The labor argus. [volume], May 23, 1907, Image 1

About The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915

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~ ' CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA. WAY 73 torn
? $1.00 a Year in Advance
MINES LIKEI
SLAUG
Some Inside Histo
Fayette County
Oak Hil
READY MADE GRA1
The following letter appeared in i
last week's issue of the United 1
Mine Workers Journal, written by '
W. F. Larrison from Oak Hill, ,
which furnishes some inside his- ,
tory from the miners graveyard: i
Once more have we to record the '
wholesale slaughter of men in this 1
lield, victims of the greed of the '
White Oak Fuel Company. On !
May 1 the Whipple mine let go at '
3:30 p. m. ami so far sixteen dead :
bodies have been taken from the 1
bottom. Fifty-three men escaped '
up the air shaft, which is provided '
with a stairway, and by reason of 1
that means of escape the disaster at '
Stuart was not repeated. Reports '
as to the number of men in the '
mine at the time of the explosion 1
are conflicting, and it is impossible
to get accurate information on the 1
subject. 1
On April 30 there was a small '
explosion at Oakwood, about one '
mile from Whipple, and several '
men were burnt. That accident 1
has been kept very quiet and no s
news reached the outside world.
As it is the policy of the White s
Oak Fuel Company to suppress all
news as far as possible, fearing they K,.
4 -T 1- -2- 1
iiu^uii uc uuauic tu gcu livoii VIC- I
tims to work in their various j J
slaughter pens.
The Whipple mine is one of the
best equipped in the state, and was j ]
opened by the Collins Colliery '
Company. TJnder their manage- 1
rnent it was run in an up-to-date '
manner. After becoming the '
property of the White Oak Fuel '
Company every effort was, of !
course, made?as in all their oper- :
ations?to cut out all expenses,
and the company has no regard i1
whatever for the safety of human j
life. I
The writer has seen cages running
at their operations with no
hoods or coverings on them, and
luring the winter a mau's life is in
danger from falling ice when going
up or down the shaft. One man
was killed in this manner in January,
1906. A man dare not kick;
to do so means a walk to the office.
We have heard nothing lately
about the investigating committee
that was appointed last winter to
inquire into the cause of the freqent
accidents in this state, which
are nothing less than murder. If
even ordinary precautions were
taken all such accidents could be
eliminated in this coal field, where
natural conditions are favorable to
the safe working of mines.
Whipple mine had fortunately a
second opening, and to that can be
attributed the saving of fifty-three
lives. At the Stuart mine, which
exploded on Januuary 29, there
was but a single opening and not a
living thing escaped. We suppose
the company already has the
coroner's verdict rendered. They j
?ttvf tiie same jury 111 an cases aua J
the verdict is furnished the jury
ready-made., They eveu keep
ready-made graves on hand. Five
were standing open ready to receive
the victims of their latest
butchery. We suppose Sam
Dixon's next industry will be the
operation of a coflin factory, as
undoubtedly they could make
coffins cheaper than they could
buy them.
Mr. Dixon informed the writer
some months ago that they had always
downed the "U. M. W. of A.
and intended to continue to down
it. True, they have in the past,
but at what a fearful cost. Will
these Loup Creek miners never
realize that the price they are paying
for their "personal rights'' by
not being dictated to by a labor
organization is too great? We
were at the inquest (so-called)
held over the victims of the Stuart
disaster?a public inquest where
not a half dozen men not interested
*1 UNTO
HTER PENS
ry of the Recent
Disasters by
f twj? <*?
i lfiiiicr
VES FOR VICTIMS
s
lirectly in the matter were present;
m inquest conspicuous for the
questions that were not asked;
ivhere no witnesses were called
who could or would inci imiuate the
company, and when a witness did
iccidently get oil dangerous ground
lie was carefully steered away
from that point. A mine map was
brought in evidence and showed to
l jury, not one of whom had ever
bad a day's experience in mining,
ind who would not have known a
nine map from a Chinese laundry
bill. The verdict was, of course,
ill that the company desired?
ao one responsible?one of those
unavoidable accidents that will
accur in the mining of coal. We
bave no doubt the Whipple verdict
will be the same
The Fayette Journal, the mouthpiece
of the White Oak Fuel Company,
has stated the cause unknown.
It further added that the
lamage to the mine was slight and
the all-important information that
the hoisting of coal could be resumed
in a few days. The
Journal's representative was at the
scene of the accident a few hours
lfter it occurred, where Air. Sam
Dixon took him in hand and gave
liiin the "items" for publication in
the issue of the following day.
The representative of the Fayettes'ille
Sum was also on the ground,
hut as the publishers of that paper
have not mortgaged their souls to
the coal company, he received but
scant courtesy from the company
aflicials and police and was ordered
subside the ropes which were
stretched to keep the curious at a
respectable distance.
People are leaving this field by
the dozens. It looks now as
though the question of mine disasters
in Sam Dixon's works will
make its own solution and that
their occurrence will be rendered
inipossiuic lor tne want 01 victims..
Well so be it, possibly those men
will get into organized fields,
where the right of free speech will
not be dcuied. Possibly if they
should return at some future date
they will inoculate this section
with the needs of unionism and the
coming organizer will talk to
listening cars.
REPLIES TO
ROOSEVELT
Debs Characterizes the President
Ac*
xio UCIU5 L.HUW x aiob ui
Forgetful."
Eugene V. Debs has given out
the following statement in reply to
President Roosevelt's letter to
Honor Jaxon:
j "After many days President
[ Roosevelt concluded to revise his
; public announced determination to
treat the communication of organized
labor with silent contempt.
He changed his mind only when
he saw the representatives of the
working class preparing to move
011 the White House. In the voluble
and vague explanation just
issued the President is guilty of a
most extraordinary lapse of memory
or a deliberate falsehold. In
defense of his unenviable position
he now claims that he never said
anything concerning the guilt of
Mover and Haywood. I answered
by quoting the exact words
! he used in his speech on the
occasion of the laying of the corner
stone of the office building of the
house of representatives, April 14,
1905. as follows:
i "The wealthy man who exult
because there is a failure of justice
1 in the.effort to bring some trusl
magnate to an account for bia misdeeds,
is as bad as and no -worse
than the so-called labor leader .
who clamorously strives to excite a
foul class feeling on behalf of some
other labor leader who is Implicated
in murder.
"Moyer and Haywood had been
arrested and I had made what was
called a sensational appeal in their
behalf, but a short time before this
speech was delivered. Roosevelt's
words were clearly meant for .
.noyer, Haywood and myself.
They could by no possibility apply '
to any one else.
"1 challenge President Koo6e- '
velt to name any persons except *
Moyer, Haywood and myself to J
whom his words could by any
stretch of possibility apply. If he 1
will not name them he must stand '
branded from his own mouth with
calumny and mendacity.
"The 'explanation' of President f
Roosevelt is the 8i>t decisive vie- 1
tory for organized labor in the
kidnapping battle of the class war
in the United States." I
f
SAME OLI
"We the jury, find
son and others whose
attached, came to the
plosion in the "Whipp
1907 caused by an ovi
from the solid, causin
CENTURY ANNIVI
OF T
Movement Has Upset 1
Economists Who Ad;
Unjust Prevalei
The labor movement has been <
slower in taking hold of our Amer- 1
ican life than of English life. Our (
astonishing natural advantages (
have served to reduce its motives \
and hide its necessity. When it <
came to us, it came with the vigor 1
and intensity which our eager pur- '
suit of wealth and our unscrupu- 1
lous appropriation of advantages <
made necessary. f
The center and substance of this 1
movement are trades unions?the 1
combined action of workmen in '
planning in planning and pursuing 1
their own prosperity. Without :
this center of effort and source of :
impulse the labor movement would
have had no existence. Its necessity
and success rest back in justification
on trades unions. The
trade union stands for the thoughtful,
concurrent action of a
class of workmen in measuring
the possibilities of life and providing
for them. No philanthropic
mind can look otherwise than with
satisfaction on such an effort toward
betterment. The great
trouble with all the charities of the
world has been that they were trying
to meet limitless wants with
meager gifts; that they were filling
in a quicksand that swallowed up
and overflowed the material that
was dumped in it. The trade union
expresses that which must always
lie at the center of progress?
the desire to improve. When a
class wakes up to the need of action,
and enters upon it, success
may still be remote, but the road
is before it.
The trade union, in striving to
put a well devised rock foundation
under the economic structure,
thereby prepares the way for a true
democracy. Few men really believe
in democracy. They accept
! it when their own interests are met
; by it, but when it diverges from
' | those social relations with which
. they are familiar, they shy into
i some doctrine of a diversity of
: powers and of positions. The la
bor movement is a long stride to:
ward democracy. Workmen as,
sert and secure true power. They
i are no longer negligible factors to
; the pressure upon them. There is I
a development of advantages in '
t reference to themselves and in ref- |
This Peculiar World.
This is a peculiar world. One
s struggling for justice and another
is tleeiug from it. One man
s saving to build a house and an>ther
is trying to sell his for less
dran cost to get rid of it. One
nan is spending all the money he
?n make in taking a girl to the
:heater and sending her "tiowcrs,
with the hope of making her his
wife, while his neighbor is spending
what gold he has in getting a
livorce. One man escapes all tho
iiseases that ilesh is heir to and
jets killed on a railroad. Ante
escapes with a scratch and
lies with tho whooping eongli.
3ne man stands off his creditors
ind goes traveling while another
Jays his debts and stays at home.
Be consistent; don't help the '
ping of money chasers by finding
ault. Don't knock; do something.
The Labor Argus only one dollar 1
>er year. 1
?** I
) STORY.
J
that John Thomp- v
! names are hereto J;
ir death by an exile
Mine on 'May 1,
ercharged shot, fired ]
a dust explosion." *
?
J !
"RSARY 1
RADE UNIONISM j
i
]
the Theories of Those '
]
ipted Philosophy to
it Conditions,
i
i
(
jrence to others in which they are <
jo be partakers. t
The movement helps also to de- i
Sue and to beget a true religious i
iemper. There has been thought 1
o be a hostility between current <
Christianity and the temper of
vorkmen. It arises from the fact
:hat the conventional religious
:emper has not sustained the claims
>f workmen, and has had no 1
sufficient sympathy with their ef- 1
Torts. In the measure in which 1
the labor movement rests on a '
broad, sound philanthropy, and 1
makes itself felt as a means of re
lining ana harmoning human effort
itis religious. When this purpose '
is conceived in its highest form and
is pushed with the amplest motives,
it becomes intensely religious,
no matter what religious people
may think of it. It puts up
the petition, "The Kingdom
Come," and aids its coming in all
ways. When the religious temper
is shaped to the religious work of
the world, it will bo seen that the
labor movement is possessed of it
in a fresh and most forceful lorm.
This movement puts in a plea
for more life. The workman lias
had a narrow inheritance in life.
He feels this poverty and wishes to
remove it. Life is well worth living,
but it must be life. It must
see the open spaces before it, and
be prepared to pursue them.
We do not mean to affirm that
all these gains are at once developed
in the labor movement, but that
me germs are contained therein,
and that as its spirit deepens and
its methods improve they will declare
themselves.
Mitchell For Publicity.
John Mitchell, President of the
United Mine Workers of America,
has come out as an advocate of the!
broadest kind of compulsory publicity
for trusts in a statement of
his position made public recently
He practically indorses the publiity
measure which Senator Beveridge
has announced he will introduce
in the next Congress to compel
publication by companies with
business of more than 85,000,000
which place stock on the market of
every item regarding their business
which might influence purchasers.
MINE WORB
OFF]
A Number of Mee
Past Week ar
Work Be
NEW LOCALS B1
President Nugent held u rousing
jig meeting at Plymouth t.h? ntlmr
light. The riymouth local is one
>f the largest in the district and
ilwuys renders a good account of
tsell".
* * * *
Sub-District President .Thomas
'aims held u special meeting at
Vshcamp 011 List Monday evening
o adjust a grievance. The matter
ras thoroughly discussed but was
lot definitely settled, but will no
Loulit lie satisfactorily adjusted
vithin a few days.
* * *
Messrs. Bouslicld and Hustings
vere present and addressed - the
ueeting of the local union at St.
Hair Friday evening which was
veil attended. This local is
iwakening to the necessity of puling
forth more energy and it is
10'ped will make a better showing
n the future.
* * *
The District Executive Board
leld an important cession Tueslay
afternoon. The following
members were present: Vice
['resident J. M. Oraigo, of Curbonlole;
Secretary-Treasurer Jlen. F.
Morris, of Paint Creek, Duke F.
Lanliam, of this city, and B. F.
rtellsllRW of Tniinnllmi
* * *
Secretary Ben Morris an<l Nationil
OrSanizcr Chas. Krnllmun hold
i splendid meeting at Green castle
)n Monday evening and were actorded
the closest attention through
.he entire duration of their ad1
resses. The local at this place is
? in the best of conditiou and the
>oys are whooping things up and
loing line.
* * *
National Board Member Ben
Davis, of Montgomery and Thos.
Cairns, Sub-District President,
uldressed the local union at Mt.
Carbon on last Friday night and
succeeded in arousing considerable
enthusiasm, which is needed at
that place, and it is to be hoped
that the local will exert more energy
in the future.
* * *
Board Member Duke F. Lanham
and Sub-District Pres.Thos. Cairns
visited the Barren Creek local last
Thursday, and waited on tho company
at that place and holding a
short conference succeeded in securing
the two-weeks pay day for
the men. This local has only been
organized a short time, but is
rapidly coming to the front.
* * *
Bert S. Hastings, Sub-District
Secretary and National Board
Member Harry Bousfield expected
to have a meeting at ltonda on
Monday but the men failed tc
get noti"o in time and as a consequence
all of them attended a per
lormance of the Sunny South Show
boat at the mouth of the creek.
Harry and lici t enjoyed the show
also, so 'tis said.
* * *
National Board Member Bousfield
and National Organize]
Krallman organized a local nnior
at Pond Gap on Bine Creek lasl
Thursday evening, which starts of
with a good membership and bid
fair to become one of the stronges
locals in the district. This is thi
first union ever organized in tha
locality and speaks well for thi
efforts of- the gentleman who or
ganized it.
* * *
The miners at Elkridge held ai
open air meeting Sunday whiel
was addressed by acting Presiden
Craigo and National Organize
Chappelle, of Indiana. It wa
well attended, the men, womei
;ers
[cials busy
tings Held During
id Much Field
ing Done.
CTiwr /vr*/* a
L.invr UK.UA1N1Z.HU*
and children all turning out, and
was quite"* a success. A motion
was unanimously adopted to meet
and organizo the local union on
Wednesday night, and help to
hold up the banner of United
Mine Workers of America.
District Vice President James
Crnigo met the local union at *
Nuckolls on Wednesday evening..
The Paint Creek Colliery Co. claim
the men at their mines on Paint
Creek are not working us steady as
they should, and the officials are
investigating to find where the
fault lays. Thoy will visit all the
locals on Paint Caeck litis week.
The officers will see that the men
live up to their agreement and investigate
all complaints to the
contrary.
* * *
Deputy Inspector^of Mines John
I. Absalom, of the. fifth mining
district, has liud to resign. The
district includes the counties of
ltaleigh and Fayette, and the
resignation of the inspector was
I asked for becauso of recent explosions
in the district, it Is said.
Chief Mine Inspsctor Paul, who
lius Ijooii over tlie territory often of
late months, decided that tlio
deputy inspectorship could be in
better hands, and ho requested the
resignation forthwith.
CHIElTPAliL'S"
TESTIMONY
Before the Coroner's Jury in the
Whipple Mine Disaster
Investigation.
The following is the testimony
of Chief Mine Inspector Paul given
before the coroner's jury investigating
the cause of the Whipple
mine disaster:
"He has visited the mine after
the explosion and found that the
explosion was probably caused from
a shot in the solid, lie found on
the "first right" standing gas, and
gas generating on "first left" of
Thurmond entry. A'l the force of
the explosion seems to have radiated
from that section. When the
, shots blew out, it ignited the du*l
in suspension in that section, communicating
to other parts and in
wuBiiying iaie explosion. J-?ust is
known to explode when subjected
to high temperature. An ordini
ary testing lamp will detect two
per cent, of the gas which will not
explode, but in the presence of
coal dust, explodes with great vio'
lencc. The blow-out shots communicating
to dust which became
inflamed, stirred up other dust
from the floor and sides and caused
' the explosion.
Mr. Paul could only infer that
there was gas in other sections because
of the fact that gas was be'
ing generated during his visit after
the explosion, lie believes that
the effected part was not watered
often enough. No evidence taken
. indicates that the mine was not in
r proper working order, but he bases
, his belief on what ho saw in mine
t after explosion."
f -,
, Bartenders Not to Meet.
t There will be no international
e ! convention of the Bartenders' In- ?
f ' ternational union thic vr-ar Tha
g recent referendum vote was deci.
sively against holding a convention,
but the 1908 gathering, if one
is held, -will be at Toledo, O.,
which place was selected for this
1 year's meeting.
1 ?
t The Labor Argus, published in
r I the interest of the laboring people
s of West Virginia, 81 per year, 50
i j cents for six months.