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Show CHANCE FOR SOCIALISTS. If any one thinks the anthracite miners min-ers have not justice on their side, he may lay aside the idea. The Catholic Telegraph of Cincinnati is conducting a fund for the benefit of the strikers, and took occasion to quote Father J. J. Curran of Wilkesbarre, Pa., as a witness to the justice of the miners' contention. In doing so, it stated frankly that it had only the secul.tr press as authority for his position, but presumed his attitude was correctly represented. At once Father Curran wrote the editors, commending the plan to raise a tuna, taKing occasion to say; "There is no doubt whatever of the oppressed . condition of the poor mine-workers mine-workers of our districts. While it may be conceded that the actual day's wages of these men are possibly on a par with those of other workmen throughout the country, still they are prevented from working every day of the year, as the rest of the people do. Last year the. banner year for a auar-ter auar-ter of a century the number of days worked was '188. You may ask why the men did not put in more time. The answer is simply this: The operators, ten to fifteen years ago, overcrowded the mines with men in order to prevent pre-vent them from demanding their rights. Were it not for the fact that the boys and girls of . tender age have been taken from the school room and sent to the coal breakers and factories, the miners' families would have been in a starved condition for1 the last ten years." 4 This is the statement of a conservative conserva-tive Catholic priest who lives in the heart of the mining region, who is pas- I tor of thousands of the struggling miners, min-ers, and the friend of all. This he proved when he journeyed down to the j operators, some weeks ago, laid actual I conditions before them and asked justice jus-tice for the stryggling men. He tells j us that the operators "refuse to recog-J nize the poor fellows' claims," and he also" states that the reports of rioting which go out from time to time are either untrue or grossly exaggerated. Surely he ought to know.. The purpose we have in view, however, how-ever, says the Catholic Union and Times, is to direct the attention of socialists so-cialists here in Buffalo to the fact that it is a Catholic priest who is making this struggle for justice for men who work. According to the Pittsburg Observer, Ob-server, socialists are endeavoring to profit by the strike, a. number now-being now-being in the mining region distributing tons of literature and organizing groups and clubs and the like where possible. Not one of those propagandists propagand-ists Is helping the mine workers by striving to get the mine operators to do right. The men must wait until the majority of America's 80.OCO.000 people adopt socialism, which may take place 10,000 years after the general resurrection. resurrec-tion. We are pretty certain most of the miners will be dead before socialism dominates, and we think it safe to assert as-sert that most of the propagandists are equally certain. At best, all they can win for years will be a few local offices; possibly a legislator or two, who will probably sell out to the corporations, cor-porations, as It is alleged the Popullst3 did some years ago in Illinois. Not 'only this. It was a Kansas priest who suggested that .the Telegraph Tele-graph raise the fund for the miners. In the same letter he declared himself not a socialist. Socialism, he asserted, is a delusion. And may we not take pleasure in stating that it is1 a Catholic paper which is collecting the fund? There are Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist Meth-odist and Campbelllte papers at Cincinnati, Cin-cinnati, and these condemn socialism, but they have not thought enough of men who work to help them win their battle. They must be afraid of their constituents, many of whom are members mem-bers of trusts and combinations. We have said before that the Catholic church is not afraid to dare the world for the sake of truth and justice, and the great strike is proving out statement state-ment true. The Telegraph's miners' fund is still in progress. How many Buffalo socialists will contribute to it? Howmany will in Cincinnati? |
