,! ,COAL ,/RUGGLE 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,WILLIAM ,MORRIS 

,TEXT 3 

,IT WILL SEEM A M]E COMMONPLACE TO SAY1 9 Y\R COLUMNS AT ANY 
RATE1 ?AT ! CRISIS N[ DRAW+ TO AN 5D IS ONE ( ! MO/ MOM5T\S 9 ! 
HI/ORY ( ! PRES5T LABOR W>2#a YET IT MAY WELL BE D\BT$ IF ! G5]AL 
PUBLIC UND]/& H[ MOM5T\S IT IS4 ,TO MANY IT SEEMS A M]E TR\BLESOME 
9T]F]5CE ( ! OV]PAID1 OV]F$ M9]S ) ! ORD9>Y & B5EFIC5T 
/REAM ( PRODUCTION1 :I* ! COAL-[N]S NATURALLY & LAUDABLY RESI/1 = 
! B5EFIT1 WE MU/ SUPPOSE1 ( ALL ?OSE :O W\LD LIKE1 IF !Y C\LD1 TO BE 
AS RI* ) AS LITLE TR\BLE AS ?OSE WOR?IES4 ,TO O!RS IT IS AN UNAVOIDABLE 
NUISANCE1 B\ND TO RECUR AT C]TA9 9T]VALS1 = :I* NEI!R P>TY IS TO 
BLAME1 BUT :I* CANNOT BE DEALT ) BY ! PUBLIC AT L>GE EV5 IF ! M9]S 
GET !IR WAGES R$UC$ TO A LITTLE BEL[1 9/EAD ( A LITTLE ABOVE1 
/>VATION PO9T4 ,TO A ?IRD SET ( PEOPLE1 AGA91 IT IS AN ACCID5TAL BUS9ESS 
DISPUTE BETWE5 TWO P>TIES TO A CONTRACT1 9 :I* ONCE MORE NO ONE HAS A 
RI<T TO 9T]F]E ) ! CONTRACT+ P>TIES :ATEV] MAY HAPP53 HIGGL+ 
( ! LABOR M>KET = ! TEMPOR>Y ADJU/M5T ( WAGES1 SU* AS HAS GONE ON 
EV] S9CE ! E/ABLI%M5T ( ! GREAT 9DU/RIES2 OR1 MORE REASONABLY1 IT 
IS ?\<T TO BE AN 9DICATION ( A GRADUAL BETT]+ ( ! WORK+ CLASSES1 
GR[+ MORE 9TELLIG5T1 MORE POLITICALLY P[]FUL1 &1 CONSEQU5TLY1 NO 
LONG] CONT5T ) ! PITIFUL %>E :I* !Y HAVE HI!RTO HAD ( ! 
NATIONAL WEAL?4 

,?AT IS ALL V]Y WELL1 BUT :]E IS ! BETT]+ ( CONDITION = SU* 
9DISP5SABLE WORKM5 AS ! COAL M9]S GO+ TO /OP8 ,D\BTLESS ! G5TLEM5 
:O LIVE ON !IR LABOR HAVE ASK$ !MSELVES ?IS QUE/ION1 & ?IS LOCK-\T 
( !IR M5 HAS NOT BE5 TAK5 UP ONLY ) A VIEW TO RAIS+ ! PRICE ( 
COAL 79 :I* OBJECT !Y HAVE BE5 SUCCESSFUL71 BUT /ILL MORE = ! 
PURPOSE ( BREAK+ D[N ! P[] ( ! ,M9]S' ,F$]ATION1 SO ?AT !Y 7! 
[N]S7 %ALL H5CE=? HAVE ! LABOR M>KET :OLLY 9 !IR P[]4 ,MO/ 
HAPPILY1 IT SEEMS LIKELY ?AT 9 ?IS LATT] AIM !Y WILL BE UNSUCCESSFUL1 9 
SPITE ( ! TREM5D\S EXP5DITURE ( !IR RES\RCES ?AT ! M5 HAVE BE5 
DRIV5 9TO4 ,! TRU? IS ?AT 9 ?IS AIM ( E/ABLI%+ A GR9D+ TYRANNY 
OV] ! WORK]S :I* %ALL BE /ABLE !Y >E TOO LATE2 ! DAY IS GONE BY 
= IT4 

,! 9DU/RIAL TYRANNY ( ! 9DIVIDUALI/ CAPITALI/1 MASK+ ITSELF UND] 
! GUISE ( ECONOMIC NECESSITY1 IS B\ND TO GO ! WAY ( FEUDAL TYRANNY 
APPEAL+ TO ! SANCTION ( RELIGION TO JU/IFY ITSELF4 ,& ! QUE/ION JU/ 
PUT MU/ BE ANSW]$ ?US2 !RE IS NO F9AL PO9T AT :I* ! BETT]+ ( 
CONDITION ( USEFUL LABOR]S CAN /OP %ORT ( PRACTICAL EQUALITY ( 
CONDITION4 ,?AT IS REALLY ! AIM ( ! :OLE LABOR W> GO+ ON CEASELESSLY 
UND] \R EYES TO-DAY1 ?\< MANY -- IF Y\ WILL1 MO/ -- ( ?OSE 5GAG$ 9 IT 
>E QUITE UNCONSCI\S ( ?AT AIM4 ,IT IS NO AFFAIR ( ! SEEM+ RI<T OR 
WRONG ( ! PASS+ H\R1 :ATEV] MI/AKES ONE P>TY MAY MAKE1 BY :ATEV] 
CLEV] MANAGEM5T ! O!R P>TY MAY SEEM TO ! IGNORANT P>T ( ! 
WELL-TO-DO CLASSES TO PUT ITSELF 9 ! RI<T4 ,?OSE :O >E REALLY DO+ A 
S]VICE TO ! WORLD BY !IR ACTION >E ! WORKM51 BECAUSE !Y >E /RIV+ 
= ! FRE$OM ( LABOR1 :I* MU/ BE ! ROAD :]EBY ! NEW ORD] ( 
?+S1 SO MU* DESIR$ BY ALL :O CAN USE !IR EYES & !IR REASON+ 
P[]S1 WILL BE OBTA9$4 

,MEAN:ILE1 :AT IS ! NEXT /EP TO BE TAK5 ON ?IS ROAD8 ,! WORKM5 9 
?IS COAL DISPUTE PROCLAIM OP5LY ?AT !Y WIL NOT BE DRIV5 D[N BEYOND ! 
PRES5T LIV+ WAGE1 :I* IS L[ 5\< 9 ALL CONSCI5CE4 ,?AT MEANS ?AT 
HAV+ BR\<T !IR LIVELIHOOD UP TO A C]TA9 7L[7 /&>D1 !Y WILL NOT 
HAVE IT BR\<T D[N AGA9 BY ! EXIG5CIES ( ! GAMBL+ M>KET4 ,?AT P>T 
( ! G5]AL PUBLIC1 ( ALL CLASSES1 :I* DOES NOT WANT TO TICKET ITSELF AS 
DEF9ITELY REACTION>Y1 IS N[ COM+ RAPIDLY TO AGREE ) ! M52 & A V]Y 
SIGNIFICANT & 5C\RAG+ SIGN ( ! TIMES ?AT IS4 ,N[ ?IS MEANS ?AT ! 
WORKM51 & ) !M ! WELL-DISPOS$ PORTION ( ! PUBLIC1 >E BEG9N+ 
TO SEE ! NECESSITY ( E/ABLI%+ A M9IMUM WAGE1 AT ALL EV5TS1 9 ! 
GREAT 9DU/RIES1 BY SOME MEANS OR O!R2 ?\< P]HAPS !Y DO NOT UND]/& 
?AT ?IS CAN ONLY BE DONE1 TO BE EFFECTIVE & LA/+1 BY LEGAL 5ACTM5T1 
FOLL[+1 ( C\RSE1 ON WIDESPREAD POPUL> DEM&4 

,BUT ?IS M9IMUM WAGE1 :I* WILL1 ( C\RSE1 ACT AS A FIR/ *>GE ON ALL 
CAPITAL EMPLOY$ 9 ! TRADES 9 :I* IT IS 5=C$1 WILL RAISE ! PRICE ( 
ALL W>ES ?AT >E MADE 9 ! SAID TRADES1 & !REBY WILL T5D TO R$UCE ! 
LIVELIHOOD ( ! M52 !RE=E1 9 ORD] TO MAKE ! M9IMUM WAGE A REALITY 
IT WILL BE NECESS>Y TO SUPPLEM5T IT BY A MAXIMUM PRICE = ALL ! GREAT 
NECESS>IES ( LIFE4 

,IT SEEMS TO ME ?AT MU/ BE ! NEXT GREAT /EP 9 ! LABOR W>1 & ?AT 
?+S >E T5D+ ?I!RW>D SPE$ILY4 ,! VOTE AT ! ,TRADES ,UNION ,CONGRESS 
AT ,BELFA/#b1 :I* PRACTICALLY DECL>$ 
= ,SOCIALISM1 %[S ?AT ! WORKM5 >E GETT+ READY = IT2 ! VOICE ( 
PUBLIC S5TIM5T DECL>+ ONCE AGA91 AS 9 ! DOCK /RIKE1 ?AT SOME MEANS 
MU/ BE F\ND = GIV+ ! M5 A LIV+ WAGE1 PO9TS TO ! $UCATION ( ! 
MIDDLE CLASSES4 ,!SE EV5TS %[ ?AT ! C\NTRY IS PREP>+ = ! FIR/ 
/EP1 & :5 ?AT IS TAK51 IT MU/ ( NECESSITY LEAD TO ! REALIZATION ( 
! ,BELFA/ VOTE1 I4E41 ! FIR/ /AGE ( ,SOCIALISM4 

,I SAY1 !N1 ?AT WE [E TO ! C\RAGE\S & /EADFA/ WORKM5 :O >E N[ 
/RUGGL+ 9 ! 9T]E/S ( ONE & ALL A REW>D QUITE DIFF]5T FROM ! 
SEMI-/>VATION :I* ! GAMBL+ COAL-[N]S W\LD IMPOSE ON !M1 & ?AT 
TO SUPPORT !M BY ALL MEANS 9 \R P[]1 PECUNI>Y & O!RWISE1 IS A PLA9 
DUTY TO ALL :O >E NOT PL$G$ TO ! UPHOLD+ ! LA/ & WOR/ ( ! 
GREAT TYRANNIES ( ! WORLD1 ! PLUTOCRATIC1 TO WIT4 

       ,FOOTNOTES 
     

#a4 ,! COAL M9E [N]S HAD 
TRI$ TO IMPOSE A #b.0 R$UCTION 9 WAGES ON ! M9]S2 ! ,F$]ATION ( 
M9]S' UNIONS REFUS$1 CLAIM+ ! RI<T TO A 'LIV+ WAGE'4 ,! [N]S !N 
LOCK$ \T ! M9]S4 ,! ,UNIONS - & ,MORRIS1 9 ?IS LETT] - TRI$ TO RAISE 
! MONEY NE$$ = ! M9]S TO SURVIVE ! LOCK\T4 ,! [N]S CAV$ 9 
,NOVEMB] & ! M9]S RETURN$ TO WORK ON !IR ORIG9AL WAGES1 ) A 
,GOV]NM5T 'CONCILIATION BO>D' TO ADJUDICATE FUTURE WAGES4 

#b4 ,! ,BELFA/ ,TRADES ,UNION 
,CONGRESS HAD PASS$ AN AM5DM5T REG>D+ ! CREATION ( A LABOR P>TY ?AT 
0,C&IDATES RECEIV+ F9ANCIAL ASSI/ANCE MU/ PL$GE !MSELVES TO SUPPORT 
! PR9CIPLE ( COLLECTIVE [N]%IP & CONTROL ( ALL ! MEANS ( 
PRODUCTION & DI/RIBUTION4440 

  

       ,TITLE 
     
     

      ,! ,COAL ,/RUGGLE 
     
     
 ,PUBLICATION ,HI/ORY 
     
 ,! ,SUN1 #a#f? ,OCTOB] #ahic 
  ,WILLIAM ,MORRIS3 ,>TI/1 ,WRIT]1 ,SOCIALI/1 ,VOL4 #b1 $4 ,MAY ,MORRIS 

  
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