Year: 1874

marksts we're falling 81 rate never before
experienced. Factories Of every kind


were closing down, and coal became a drug


in the market and we began To think the


very foundation had fallen out Of our bus


iness fabric. The god of destruction


seemed to be abroad, and determined to


raZe the entire business structure and
leave it a shspeless mass Of ruins. The
causes of this terrible disaster | do not
propose to discuss. Sufh - it 10 say that


whatever they were you men nor those
you represent, nor any other body OF


workmen in the country had any hand in
them. Though no participator in the evils


which produced this state Of affairs, our
system Of economy is so constructed that
ON the heads Of the producing classes fall
the bitter consequences. This commercial
shock 30 prostrated the coal and iron trade
that little Of our labor was in demand at
any price. Our men were 70 be seen lay


ing around our mining towns and villages,
having no work to do, yet willing to work


Is there anything SO dreadful to the think
ing man, who desires to see his country
prosper, az to behold the wealth pro
ducers-the bees in the hive-idle, have
nothing to do, yet needing and willing to
work Can you think of anything which
so impoverishes q nation rs having its
workmen idle and its manufactures
closed This question our statesmen
would do well to consider. To hnd things
thus aud see the miners going hlther and
thither, was the signsl for reductions in
their wages and other impositions which





dreds Of men went on strikes, and thous-
ands were ready to plunge into one at any
moment THIS state Of affairs found us
ere We were four months old. Suspen-
sions III the name of strikes We felt were
Intellectual as a remedy under the existing
circumstances. Nay, so far from being
such we were sure that, as measures to
better the condition Of affairs or even re-
press the downward tendencies, they we're
useless, and could only add fuel 10 the 6re
and burn alone our members. In view Of
this fact felt myself induced to iss Ie the
following circular on the 3lst Of Much:


0FFIcE OF THE


Miners NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,


CLEVELAND, o., March 81. 1874.


Officers and Members Of Miners National


Association


DEAR SIRs-


A widespread Misunderstanding seems
to be abroad among the miners in regard
to the aims and objects Of the Association,
and for the time being is leading many
into serious and disastrous troubles. In
many sections of the country at present
trade Is dull, beyond all precedent, and in
some places our men have the idea that it
is made SO designedly by the employers
for the express purpose OF crippling and
preventing the workmen from forming
their Unions and anneXing themselves to
the National. This is not the reason of
the dull trade However hostile they are
to the formation Of the Cnion-and we
know, with you, that their hostility and
opPt sItion To it, in many cases, scarcely
has hmit-stlLl they have no more con-
troll over the circumstances which compel
the dull times than you have. We are not
ignorant Of the fact that they are using,
As far as they can, the dull season in the
coal trade to Illustrate your efforts to build
up your Association. They vlctimise and
persecute your leaders by ostracising them |
not only IN the section where they them |
selves live. but wherever a letter to an
other boss Will have any control over the |
individual. They put up contracts which !
they know are abhorrenU To every lover Of
liberty, compelling you TO disavow all
Unions or UNION principles or consider |
yourselves dlschar ged. Those contracts |
forbid your right to meet with your fellows
in common council, and discuss together
the best means Of social elevation, without |
their leave. Your rights as citizens to
ra n IN nd SrN,,,A
It where and how you please they have de- !
MED, and do deny. In all things they de-
sire to usnrp the functions Of government, |
making laws for you IN the first place, and |
then, as self selected uup res and arbiters |
they Claim to decide for you in all things
to your being. This we know,
but the means to remedy these evils and
prevent such arrogant assumption Of au-
Ihority to rule over you imperiously, is
the object Of this circular.


None among you have more sanguine
hopes of the ultimate trlumphs of our
principles and the establishment Of our as
'oclalion than we have none among you
believe more truly IN the justice # your
claims and the bitterness with which you
endure the yoke from day TO day but
though we have a keen realization ofthose,
We do not think that simultaneous with
your organization there should also he
strike to throw of the yoke that gals
Take nine coal mining districts to day, out
Oi every ten and they are writhIng under
grievances Of a similar kind, and
would III q moment enter ON q campaign Of
suffering and misery to free themselves
could they see the least hope Of success
But affairs being in such a condition they
cannot think strike would be the policy
or an evidence Of prudence at pr, sent.
They therefore bear on, and in many cases
will not be forced into a strife, the very
thing some Of the bosses desire they would
do. This, We think, is prudence and good
judgment. If you be compelled to decide
" hich of the two evils to take, sign the OBJ
noxious contract or 10 into strike, we un-
say sign the contract, but do
80 on the same grounds Gallileo took be-
fore the inquistIon, exclaiming, "but it
does move after all. F" If you cannot be per
Initted to organize openly, do it in secret,
and let them know 1t not. Sign all the pa
pers they have mind to offer. They are
binding only for the time you work under
them. You are at liberty to quit at any
time, and on being employed again begins
a new contract When your time comes
nall the contracts by taking your discharge
and then begin under a new contract. The
sancity Of contracts we only respect in SO
far as there is justice in them, and when
the interests Of both parties to them are
fairly considered but when circumstances
enable once party to compel the other to
fUrego their citizen rights, when circum-
stances are reversed the party thus COM
pelling cannot blame the other If they
legally null the contract and compel new
and more equitable one. The honesty and
veneration our men exhibit in dealing with
those is too sincere, considering the un-
scrupulousness Of the parties with whom
they have to deal. What do they do when
the conditions Of the contract pinches