The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-08-18
"OpenShop" Coal Barons
of Oklahoma Fear Power
of the Singing Strikers
BY ]. LOUIS ENoDAHL.

TODAY, praying miners" and the "hymn singing"
miners of okmugee County, Oklahoma add a
wrinkle to the class struggle in the coal fields of that
Evidently god whichever is worshpped by the Oklahoma
coal protees has deserted this breed of open shoppers
if we are to judge by their actions in ordering their sheriff
to the club of the coal dictatorship stop the prayers
of the coal miners
The Oklahoma coal miners, like those Of neghborng
Kansas that gave Alex Howat the left wing in the miners
union, have always believed in organization. building
strong union result This union has always believed in
militant methods Its delegates always been in the
vanguard at the conventions of the United Mine Workers of
America.
Evidently the appeal thru "prayer" to the nonunon
men who were permitting themselves to be used strike
breakers considered to be good tactic Wives sisters
and sweethear of the striking miners would be taken
the early morning hours to the edge OF the mine properties
Then they would march, singing to the very mouths of the
shafts singing hymns the scabs work. and pray
ing for the souls of the who had taken the places Of the
strikers The proceeding to have been very effective
Many OF the scabs were won over to the strikers
The strikebreaker is fundamentally conservative His
savness the interests of the of today goes
hand in hand with his allegiance to orthodox church.
Tenn where wide stretches of non-union mine fields
side by side with districts that claim almost 100 per
church membership Tennessee is settled in large part by
native Americans who back their ancestry
The state Of Oklahoma different 1t was originally
settled by pioneers from other states disconnected
from the large industrial center great part These pio-
neer elements have learned that in fighting god was always
the side of the greatest numbers Or Napoeon
said god is the side of the biggest guns Nevertheless
the Oklahoma miners have their union and they are using
it fighting weapon and the mine do like the
way they fight not if they their free speech
rights under the first article of the bill of rights of the federal
constitution Certainly the makers of the constitution
century and half ago. did not vision that this paragraph
the constitution would be called the aid of hymn singing
and prayer coal miners dispute But that is what the
Civil Liberties Union doing behalf of the coal diggers
Throwing fear of god into one," is popular express
sion that has several interpretations. The Oklahoma inter-
probation, it wins non-unon for the union cause
not to the liking of the bosses They the day of the 100
per union when will longer be necessary to sing
hymns brighten reigousy inclined scabs Of their
breaking roles One hundred cent organization MEANS
the recently threatened British strike that work.
will be singing the revolutionary songs of the working
class instead of the hymns that to be found in church
books. The skebreaker workers of TODAY NAV fear
for their souls the strikers sing their hymns today
mine fear for their rights of private property
their capitalist social system they already hear the strains
of the singing of 1.-THE international" 1.-THE Flag" of
the The singing miners of Oklahoma will change
their tune and become less agreeable than mine
owners. who today do not like their singing