Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 November 1897 — EMPLOYING COOLIES. [ARTICLE]

EMPLOYING COOLIES.

Illinois Mine Owners Said to Be Importing Chinese Labor. The news that Chinamen are to be imported into the mines at Carbon Bill is not considered very seriously at Spring Valley. Men stood around the corners in knots discussing this latest phase of the strike situation in Northern Illinois, but the coolies did not interest them a.s much as the reported settlement at Braceville, where it is stated the miners have accepted the operators’ offer. The men in the Spring Valley district are indignant over the action* of the Braceville men in accepting a settlement below the scale. The Spring Valley men claim to have the strike" won, and the loaders say that no matter if Braceville doos return to work at a non-union scale the Spring Valley men will hold out until next May, if necessary, for the scale formulated at Springfield. Ladd, Seatonville, La Salle and Peru are equally firm. The labor leaders scoff at the idea of the coolie movement being a success. They say it is only a bluff. Said one proriiinont leader: "What if they do succeed in working one obscure mine with Chinamen? That does not necessarily break the strike. We are not going to let 200 Chinamen at Carbon Hill make the price of coal digging for 2,000 white miners of Northern Illinois. The very fact that the Northern Illinois operators are importing ‘coolie’ labor is an indication that the white miners are poorly paid and evidence of their cause.” A remonstrance against allowing Chinese coal miners to be imported into the State for the purpose of mining coal at Wilmington and other towns in, place of striking miners will be placed before Gov. Tanner in the name of the United Mine Workers of Illinois. The Governor will also be asked to co-operate with the State secretary of the Miners’ Federation i nkeeping out the coolie labor.