Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1889 — A Coal Operator With a Heart. [ARTICLE]

A Coal Operator With a Heart.

One of the leading coal operators of the West is Col, AV. P. Rend of Chicago. He is largely interested in mines in Ohio and elsewhere, and handles hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of coal every year. Col. Rend dis-• feu from many of nis fallow operators in respect of having a heart. He has always been an advocate of honest pay for honest work; of the ‘•live and let hvo” policy. He was Jeigely instrumental in establishing the system of adjusting the scale of wages by y early conven > tionsof operators tud miners. He has always strictly resisted the efforts of other operators to force down the w«g « of their miners below a fair rate, and has been outspoken and fearless in denunciation of the -wrongs practiced) upon th? operatives by the coal i combinations. Tn short, C- I Ren i’s course has been inspire I by 1 innitv and a sense of justic;?. and he has manifested a spirit of r.o w*ss and a regard for the rights of his fellow-men which, if univ rs Jly observed by employers, would go far to settle the relations between capital and labor on an equitable basis. At the fourth annual convention of miners and c perntors, held last winter, for the purpose of arranging a schedule for the twelve month beginning May 1, Col. Eend spoke yery frankly and freely He was replying to the representatives of the Chicago, Wilmington & Vermmiilion c al company, who were attempting to frame an excuse for withdrawing from an as sociation founded on justice, both to the owners and their men. It "ill be remembered that the Clay

county operators did wi hdraw from the association, and shortly aftervhwd made the big reduction in wages, which has produced so :nu<Ti suffering iu Clay county. Col. R'nd said upon this occasion, among other tilings: “You maintain that you are placed at a great disadvantage in comparison to the other coa ? dealers. That is not true. You occupy a better position to-day than yo.'i did three years ago. You are go ting your mining done at as low figui: as you are entitled to getT. You say you have suffered. You have not, gentlemen. You have Lad peace and profit. There has not been a year in your history or experience when you have prospered as In tUe last three years I simply state the facts a» they exist. I maintain that you are relatively getting your mining as cheaply as you were, and are in as

good a position as you were years ago. You are 40 cents a ton better off. If you can show any ment that has any weight which is logical whereby you can prove tne soundness of your demands I will cheerfully accept such proof. I hope you will withdraw from the position you have taken. It is a position that is illogical, and one that 1 Lave shown to be fallacious. It is not for the interest alone of the miners that a settlement sho’d be reached. It is for the interest of the operators as well. It is for the interest of this great principle of conciliation. We have here some of the largest mine operat* oas in this country, who wish to arrive at a settlement which will be fair and just and enable them to make something |on their invested capital and also enable the miners to have wages that will comfortably support their families. This question has got to be settled by one of two methods — the ag -ncy of force or of reason. Shall we again leave it to brutal mine strikes and lock-outs? Is. that your wish? Does any operator here wish to go back to the ' old system of fighting—the plan which entails loss of capital and brings with it oftentimes bloo d shed and disorder to the state? The other system is that of reason and intelligence. Three or four years ago we mat together. Operators and miners both raised their voices in condemnation of the system of strikes which have

characterized|and brutalized the industry before. Suffice it to say that we are convinced of the wisdom and justice of the pi inciple of meeting together and adjusting our difficulties; I say to you, and h proclaim it here, that you can rest assurer there is to-day a deep laid conspiracy. It was not concocted yesterday nor the day before. What is that plot? To get a large tonnage in the Chicago ' market. If we get our miners down 20 cents a ton we will go down ,25 cen<s a ton m our rates, so that we wJI stand 45 to 50 cents a ton advantage over other coal. That is the conspiracy.” These honest and manly words were uttered in vain. The Illinois and Indiana operators dis* covered, or thought th.y had, that they could make nnre money by reviving the old era of strikes and lockouts, than by maintaining the “great principle of conciliation’’ for which Col Rend pleaded so eloquently. So they withdrew from the association and made the arbitrary reduction of wages to the starvation point, which has covered the mining districts of Indiana and Illinois with mis< ry that is not exceeded in any state oi country on earth. Col. Rend represents the Illinois miners in the arbitration now in progress in that state. He is making a brave and noble fight in their behalf, and if he fails to obtain their rights for them, it will not be for lack of zeal.

It is pleasant to know that there is at ".east one great coal operator in the West who has a heart and a conscience. We have no doubt there are others, although, if there are, they seem to lack the courage and independence of Col. Rend. —— -• • vRJO- —♦ —■■■—. My son, deal villi men who ad vert we. You will never lose by it. Benjamin Franklin. ■> ■*' A Replv to “The Other Fellows. editor Sentinel : The article in last weeks issue signed “The Other Fellows,” re-pi-psented that B. Fofsythe, of the Chicago Bargain House, “does not pay taxes, and did nut sell goods tin b to 12 months credit to his cusbomers ” “A word to the wise is sufficient.”

o’e pay taxes the same ns on? neighbor, and any one is welcome to see. a tax receipt on present stock by asking mo for it. “The Other Fellows” are unfortunate in their selletion cf a champion. He gives away tfieir methods in several important particulars and closes with a threat to credit’ customers. Thanks to “The Other Fellows” for revealing to the public the secret of when the ‘shoe pinches’ by “selling goods on credit,” as the enlightened people know that “credit” means just 35 to 50 per cent, more than my cash prices which mean 25 to 50 per cent, less thss than my comoetitors; and the customers who pay casn at the credit store pay the same prices as customers who buy on time — in fact, makes up for bad debts created ly the credit system of “The Other Fellows.”

To conclude: “The Other FelFellows” give no credit where they do not feel safe i n doing so, and it requires considerable cheek to require from a eash customer the same prices paid by his “credit” brother, and equally cheeky to convey the threat —“A word to the wise is suffic ; ent”—to any any one who may exercise his right to se-. cure “a bargain” when presented. The threat may be a necessity for “The Other Fellows” but not for the one who sells for cash. The Chicago Bargain House people have decided to remain h< re permanently, and will sell first class goods at the lowest cash prises. J. E. Spitler, at the P. O. book store takes,subscriptions for standard magazines and papers, without extra charge.