried, 10c. per lb.
Flour, $500 per barrel.
Allen sells potatoes for $1OO per
bushel less than the company store.
meat from four to six cents a pouns.
less, and a line of canned goods at
ten cents can that the company
store sells for fifteen cents can.
Iaking it all around the coal COM
pany charges about SO per cent
more than the independent store.
but if the miners don't buy from the
coal company, they are either dis
charged Or put in a place where
they can't make a living 1t is hard
to believe that such conditions ex-
list in civilized country, but they
do. Has the spirit that actuated
our forefathers to revolt in 1875
been crushed out of their descend
ants, that they will endure such
conditions? Must we stand and see
all of our rights taken from US. with
out protest?? Are we to become
political vassals, as we'll as wage
slaves? n
The American will not endure
these outraSes much longer, they
are being driven to the last ditch,
and woe unto those who become the
object of just and righteous wrath
OF the patient. long suffering and
outraged people.
For stalling a sack of flour and two
cans of molasses, Charles Carver, Of
Circlesville. Ga. was given six months
in the work house. He explained
that he had not been employed for
months and could have taken much