The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-11-04
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
AN OLD MINERS EXPERIENCE.

AN OLD MINERS EXPERIENCE.
FAIRMONT. Nov. 2-[Editor The
West Virginianl-I am seventy eight
years old and have worked in and
around coal mines for sixty five years,
yet l have never seen a prosperous
Democratic administration in all those
years. remember when I was a
small boy. too small to work at the
mines. James K. Polk was president.
Times were very hard. The mines
worked half time in summer, no work
In winter. asked my father why
times were SO hard. 90" he said. the
old Democratic party has no brains,
but wait, the Wings will elect the
next President and give US a protec.
tive tariff. The Democrats will new.
or give US prosperity until they quit
fighting the tariff" Sure enough his
prediction came true. General Zach.
airy Taylor was elected at the next
election. Times got better from the
start. Wages for the men at the
mines advanced from $500 to $3.50
per week and full time, paid in gold
in place Of store goods. This was a
prosperous administration. Then came
tariff for revenue only man for pres.
ident, Frank Pierce. Democrat. Bus.
mess went back again to Democratic
standard. BY this time / was old
enough to go to work, so I went to
the mines, got job at twenty-five
cents per day but only half time.
That gave me weekly wage Of Sl.50.
Big pay. This was bum admins
tration, but the worst is to come. The
next president was a man from my M
tive state and he was so bad that
the country has never wanted anOth-
or president from Pennsylvania since.
We always called him Ten Cent jim
my Buckhannon, Democrat. Times
were so hard It was almost impossible
for poor people to live. By this time
was able 10 earn mans wages. !
worked in the mines in q heading in
very bad air for the sum of sixty five
cents per day but no cash, no pay
days, store trade or move on to the
next town. Then our big war came.
All went well then for twenty one or
more years to Cleveland's second term.
He was helpless in his frs tern not
having all of Congress with him. He
was another tariff for revenue only
man. Business went back to the same
old things. Soup houses, strikes. Cox
ey army. etc. sold screened coal
here in this state for forty.hve cents
and gave away the slack and could
get but few orders at that. Then we
routed the Democrats again with our
own William Mckinley. Business and
the country were prosperous until in
1918 when still another tariff for rev.
enue only man takes the chair that
had been so honorably filled for four
terms. We all know what happened
for the first half of the present admin.
istration. The same old business
slaughter. Coal down to fifty cents
a ton. Factories closing, 100000 idle
men In New York City alone. Bread
lines in many big cities. Twenty sew
en- railroads in the hands OF receivers.
Side tracks filled with empty freight
cars. We have great prosperity now.
Why? Because the big war in Eu..
rope took the place Of our protective
tariff. We are doing for Europe now
In time Of war what they do for US in
time OF peace. We are making and
shipping them the goods while they
fight. And in time Of peace they make
and ship US the goods while we walk
the streets. Mr.. Wilson said in one
Of his grand speeches that only one
per cent Of our exports to Europe was
on account Of the war. Lord forgive
him for that one. II he had told that
to old Mute Hunter he'd laughed at
him.
OLD MINER.