Mexborough & Swinton Times — Friday, 28 October 1881
Meeting of Denaby Main Miners
On Thursday week a meeting of the Denaby Main miners was held at the Masons’ Arms, Mexboro’, to hear addresses from Mr. W. Chappell, Secretary of the Sheffield, Rotherham, and District Miners’ Association, and Mr. E. A. Rymer, of Wombwell, a man well-known amongst the miners of South Yorkshire.
Mr. Rymer moved the following resolution:—”That this meeting of miners employed at the Denaby Main Colliery, views, with alarm and regret, the present action of the Tories and so-called Fair Traders of England in trying to create political and commercial confusion in the country, in order to injure the Liberal Government and prevent the work of reform from being carried into effect; this meeting, therefore, calls on every miner in Yorkshire to be loyal in support of Mr. Gladstone’s Government.”
Mr. Rymer delivered a stirring speech, and was loudly and repeatedly cheered. During the course of his remarks, he said the country now had one of the finest statesmen, one of the greatest philanthropists and financiers that the earth or any other nation had ever known, and he was at the head of one of the best Ministries that ever guided the destinies of a people. On the other hand, the Tories, Whigs, and Jingoes were doing their utmost to upset the good that was being done.
Working men should make themselves acquainted with these things, so that they would know how to act when the franchise was extended, and they were able to give their votes. When the franchise was extended it was stated there would be between one and two million more votes, and that 90 per cent. of these would be on the Liberal side. He impressed upon them the importance of collecting their forces, so that when the time came they would be able to send Liberal representatives to St. Stephen’s.
The “hobby-horse” had already got its fore legs broken. Mr. Gladstone disposed of the monster at Leeds; and Messrs. Leader, of Sheffield, had done so over and over again. “The cry of ‘Fair Trade,’ ‘Protection,’ and ‘Reciprocity’ was the bastard cry of a defunct party, which could never again exist in England.”
The motion was unanimously passed.
Mr. Chappell addressed himself to trade matters. He said he was certainly of opinion that there had been improvements in the commercial world as to warrant them in expecting an advance of wages, and the men could not be said to be displaying any avaricious disposition or a disposition of covetousness in asking for an advance.
Alluding to the question of a sliding scale, Mr. Chappell said there was one tremendous drawback in connection with it and it was this: That men who were working under this arrangement said: “We have our wages increased to us for 2½ years and it’s no use our joining the union.” (A voice: Shame.)
There could not be two opinions as to what kind of men these were. Were their experience right or wrong? There was only one answer. There were a hundred good things that the society might do with whatever funds it had in hand, and he regretted to find such unworthy motives amongst some of the South Yorkshire miners. He hoped they would soon learn to act differently. (Hear, hear.)
The following resolution was passed:—”That this meeting is of opinion that we ought, with as little delay as possible, ascertain when it is convenient to see the Manager on the subject of an advance of wages.”
The meeting then broke up.