The daily worker., 1931-12-21
ToxNT APPEAL or THE NATIONAL BOARn
AND THE KENTUCKY DISTRICT BOARD
THE NATIONAL MINERS UNION.

The NALluNAls KANEESS OENA0NO
OVER 10000 Kentucky miners voted, through
their representatives at the Convention Of
the NMU, to strike January i, 1889, against the
worst starvation and the most brutal terror In
the history of the coal industry. Right from the
Convention Hall, scores of rank and Si1e organ
izsrs risking their very lives. ragged and almost
oarefooted but determined. went hiking over the
mountains to organiss the strike.
Strike Against Starvation and TeErosy
The coal operators havs reduced the standard
Of living of the miners 10 the point Of actual
hunger The majority Of the miners receive no
money for their hard toll Men and women ere
going hungry and In rags Many are working
during the day and begging food for their family
at night. Over 1000 blacklisted and their depen~
dents are dying for lack Of bread. Thousands OF
children are underUom1shed and will never grow
Up into healthy men and women. Most of them
will remain MANNED for life, Hundreds of these
little children are dying of disease called flux,
which is caused by hunger Pellagra and all
sorts of diseases caused By hunger, are wide
spread among the entire mining population in
Kentucky
Gmmen Rule.
The miners are not suffering only OF hunger.
They are subjected to the most vicious and the
most brutal terror that ever existed in the coun-
t-y. Criminals with long records of robbery and
murder have been imported into the coal fields,
armed to the teeth and shielded with badges of
the capitalist. Every mining town is an armed
camp. The gunmen are the law in these towns.
They raiding miners shacks destroying fur
niture, kidnapping militant miners, taking them
for ride" and numbering them.
The courts, on the testimony of the gunmen,
ara irnpo eiJ1u foa hoo fhp
miners Even Theodore Dresser, famous novelist,
and the chairman of the committee to investi-
gate the starvation conditions and terror in
Kentucky has been indicted on the charges Of
criminal syndicalisn. Liberal newSpapernlen are
being shot. Every voice Of protest against the
iphunan conditions and slavery is being sup
pressed by the iron hand of the coal operators
and their gunmen.
Human language does not know words strong
enorgh to picture the long sufferings of the
Kentucky miners and their families
Betrayed by the U.M.W.A. and IW.W.
The Kentucky miners made several heroic
attempts to defeat the starvation and terror.
Last spring they conducted one of the most
heroic strikes in the history of the class struggle
in this country. They fought courageously with
guns on their shoulders. For months they lived
il the mountains battling with the gunner.
They were dying in the struggle for the right to
I've. They actually defeated the gInrnen. Then
Go.enor Sampson sent his army to aid the
company gunnen in the war against the miners
Every effort of the armed forces failed to de-
feat the courageous Kentucky miners. The coal
operators needed the help of the U.MW.A-and
tlley got it, The UMWA., with its long record
of treachery and betrayal, aided by the I.W.W.
betrayed the fighting miners at the most crucial
moment This was one of the most shameful be-
trayals ever committed The U.M.WA. withdrew
whatever little support it was giving to the
hungry but fighting miners. It told the miners
to surrender to the gun-rule. The strike was de-