Tragic Pages from the History of Strikes Among the Miners. Reprinted From
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THE PEOPLE LIBRARY Monthly Per Year, 60 Cents VoI. 11. No. I2 -- -- ----- -- - - SEPTEMBER, 1900 -- -- - - *t TRAGIC PAGES FROM THE HISTORY OF STRIKES AMONG THE MINERS Reprinted from '&ThePeople," the official organ of the Socialist Labor Party With a manifesto to the miners issued by the (len9{4@~t&ht&* s, of the Socialist Trade and ~ab*'; Xlllahce I - PRICE, FIVE CENTS - PUBLISHED BY THE NEW YORK LABOR NEWS COMPANY 2 New Reade Street. New York City Entered at New York Poat Omce as Second-Class Matter -- The monographs on Italy and Spain areespec~all Instrultlve. They trace The . torrsorrgln tKelons and mortal strug- gle between anarchism and social- ism the latter of wh~ch,fathered by S 0C IA L IST ~~~tk~~~~n,~~d~!d~,"~a,"~~~",",~c~allyand rn0ra8~bankrupt. had far- tened Itself to the inlernat~onalpro- 1etarrat.-Tntroduct~on to "Soc~nllst ALMANAC. -- A BOOK THAT EVERY WORKINCiMAN SHOULD READ. By LUCIENSANIAL, formerly editor of "The People," the official organ of the Socialist Labor Party. A handbook on the history and economics of Socialism. Prepared under the direction of the National Executive Committee of the Socialist Labor Party. The Sclence of Modern Sociaiism is based upon facts. To present this Science, the Soclailst must be equipped with the facts upon which it rests, while he who would attempt to refute the Science must also be equipped with those facts With th: object of making these facts easily accessible to friend and toe alike, the Sational Convention of the Socialist Labor Party held in 1896 instructed the Sational Executive Committee to have prepared a book which would contain the data necessary for the successful propaganda of Sociailsm, and at the same time give the American people a reliable history of lnternationai Socialism. Luclen Sanial, of New York City, was directed to proceed with the work. It required two years of labor to collect and mrange the data Upon the completion of his task the book was issued with the title "The Socialist Almanac," a stout volume of 230 pages. The first part of "The Almanac" is historical, and gives a detailed lllstory of Socialism in the various countries of Europe from its incipiency down to the present day. The second part consists of instructive theoretical md statistical articles on every subject connected with capitalism and the working class. This second part is truly a mine of information for tile workingman. It contains a vast amount of valuable information, which no one could obtain but at an enormous expense of time and labor in tedious research through omcial and other doctlments not readily accessible. Every workingman and every student should have a copy of the Socialist Almanac. It is authority in all disputes, and will settle every argument 230 Pages. Price. 50 cents. NEW YORK LABOR NEWS COMPANY. 2 New Reade Street<New York, N. Y. In the cornerpiece of the advertisement of '$The Socialist Alma!~,ac" on the opposite page,fifth line from the top, for "latter" read former," so that the sentence will read: $,Theytrace to its origin the long and mortal struggle between anarchism and socialisnl, the former of which, fathered by the sophist I'roudhon," etc. CHAPTER I. supply is far in excess of the de- rnand. Consequently, their wages The How and Why of Strikes. 1 are low. There is no helwA for it. The Proletaire Organized- for their There is no remedy." own Slaughter. 'herc is the coalrnining situation. Of course, we Socialists deny his The Miners lie Naked in the Storm conclusion ccThereis no help for it. while the "Labor Fakirs" Revel There is no relnedv." If that were In Debauch and Riot for the Favor true then we might beat our swords of a Brothel Mistress. into plough shares, turn our faces in ot11r.r dirt,ctions while watching the The battle of tlie ballots for '08 is dcrlce of death go on. We know the over.. The class-cor~sciourtvorkil~g- rerr~eclyis to take these 400,000 min- men of tlie nation 11av~talren a long ers, weld the111at the ballot box into step forward towards tl~tirelnallcl- the army of emancipation that will pation. The political battle 01 '9'3 is seize tlie political power,' kick the in full blast. But tl~creare other Rands and Hannas and all their battles to be fought 1)etwcennow and robber class overboard, and pull the then; the battles tllat take place on coal miner and all the other proleta- the field of the daily class struggle. rians out of the category of rner- In these econornic 1)attles the So- cl~andiseby putting them in posses- cialist rnust take part. Between the sion of the land arid the tools of pro- pure and simplt, labor union and thc cluction. This is quite a remedy, by Socialist Trade & Labor Alliance tlie way, when Col. Rand comes to there can be no peace; the flag of think of it. But tlle coal miningla- truce may as well be placed in the bor fakir, he agrees with Rand. He camphor closet. Unceasillg war says capital (meaning the idle capi- must be wag~dalong Alliar~c~lines talist clash) is entitled to its share. in the ensuing year, and every year He says we rnust fight "capital with until the new trades unionism con- capital." He says "no politics in trols tlle worlicrs' econornic battles the union." Then proceeds to stand and the labor fakir 1it.s prostrate in thigll deep in capitalist political the mire of disgraceful defeat. slime. He tried dissensions among Ifeyou should like to know why the miners by calling (as did Ratch- this sl~o~~ldbe so then listen to this ford recently) the Italians,* Huns too tr~~etale. It is the story of the and Poles "a worthless mob," and Pennsylvanian coal ~ninrrfakir. A finally when they can no longer col- story as black as is the miner's face lect dues owing to the poverty of the with coal dust when he steps from miner, they call strikes so as to get out the pit into tlle sunlight. assistance from the outside public, To understand this story well let so they can live on the fat of the us get at the basic facts, and under- land while their dupes starve. Of stand the coal mining situation such a nature was the strike of '97. from the worker's standpoint. In this article I speak only of the In a statement of Colonel Rand, Pittsburg Soft Coal District which given in an interview during the re- was the storm center of the strike cent strike, the Cilicago millionairc~ that ended in Hazelton. coal mine operator tells the whole Pittsburg is the Sodom and Go- tale Here it is: morrah of the labor movement, it is "This coal mining situation is easy tlle headquarters of the Coal mine to understand. Htlre it is in a nut Operators and the United r Mine shell. There are 400,000 coal lntriers T\Torkers' Officials. It is in the in this country, there is work for Smoky City on the Allegheny that but 200,000. Labor is a conllnodity plans are made, ecales of prices fix- sold in the open market according to ed and the last ounce of surplus val- the law of supply and demand. The ue squeezed from the worker, In nc, TRAGIC PAGES. I CHAPTER I. , supply is far in excess of the de- ' maiid. Consequently, their wages 'rhe and Why Strikes. arc low. 'l'liere is sio help for it. The Proletaire Organized- for their There is no remedy." I; own Slaughter. Tlierc is the coalhlining situation. Of course, we Socialists deny his The .Miners lie Naked in the Storm corlclusion "There is no help for it. while the "Labor Fakirs" Revel There is no remedy." If that were In Debauch and Riot for the Favor true then we might beat our swords of a Brothel Mistress. into plongh sliarrs, turn our faces in otlic~directions whilo watching the The battle of the ballots for '98 is dclice of death go on. We know the over.. The class-conscious working- renledy is to take these 400,000 min- men of the siatiori hare taken a long ers, weld t21ern at the ballot box into step forward towards tl~eir~n~itnci- the army of emancipation that will pation. The political battle ot '!JD is scaize tlie political power,' kick the in full blast. But tficrc arc otlier Ra~ldsand Hannas and all their battles to be fouglit 1)ctmcen now ant1 robber class overboard, and pull the then; the battles that take p1ac.e on coal mirier arid all the other proleta- the field of the daily class struggle. rians out of tlie caterory of mer- In these ecorionlic battles the So- cl~andiseby putting thern in posses- cialist must take part. Between the sion of the larid and the tools of pro- pure arid simple labor union and t11~duction. This is quite a remedy, by Socialist Trade & Labor Alliance tlie way, when Col. Rand cornes to there can be no peacSe; the flag of think of it. Rut tlie coal mining la- truce may as well be placed in the bor fakir, he agrees with Rand. He camphor closet. Ur~ceasingwar says capital (iiicaning the idle capi- must be wagd along Alliance lirrrs talist class) is entitled to its share. in the ensuing year, and every year He says we must fight "capital with until the new trades unionism con- capital." He says "no politics in trols the workers7 econolnic battles tlie union." Then proceeds to stand and the labor fakir lies prostrate in thigh deep in capitalist political the inire of disgraceful defeat.