On the other hand, the coal-owners are combining against him, declaring that but for his mischievous intermeddling, everything could have been adjusted without trouble.

The mine-owners of West Virginia have therefore sought relief through the law, and obtained a judge’s order, forbidding Debs, or any of his fellow-agitators, from making any efforts to induce the miners to strike.

They are forbidden to make speeches or conduct parades, or gather crowds in the mining districts.

This is a severe blow to the agitators.  The cooperation of the West Virginia miners is also considered essential to success.

These men, like De Armitt’s, have no grievances of their own for which they need redress, and it has not been easy to persuade them that they ought to strike for the sake of their less fortunate brothers.

To obtain any such result it is necessary to have a number of speakers constantly talking to the men, and teaching them, and urging them.

The order forbidding speaking and persuading is a hard blow to Debs and his workers.

He, however, declares that he is not discouraged, and that he will win the strike in spite of every effort of the owners.

While the coal trade has been thus agitated, a curious labor difficulty has arisen in Paterson, New Jersey.

There are, as you know, labor unions all over the country.  Every trade has its own special union.  The members of these unions, when they first join, bind themselves to be guided by the rules and laws laid down by the officers of the union.

The United Broad Silk Weavers’ Union held a meeting the other day, in which it adopted a certain scale of wages, and sent out an order that no member was to work for any other wages than those fixed by the Union.

When this order was sent to Paterson there was great consternation.  Nearly all the weavers there are members of the union, and when they came to examine the new scale which they were bound to abide by, they found it to be below the rate of wages which they were at that moment receiving.

The Paterson weavers have been enjoying good wages, and are in comfortable circumstances.  Since the inauguration of President McKinley they have gone on strike several times.  Their employers thought their demands were just, and agreed to give them the increase they asked, so that they have settled their own affairs in a way that is highly satisfactory to themselves.

Now comes this order from the labor union, and they are in a terrible dilemma.

If they obey the rules of their order, they will have to go in a body to their employers, and ask to have their wages reduced.

If they do not, they will be obliged to leave the union; and if in future their employers try to get the best of them, they will then have no one to come forward and fight their battles for them.

The outcome of this affair is being watched with a good deal of amusement and interest.