The Labor Journal from Scammon, Kansas • 2

THii MlUJiKS' JUUKAAL. How Coal Miners are Robbed. Notes from No. 3., Keith and Perry's, would give to each man three loaves weighing 10 ounces, and sufficent left to give to 1000 orphan children three loaves each, every day the year round each Joaf weighing ten ounces, and "he" would leave. So, you see, plainly that Pit Boss himself was the the means of bringing up this issue.

Our object Las been to, defend ourselves as 1 LABOR WORLD. The 'strike at Bloomlngton, III, still continues. The miners of tftaeator, 111., are still on strike against a reduction. Watson's mine is guarded with double barrel shot guns; thwigh everything is-quiet around Bevier.1 Hon. D.

D. Rfeaards; (of acreen bill fame), has sold out interest in the Cove to his partner, A. Goodule. MscTum Rumor, says, that he is going to be X. 8.

Consul at Cardiff, 8. Bro. Edge worth, had sorao solid seae in No. 24., those are my views-and doubtless you remember me express them. Prof.

Cook, is worth reading. Keep on friend Evans, you will grow better. Nevermind dynamite, don't giw up all hope of reforming men. M. i -1 i 3.

Is running slack at present the turn not being over five and six per man. i Oklahoma boomers have returned, having located their claim, they will now settle down to business I think boys, if the Kansas legislature keeps on making prohibitory laws, there will soon be no rights left us. The only laws we want is our own natural laws and the sooner we know it the better it will be for us, I see by a circular going around that the Stepp's men are appealing for aid to carry them through their strike; we hope that all who can, will assist tbem, because their cause is just and deserves support. John McDonald, an old timer at 3., has moved on his farm and intends to try pumpkin raising. Success to you Jacky.

I think the late law must have affected our late dispenser of pills. He fails to prescribe any more. What is the matter, is the dog dead Doc? i Gillespie Editors Labor Journal: I see mention in your paper of our strike here. Well, we are on strike, and the public voice says: Stay. I would like to ask you' gentlemen a conundrum: How is it when law and rule say that thirty-seven and a half cubic feet of loose coal makes a ton, how is it that it takes 540 feet, actual measure to weigh 5 ton 2cwt? One more and I am done, why is it that the miners and railroad wage-workers do not combine, and then if a pit refuse to come put, "boycott" them and let them work? Your expose of the A.

T. and Santa Fe, ''death warrant" was splendid. I have been out in the conntry to-day and gave your paper to the farmers to read, and they said that they never understood the situation before, but that they are now convinced and are our firm friends. As" soon as I get a little money I will subscribe for your wish you all success in your undertaking. Well-Wisher.

I Editors Labor Journal: Scammonville, April 15, '85. Keith Perry's three shafts are crowded with men; which is a good thing for the operators, under such circumstances they can got men to do just as they wish. The men have to hunt all over the shaft to find old rotten rails to lay their track, or throw their coal two or three times, and make nut coal of it; which suits the com pany, because they do not pay for the nut coal; it is money in their pockets anyway, because if he refuses to stand oppression, ten per cent, is taken from his hard earned wages when he quits and gets his money before pay-day. And that is how men who were poor ten years ago, now live in palaces in Kansas City, while those who created that wealth live in shanties. But I cannot blame the robbers as much as I blame those who submit to the robbery.

They are worse off than the negro before the war, he was provided with a cabin to live in, clothes to wear and food to eat, and medical attention when sick. But the white slave, if he gets sick is not entitled to these ad vantages, he may die for lack of medical aid, if he cannot pay for a doctor himself. There are a number of men who are afraid to ask for their rights, and this class of men can be hired by the capital ists to Bhoot down their workmen for 75 cents or a dollar a day. There are tome who are called good men, who are ever on the side of the capitalists; it is a hard thing to serve God and mammon. I read something this week about law and pray er; but I think that organization isbetter.

than all the prayers and laws ever in ex istence. To close, if the men at Keith Perry's don't look out they will have to buy their own rails yet. A No. 3 Miser, We have recei ved the organ of the English Socialist League, The Commonweal." It appears to be revolutionary, but Jbelongo to the Karl Marx, school of Socialism, and of course, is Authoritarian, rather than Anarchistic. We notice the names of old workers in the reformatory movement in Morris, J.

Li. Makcn, Andreas Rcheii and Itobert Banner. The "Commonweal" is issued monthly. Still another from England! This one clearer and, more logical, and more defiantly revolutionary. It is the first advocate of the entire abolition of the State in England.

It is called the "Anarchist, and is published monthly. joim Mclaughlin a t. n. eyans, luriilora. SCAMMONVILLK AND K08EDALB, Saturday, 25, 1885.

i Entered at the PostaQloe at Rosed ale second-class matter. ADVERTISING BATES. "Tocal notices, por line, first 10.10 Kftch subsequent Insertion, per .06 Ixical, for tranalont, oooh Inaoriiou, por line. 7...... Displayed advortisoments, per lnoh, four week .88 No displayed adverts MU limited for loss thau (1.00.

I.i'Kdl Hdvrtisenient4 at fuU legra) rotes. Marriage and death nbtireo Comments and reWitfitn') or obituaries, 't cents a line. All. aJTertiaotnenta continued until ordered ut, and chaigorl aooordlngljr. Bend all matter for publication to Roaedale, Bend 'all foreign exohanges to Soammon-Tllle.

Kansas. How do you like it? you property-less toilers, who rent houses and pay enormous rents our first vik ies. You are debarred from holding omce in such cities, for fear that your horny hands would defile the usury-taking robber to whom you pay your rent. Law and the cattle kings now hold full sway in Oklahoma. The settler who wants to expend labor upon its fruitful acres is debarred entering by the laws of the land robbers.

But the cattle king, who feeds thousands of cattle off the natural growth, is protected by the land-robbing lawmakers. And, the people continue whistling: 'The star spangled banner, In triumph shall wave, O'er the land of the free, And the home of the brave. Well, fi we are brave, God pity cowards. -i The Labor Jodtwaz, requires no bolstering up with resolutions of its fritnds, its banner is flung to the breeze and its thousands of readers have intelligence enough to know Whether it is a Labor papor or not, and they have sense to detect a sellout, such as was made by a (so-called Labor paper), for so much cash in hand; have brains enough to recognize a trator to their cause, particularly when he takes the money and ings the praises of Bill Buchan; it Juuubero j-esclu tions to make people thiuk that paper is not biased in favor of the one who the biggest and best filled barrel to place at its disposal. When the Labor Journal earn degenerate into such a traitor to Labor, we shall e-pect to see it buried in a dishonored grave as it deserves.

It will never try to flaunt a traitors flag, and taunt honest men with its perfidious presence. The Kansas City "Journal," has an agreement which debars Union men from working in that office. It may not have the legal aspect which the A. T. and Santa Ee, contract had, but it more effcctully shuts out and excludes the Trades Unionist.

Rats of the worse kind, swarm its composing rooms. Therefore it is the duty of everyone who bolieves that work ing people have the right to organize, to persistently boycott the Kansas City "Journal." The miners of Missouri, are preparing to have the provisions of the anti-screen law enforced, and we hope they will succeed, and we further hope that they will learn the lesson, that it requires a strong organization to enforce a Labor law after its enactment. But let there be a law en acted granting special privileges to capital, and all the force of govern ment roll up their sleeves, to compel compliance with the provisions of the mandate. That is the reason we say to governments, hands off! and give Labor a fair field and no favor. Bevier, April, 11.

To the miners of Missouri: be it known that the 33. General Assembly of the State of Missouri, passed a law which pro hibits the screening of coal until aft er it has been weighed, and placed to tne credit ot the miner sending it out. The minersof the different districts think it advisable to call a. conven tion one month before the law takes effect, so that all can co-operate to enforce the provisions of the law, on And after June the 25, 1885. Hoping to receive a rexAr at ones from the coal mining districts of the oi.we, staling whether you can send a Mi-it'gdie, so mat we can arrange time and place for holding the con vention.

Any business pertaining to llie welfare of the miners of the will be in order. Address all com inumcations to Ike secretary, Ed Lowrv. Bevier. Macon Count Mo Ed. Lowry, Thomas McManus and m.

atts, Committee. Editors Labor Journal The first annual report of the State Inspector of mines should be in the "hands of every miner. There are facts carefully stated by Doe. Scam-mon, facts, which should receive the attention of all miners. It has" been-the desire of miners in the State of Kansas, to know the total out-put of coal for one month only, this information was dilligently sought for, but without success; an enemy has been in the camp to frustrate our plans, but thank God, great light has dawned on the subject through the mine Inspector's report.

On page 24 of the report we find the following: "In the out-put this year I have attempted to keep as near a correct an account as In all the larger districts my means for correct information are very good. But every year there is a large amount of coal mined that the inspector has no means of obtain taining. 1 There is hardly a county in the eastern half of the State, but during the winter and cold months, small veins are worked for neighborhood demands. The aggregate out-put of this coal must be large. The minning is done by farmers and laborers' chiefly, during the idle time of the cold months.

In my statement of coal mined, I have estimated this kind of coal at about 43,000 tons. I have estimated it at this amount because I believe there is fully that amount and very likely it is not as large as the actual amount could it be accurately obtained; this estimate brings the whole out-put in the State to 1,100,000 or 27,500,000 bushels. In the statement of coal mined I have given it monthly as reported to me by the operators." The source from which Mr. Scam-mon, has collected his information is reliable, and no one can dispute the above as being over estimated. The amount per bushel paid the miners, according to the report, varies in different mines, from three and one half to seven cets, in summer time, to from four to eight in winter, and in some of the smaller veins as high as nine cents per bushel; but aver aging the prices in the State, and taking the amounts actually paid out the price paid the miner would be six and one fifth cents per bushel.

In the month of last December three thousand seven hundred and sixteen men were employed digging coal in the State of Kansas, the largest num ber ever employed in one month; in the same year, in the month of June, wo thousand and seventy two, this being the smallest number employed in any one month during the year 1884; taking the smallest number with the largest, the average would be, two thousand eight hundred and ninety-four miners. According to the constitution and laws of the United States, jobbery is a crime, punishable with a term of vears in the penitentiary. I want to show to the public how this constitu tion and law is openly violated by the operators, and how the miners have been robbed by them of thous ands of dollars during the year 1884, Mathematicias say that figures are facts, and facts are stubborn things The. State law of Kansas, explicitly stipulates that 80lbs shall constitute one bushel, and that 2000lbs is one ton. Tho operator "sells" his coal in accordance with that law: but de mands that the miner shall unearth 85lbs before it shall constitute him a bushel, every bushel of coal mined in the State gives, five pounds to the operators for which they do not pay, When the law says that 80lbs is a bushel; why, then, are we compelled to give 85? The only answer that can be given is, that there seems to be some unwritten law to protect the monopolists in robbing Labor of the results of its productions; now let us look carefully over the inspector's report, so that we can have the exact amount in dollars and cents, and see how the miners were robbed during the past year.

Referring to the total out-put, the amount paid the miner at an average of six and one fifth cents per bushel, each and every miner in the State has been swindled by this 85lb bushel system to the a-mountof or bushels; at six and one fifth cents, it would be 106,562,50. This would give to every miner in the State, the sum of $36,79. To illustrate: bread is sold at one fourth of a cent per oz, or 40 ten pound loaves for $100; the amount you have been robbed of miners in the persons of our commit teemen from the contemptible mean ness and malice, of Mr. Edward. All we want is what is just and fair, and we are determined to stand by these men until they get their work back, unless there was a just cause for their removal.

Wishing you every success in your worthy enterprise, I subscribe myself Old Miner. Economic Contradictions Treaties and Tar-Iffs. Louisiana and Texas, with the Gulf belt generally, have been favored with a bit of political sarcasm in the batch of commercial treaties, Mr. Arthur's legacy to the democratic party, which while chiming in with the southern demand for free trade, cut off the only advantage which southern capital has hitherto derived from the protective policy. I say capital rather than labor, only because competition with poor or slave labor will not affect culture for home supplies of sugar or other tropical produce; but only market profits, in which laborers, as a rule, have no' share.

Labor must however, be injuriously affected by these treaties, in so far as it is wage-labor, by being thrown out of employment on the great sugar plantations, and forced into, closer competition upon cotton planta tions. This is a lesson to those who put their trust in governments, First a cap ricious protection, pretending to make local compensation for the injurious trib ute levied on the South in fostering northern manufacturers, has seduced capital into costly and extensive arrangements for the manufacture of sugar, which in Mexico and other tropical countries send theirs free, will no longer be profitable, and the outlay in machinery and buildings will be, in great measure, lost. But for government intervention, this business would have attracted capital, only where some local advantage nat urally existed, there would have been'no arbitrary stimulation, and no risk of losses from withdrawal of it. It is not mtrely a question of cheap labor, but also of climate. There is more risk of crops in the shorter season of growth for the cane, and greater cost in planting, which in full tropical climates is only needed once in ten years.

Whether raw sugar is cheapened or not; is a question almost exclusively, of profits to the northern refineries. They will scrupulously take care that the consuming public shall not spoil its teeth under the temptation of low prices. Thus Mr. Arthur's cosmopolite charity, beginning abroad, ends at home in true republican fashion, as a charity to north ern capitalists. Why should not the sugar refineries follow the example of the cot ton and iron factories, which, under protection, pay the least wages possible to labor, and pocket the difference.

Whether this difference accrues from a cheaper raw material under free trade, or from a tariff on foreign manufactures, makes no manner of difference to those who go in for the main chance. All principles of commerce are equal before the exploitation of labor. Were protection really desirable, and aimed at under existing government, it might employ its army and navy more cheaply than its custom house, in guarding our boundaries against the invasion of foreign goods. 'But this would not answer the purposes of revenue. Now revenue, indirect revenue, paid by every purchase unconsciously, without facing the tax collector, is the.

organized pillage, by which, and for which, government exists. All the flourish of trumpets about a "tariff for revenue only," and the dif ference. between the republican and democratic parties on the point, is just political chaffing, calculated to distract the mind of the people from the consci ousness of being plundered. The only honest and thorough-going protectionist America has ever known, was Dr. Fran- ia of Paragnay, who cut off foreign commerce altogether.

Any middle course of partial taxation, by whatever name it goes, is only legislation in favor of class privileges. Moreover, a government that justified its existence by its usefulness, would have no need of indirect useful ness; for it would be morally strong enough to levy direct taxes, and to levy them upon acquired fortunes, not on starvclinir labor. "Tariffs for revenue only" suit governments that need enor mous suras of money to make war and pamper their officials, strengthening party influence by privileges. It is prepos terous to suppose that a people not pro voked to resist foreign invasion, the in vasion of armies, not of goods, would vote billions directly out of their pockets to sustain a war for the amusement of government. War is the classical blister plaster applied by governments as a de rivative from inflamatory congestions at home, the consequences of misrule.

Thus England and Russia are now speculatiug on a war whose ostensible motive is the plunder of India; but whichever nation conquers abroad, both will have conquer ed nt home, the dangerous spirit of their subjects, conscripted and sacrificed as common fodder. The government of England and of Russia have nothing to fear from each other, but everything from their own people. What a fine stroke of policy, to set our enemies a kil ling of each other, patriotically! Edueworth. there would be a snug little sum left enough to build a comfortable Hall for miners to meet in, and discuss these' matters. These figures may seem strange, but no more strange than true, and what better are we today? We are still compelled to give 85lbs to the bushel; gentlemen this is an outrage, labor is robbed openly.

In the name of God petition the legislature ye workmen in order to have the evils eradicated which infest the honest toil of our hands. How can these evils be abolished? Opinions have been expressed that organization will abate them; others say, petition the legislature; others think it can only be wiped out by the sword and bayonet. I believe in the former method, the latter being the last resort of an oppressed people to right their wrongs, Thomas McGregor. Kind Words from a Veteran Reformer. Dear Comrades: i Your letter came yesterday and the Journal to-day.

The Journal looks well thi's week, and reads better. I wish I could afford to be 'with you in your enterprise, because you more nearly express my sentiments than the Labor papers generally do. I have got sick and tired of appealing to "The State" for the redress of our individual wrongs, and only ask the State to keep its hands off and let us through our Labor organizations Work our own social emancipation. For over twenty years we have asked government to establish an eight-hour work day, and only now we come to the sensible conclusion that if we want fewer hours for a day's work we must take it ourselves. The greenoackers will possibly learn a 1 1 Ml 1 lesson from our eight-hour agitation, and when they see clearly that appeal ing to the government to establish an equitable money system is to appeal in vain, if they will demand of gov ernment to keep its hands off the money entirely and will organize an honest and equitable banking ana issue their own money, and that money will be paper and good for all those who have confidence in it and will use it.

Those who believe in gold and silver money will have the privilege of making just the kind of money that will suit them; and this free money system will knock the 6pots out of interest and profit. J. A. Labadie. SteppevIIIe Gleanings.

Editors Labor Journal: It gives us a great deal of pleasure to see you in the field fighting the battles of oppressed Labor, and manfully agitating the means of delivering them from the iron grasp of Capital and monopoly. We very readily admit that the task is great, and that the struggle will be a hard and bitter one. But we are confident of a bril- liant success; as the right must finally prevail over the wrong and justice will be dealt to everyone according to his merits. We very readily join with you in impressing upon the minds of our fellow workingmen the importance of education and fully posting themselves in the best means of advancing their own inerests, Such as co-operation, arbitration and when we shall have accomplished this I think we will have gained many points towards the end. Leaving off general items until some other time, we will g.ve you some local dots.

It may be that many of your readers are aware that the miners of this place are out on a strike against the oppressive tyrany and petty malice of our pit boss which has goaded the men in the last few months to their present act of revert ing to extreme measures to defend themselves and families. The immed iate cause of our present trouble was the discharging of one of our stand ing committee, under the false pre tense of "dirty coal," which excuse has been so often the means by which any and every miner that would be man enough to ask anything that is right between man and man has had to get out of this place, and hen our committee remonstrated in this case before the and the company our 1 B. got up and said: "that these two men had to go anyhow, or IIdntbville, No. 1 amity closed down; Notice at No. 8 of 8J cents per bushel after the 15., of April, and the same at Kigbie.

Eramerson worfiatag for what they can get. Miner. New York, April 18. Four steerage passengers from Antwerp are detatoed at Castle Garden until an investigation can be made. It is claimed by representative 8 of the Knights of Labor that they were brought over by the glass manufacturing firm in Kent, in violation of the contract labor law.

Pittsburg, April 18. Concerning the Belgian glass workers held in New York at the instance of Knights of Labor, the Window Glass Workers association here propose to make a test case of it. They say they will carry it to the highest courts in order to put an end to the importation of cheap labor under contract. 1 Philadelphia, April 20. The stevedores employed by the International Steam Navigation company who resumed! work on Monday after a three weeks unsuccessful strike for an increase in wages, at a meeting to-day resolved to goon another strike, claiming that the superintendent has not lived up to his.

agreement to discharge the "scabs" ens-ployed while the old hands were out. Pittsburg April 20. At a largely-attended meeting of the railroad coal miners at Mansfield to-night it was resolved to. make another attempt to get out all the men in the district for the cent rate. A committee was appointed to visit the mines where the men are at work at the reduction and induce them to strike.

Indianapolis, April 20. About sixty mem employed by the Woodbnrn SawedJYJieel company went on a strike mt fclaim that their wagea have been cut three times since last win-' ter, and that work in the departments is let out to contractors, who cut the wagea to the lowest limit. The strikers say the entire force, numbering about 700, will go out to-morrow. Mr. Pratt, one of the active managers of the works, states tnai he had no knowledge of the grievances of the men.

Bevier, The mines have been shut down since the first of April. Mr. Loomis. Watson and Atwell. at the mas3 meeting held in Goodale's Hall; spread the gloomy news of reductions all over the country, and came to the conclusion that they could afford to pay three cents per bushel for "hand pick" and ten cents per foot for loading machine mixed coal, a 40 room would be $4 for coal, and a dollar for two ribs; that would be 5.

Day work $1,50, other work in proportion. The above was ignored by the mass; so was the proposal to arbitrate the matter when coal was sold for "less than the Bevier, operators could pay for digging. Pittsburg, April 20. It was learned to-day that the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers at their scale convention here on Saturday instructed the conference committee, appointed to meet a similar body from the manufacturers, to demand 5.50 per ton for puddling, but to allow reductions from the present scale of wages in some of the finishing If this' cannot be obtained, and the committee is firmly convinced by the manufacturers that the iron trade will not warrant that scale of wages. They were instructed to accept a reduction of 10 per cent, all round.

If this offer is rejected a strike will be ordered by the Amalgamated Association. The conference will probably meet next Saturday. If a strike should be ordered nearly 10,000 men will be affected. Ricit uiLL, Scabs are not scarce in this neighborhood. In No.

5. Missouri Pacific shaft, there works an old ex-teacher of the striped brigade, who is working a room that is raising very fast, and son- sequently he is unable to push his empty box to the face; other miners working in, the same entry have quit their places, because the driver would not yull tho boxes up to the face. But this sanctified sou of Spiritualism owns a niule-and evea went to the expense of buying a new set of harness and takes his own mule to. the pit to pull his boxes to the face. We advise the miners to.run hm and his mule out of the place altogether and warn him that unless he alters considerable lie will be iu danger of going to Hades, instead of the seventh heaven as he believes.

In future wc wil end the names of all seabs for publication. ConnKsroNOENT. Yes, send in their names and we will give them a little notoriety..