Workmen's advocate., January 10, 1886, Image 1

About Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891

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WORKMEN'S
ADVOCATE,
.cvtc 2, iQ. 15
iUw ituuen, (Connecticut, uuUty. ii.uuwvy 10, I88i3
ITvtcc 3 Knits
; I
Lv
VERY SAD AITAIII.
GLOOMY PROSPECTS FOR THE
COMMON PEOPLE.
A Miiniilaitiirer I nbnsoins Himself
to lliulle.v The Tcrrihle ltik
We K n ii Ti n IK Takers
.May Leave l's Work
ers to Keseiio.
It is ((iiitv natural for anyone of a
sympathetic make-up to fee! keenly
tlie sorrows of others. There can
he no doubt as to this, for we see
illustrations of the fact every day
and in all walks of life.
We are very explicit in calling
attention to this matter, inasmuch
as we, ourselves, have of late hecn
moved almost to tears over the terri
ble sulTering of a certain person or
persons "herinafter mentioned."
At tirsi we viewed with alarm the
symptoms of an approaching over
slop on our part ; hut we were
speedily reassured, hy competent
authority, that this is. as already
stated, the correct thing as regards
persons possessed of a properly sized
heart.
How pleasant it is to know that
one's heart is proportionately elab
orated! If any of our readers should read,
with tear-dininied eye, of ill-luck or
even disaster falling upon a (iould,
a New York Sun liana, or any other
modern .hulas lscariot, let him he
undismayed, for it does not prove
the softness of his upper story ; that
is, not altogether, hut rather that
his heart is, perhaps, a tritle over
sized. We thought it proper to say this
much and thus prevent any views of
alarm heing taken hy any of our
many friends when in the predica
ment mentioned.
Possibly, it may occur to some
persons to inquire as to the proba
bility of any information being
forthcoming in this issue of the
Wohkmkn'k Advoi atk, as to the
cause of our late lachrymose cxperi-
"e.
True, in our humane efforts to
forestall ami prevent undue anxiety
in others, we have forgotten our
selves. It is a bad thing to lose
sight of one's self. Should any one
have any doubt as to the exact
enormity of this crime, let him in
terview Sumner on the subject.
Rut to prevent any further digres
sions, we will at once quote the
paragraph that caused our heart or
some other portion of our "insides"
possibly the liver to cry out, as
it were, in sympathy for our all! id -ed
friend.
( In page of the Peport of the
Huroau of Labor Statistics will be
found a foot note, which reads as
follows:
"We tliink the general tendency of
lalior organizations, lalior agitation, an. I
the laws and decisions against employ
ers, anil nevspaier sympathy with the
employed, will induce many who are in
Imsiiiess to release themselves from the
addeil risk and responsihility of carrying
on business. The risk is becoming too
great for the protits." .fmiiifi1tire r.
A'i'(C HiiVfii.
Too bad -too bad !
Surely, that heart must be made
of adamant which will refuse to. at
least, get ready to bleed for this
at" icted manufacturer.
.'an not something be done for
this unfortunate man who is, pros
pectively, obliged to go out of busi
ness, relinquish all profits, and.
hence, go to work or eventually
starve!-'
Should not something be done im
mediately as regards those laws and
decisions against employers, which
so increase the risks of tlie unhappy
manufacturers that thev are about
to give up trying to make any profit
at ally
Why should they be driven to go I
to work like the rabble ?
And that they will be obliged in .
time to work or starve, just like the
common people, is most sure.
Ah! you will say, they can live on
t heir capital, and in t hat case we
shall get left." I
Well, our friend lladley inclines !
to that opinion, and cites t he granger
movement to sustain his position.
Hut, as all signs fail in dry wcath- I
er, so will the prophesies conic to i
naught in this instance, for this "la- ;
bor movement " is a " horse of an-
other color:" re' '"' niniiil irin j
iiii iinii.
No. there is no escape fur our dis
tressed friend, the " manufacturer,"
in that direction; he must either
make prolits, work or starve.
Now we dislike very much to have
anyone starve: to lie sure a great
many poor ilev WaiIu starve, hut
they arc mil " manufacturers."
You sec, accord ing to i he
chestcr school of economics,
self-evident that someone
starve, semi-occiisionallv at
that's what this talk of the
l lien,
Man
it is
must
least;
' sit r-
vival of the fittest " means, but it
strikes us it will be a cold day when
the manufacturer of his own accord
lays himself liable to a scant diet.
It is barely possible that some dys
peptic "manufacturer" may take it
into his noddle to commit suicide in
this way: but it would appear to be
our duty lo prevent so terrible a
thing.
Certainly, if someone must starve,
let it be one of t he " scum and not
a manufacturer who. when no "laws
or decisions" protect the employe,
knows how to turn an honest penny
or two in the way of profit. Of
course, in doing so, a few of the
" scum," on account of insufficient
food, etc.. frequently cease to exist;
that is, they sicken and die. Hut
what of that? It's their own fault,
for. remember, it is only the tittest
that survive, and they were clearly
unfit, otherwise they would have
made profits and some other poor
devils would have been obliged to
give tip flic ghost. Yon perceive
we can't all survive, in fact we
mustn't all survive. Otherwise the
whole Manchester business would go
to shcol, and that would be a terri
ble calamity. What, in such a case,
would become of the incumbent
of the chair of social science in
Yale University ?
Fearful!
Let us banish the thought; un
doubtedly, as soon as the workmen
hear of the deplorable predicament
of the manufacturers, as set forth by
one of their number in the above
quotation, they will at once disrupt
their organizations, stop all labor
agitation, see to it that all laws are
repealed, and all decisions annulled
that in anyway protect the emp'oyc,
to the end that the grievously op
pressed manufacturer's countenance
may again be wreathed in smiles and
his pockets liberally tilled with pro
fits. Yes, the workmen will attend to
this at once. We know them. Hence
we feel relieved. If our friend, the
manufacturer, has any other little
troubles, let him speak out. The
workmen will be swift to li things
comfortably for him. Yes.
NORWICH WEAVERS.
he Weavers of the h'ticket
Mills. Norwich, went on strike.
Thursday, on refusal of the bosses
to advance the wages ten per cent.
OUR BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
Don't forget to consult the Husi-
11 ess 1 Mrectory on t lie t lunl
ociorc mahing your purcnascs.
I liscipline, you know.
TlieOerman Society of Mechanical Kn-gineei-s
oilers a iii'inium of t.nuo marks
for tin' liest plan for a Iniiler shop in
which sixteen locomotive boilers can In-
constructed at once, also a premium of
:$00 marks for an essay .dtheU-st met!,-
xi. according to ir-sent ex'ri-nf, for
fastening tirso!i railroad rolling stock.
(m II
IX tiOTILUI
A RAILROAD COMMISSIONER
INTERFERES.
n I II -Advised Interference The Lo
comotive r.niriiieers Horse Car
Ih ivers The Cent nil La
bor I' u ion Furniture
Men Ithickli-leil.
New York has just lost a splendid
opportunity to get control of thccle-
vatcd roads. The threatened strike
uf t Im locomotive eii'rincers caused
t he t iould gang to put their heads
together and hatch up a scheme that
.hey hoped would defeat the engi
neers: thev proposed a lockout to
forestall the strike.
.1 usf as t his was to be carried out
the railroad commissioners stepped
in and informed the monopolists
that they wou'd forfeit t heir charter
by such action, and the railroad
company took the hint, of course,
thus keeping a linn hold upon their
franchise.
I f the railroad commissioner had
kept quiet, and permitted the very
wise railroad kings to lock out their
men. the public would have been
temporarily inconvenienced, but it
would have taught the people a les
son, namely, that the city ought to
run the roads, and prevent such ca
lamities in the future.
One of the State railroad commis
sioners said in answer to a question
as to what relief the Hoard of Kail
road Commissions could give:
" 1 had already telegraphed the
Secretary of the Commission at Al
bany of the stoppage of the trains
and that possibly I would telegraph
for. the other members of the board
to conic down. The board, upon
notice to the road to resume and
upon its refusal would then have
turned the case over to the Attorney-!
ietieral of the State to proceed
in the courts to vacate the charter
of the road."
" Has a railroad any right to stop
running its trains because of a dis
agreement with its employes on a
matter of wages?"
" Certainly not. No railroad can
refuse or neglect to perform its pub
lic duty upon a controversy with its
employes over the cost or expense of
doing it. The duties must be per
formed whatever the cost. That they
cannot be laid down orabandoned or
suspended without the legally ex
pressed consent of the State is the
decision of the (ieneral Term of the
Supreme Court of this State in the
case of the freight-handlers' strike.
In short, a railroad receiving a char
ter from a Stale must run its trains
for the accommodation of the public
regularly and continuously, unless
prevented by an act of Providence or
from some other cause absolutely be
yond its control, or its charter is by
right forfeited to the State."
While the trains were stopped
there was considerable confusion.
" The scenes at the various stations
on Ninth avenue were a disgrace to
the company," said an employe. At i
South Kern, Desbrosses street, j
Christopher, Lourteenth street, j
Twenty-third. Thirty-fourth cspec- j
iallv Thirty-fourth- and at Fifty !
nintli ufi-.u.t u ,i j ,.r i
I. .... I. .-uni . , i iiiMiiiiuii pa
trons blocked t In-stairways and side-
walks.
"No trains miming. You can't
get in," shouted the ticket-sellers,
but the icople did get in. and when
barricades of boxes and barrels were
1 limn across I lie st;nrw:iv -it Uriv.
fourth street the furious passengers
hurled them into the streets and
crowded the platforms, determined
to gei on noar-t wiien the trains be-
gan running.
I III' ImiS-CS S;IV tlll'V Mill III. I will..
mit to any dictation from a ia,r
0ivr:m i -uf ion rim! tl... Cr..i,.l
!, ,1 ,,. (1 , 11
'"V1 ,Vf . ''"jtberlnHMl of Lorn-
i ""'t'Ve Knginecrs is endeavoring by
' Ix aceable means to. settle the difli-
emu. some or t tic engineer
disgusted with the com promise poli
cy and express themselves in favor of
settling the hours of lalior once for
all. even at the expense of a strike.
The community is in full sviupathv
with the strikers. The firemen have
announced their decision to stand by
the engineers.
V ( OVI 1'1,'OVI i.-ri:.
Later developments iti the case of
the locomotive engineers of the New
York F.levatcd Railways show that
the spirit of compromise rules in the
engineers' association The monopo
lists were perfectly willing to lock
out the men. careless of the public
convenience, and still more so of the
v, el fa re of their employes; and were
only prevented from carrying out
their nefarious scheme by the fact
that they ran the risk of losing their
(barter. And it is with such villains
that the Hrotherhood of Locomotive
Kngi ,eers compromised.
The old engineers are to receive
fc:!..'0 per day ;t hose trim irrirnniirrli
fil'Vimi (III1 ln'riiuir eilii itt'rrs, :!.00
perdav : firemen, ".'. iii; tircmcn from
other roads, l.;."i the first six
months, and afterwards '.'.00. The
work days shall consist of nine hours
instead of eight, as demanded, ami
us was pronounced just by the chief
of the brotherhood.
According to these terms, if cor
rectly reported, I he company can
gradually discharge old engineers,
and promote lirenien in their places,
thus saving .Ml cents per day for each
such change. So that on the whole
the only gain was one hour per day.
and that may not be such a burden to
the company if they only follow up
the system of promoting tircmcn to
be engineers.
IIOUSI-: Alt MilVKUS.
In spite of the city ordinance le
cturing drivers to have a license,
and a certain time of resilience in
the city, the car drivers will not have
any protection from it in case they
strike, for t he real boss of t he people,
the corporation attorney, says the or
dinance is "unconstitutional." Of
course, any law that, might benefit
workers is " unconstitutional.
Nevertheless, the drivers, are in a
mood to strike, for theircoiidition is
becoming unbearable. The directors
of the Third Avenue line want I jun
to consider meanwhile they want
the men to work for the old prices
and long hours.
I I Nil.' V I. I. Al'.oli ( s 1 1 1 n .
A special meeting of the ( 'entral
Labor Union was held on Wednes
day evening to transact unfinished
business. A communication was re
ceived from ( 'abinei makers' Union
No. L stating that several of. ifs
members had been discharged by t lu
Nevv York Wood orking Company
at Motl Haven because they were
unionists, notwithstanding the prom
ise made by the manager that no dis
crimination should be made against
them.
A correspondent asked f he 0. L.
U. to form a union to which men of
various small ami isolated trades
could belong. The organization com
mit tee was instructed to consider t he
matter. The same committee was
also authorized to hold ; mass meet
ing of barbers on Sunday evening.
January I i . at No. Ill Fight h
street, to organize a union.
After Januarv I i no one w ill be
admitted to t he sessions of I he C. L.
I . who is not t member or does md
coine from an organization on Im-i-
i tieSS.
DOWN THE ROAD.
Utile Town of I'ortrhi-ster in
I. inc.
The
Th
inn of Pond. WeM ,v Si-
' k "llirl I,li,!,,lf:ll't "V' '" ' "'-
: ,hester. nave umicrtaken t lie largi st
contract f their lives. t is not.
however, in the si
vcver. in tin- shirt line, but in
the "exterminating" business. They
bave boldly proclaimed their inteu-
tiollof e v t erm i nat i In' the Klli'dits
, . , ,
of Libor in Portehester. ami as an
. earnest of their intentions, have
' forthwith discharged a gentleman in
their employ, w ho was supposed to
be proininentlv connected with the
Oitlcr, giving this fact as the reason
for hov cot ting him. As these hoy
cotters are capitalists in this in
stance, it is, of course, all right. It
remains now for Organized Labor to
senieinhcr that "an injury to one is
t he concern of all."
The strike of f he iron moulders in
liont i. Sons moulding shop a! Porl
chcsler, prveceds without change.
The men are determined as ever,
and the linn, w ho have about ten
scabs to work for them, find it a los
ing game lo hold out. Some of
these importations have, by their
drunken and disorderly conduct,
given the people of Port chestcr a
foretaste of what they may expect if
that class of characters were lo he
imported on a larger scale. Tin
strikers arc being supported by pub
lic sentiment am! arc doing very
well, a number having obtained cin
plov men! elsewhere.
THE LONG STRIKE.
Krporl of the Miaul ion Senhs Still
in lb wainl.
The sit uaf ion in t he win-drawers'
strike presents some interesting
features. will be remembered
that the circular issued to the
strikers by the company, on August
'Mil. 1SS5, contained a clause that
they hail only been receiving l.M)
for fence wire, and the firm were
then paying (heir former employes
l'i cents per 1(K lbs. for drawing.
It was fully understood at the time,
though not expressed in the circu
lar, that a better selling price would
enable them to still pay it and com
pete in the market. Meantime, the
vvirediawers co.iccb-d to the linn a
reduction in the price of drawiii" to
fourteen cents. This was repudi
ated by l'i. S. U heeler A Co., (hey
claiming I hat a ten per cent, reduc
tion was insullicicnt, which abun
dantly justilied the belief among t In
st rikers I hat tin- linn wauled their
coats, hats, pants and shirts, and
were sat islied to have t he men re
tain their vests and shoes. Oilier
wire inanufacliirciscontiniied to pay
their old rates, notwithstanding the
alleged depression in business, ami
gave as their reasons that tin- labor
was wort h I he price asked, and t hat
they could pay the price and make
a prolit, on their product.
it hill t he past few lliolil lis I he
wire trade has steadily improved,
ami w ire has advanced, to !i." and
!.( per loo lbs., but the wire
company ev ince a determination to
light it out, and refuse to accept I In
st rikers' ultimatum of November
Mlh. which was still a reduction of
ten per cent. However, the strikers
do not interpose a. very strong objec
tion, it. being a conspicuous fact
that the company must, submit, to
the inevitable sooner or later, or a
bulky white elephant will be in I he
inarkcf.
The demand for scabs st ill con
t in iis unabated, and the past week
has developed two or three who. al
though noii union men. were gen
erally supposed to b" straight until
they tried to secure the financial
assistance from the union men
which t In- iiotoriou". L-l-l-l-arry
b'eilly succeeded iii availing himself
of before he s-s S-s-eabbeil. The
new arrivals number three, viz.:
John Legg and John H-eclier from
New York, and Dick T ierney, w ho
has jllst completed a service in the
United Slates aniiv and w hose action
receives universal condemnation from
all true men. as he is a young fellow
who Was supposed to be possessed of
principle. The strikers can surely
stand it if they can. and we feel coii
lidciit that at some future time thev
and the community at large will see
that tlie injuries inflicted a!--principally
llpoll themselves.
A teinpcrer named 1 ieorgc I'alnier
is in New Yu' k trying to get scabs
for the wire mill. His appearance
defies all description. If is alleged
that he went of his own volition to
currv favor with the scab firm.
WHO ARK HNUM1HS
A LIBERAL DISCUSSION WITH
THE CLERGY
11 a Writer in the Denver "Labor
I'iKliiirer" No Need or Conflict
Itctwccn Christians 11 nil
Socialists Rent, In
terest. Prolll.
Socialism is attracting tho atten
tion of the world's thinkers, preach
ers of the gospel included. The
terror, of the word, resembling that
felt at t he mention of small pox or
cholera, is .somehow passing away,
and the real meaning of Socialism is
coining to the front ; the resnlt of
constant pounding kept up by So
cialists against the prejudices which
persistently distorted the science.
If Socialists have felt enmity towards
Christians, it is not because they sec
any important dilTerciice between
Socialism and Christianity, but he
cause Christians have ignored their
own doctrine, and become the
World's oppressors instead of. its
saviors.
We should be glad to sec this
changed. We welcome the ministers
to our fold and frankly concede the
importance of their position as lead
ers of large bodies of people. Who
can tell the result of a great move
ment against social and industrial
wrongs, by the churches in tho lead
of their ministers? While we can
not, in intellectual honesty, indorse
dogmas which appear to us untrue,
yet they are of such u tuMuro thf.t '
they may not. interfere 'with the
work of social rcfoi in. We who in
sist. ,,pon mental liberty can ignore
I he creeds of others, taught them
from infancy. Certain systems of
philosophy lind a use for everything.
That of Augtisle Comtc makes the
ology a necessary step in the world's
growth. It names three stages, the
t heological, the critical and the posi
tive or scientific. No one can he
blamed for being in any of these
stages. If Christians are still in
the theological stage, we may not
yet be out of the critical. The only
thing that the Christian will be
asked to excuse is, that we regard
him as still remaining in the first,
or theological stage.
I will quote the words of Yan
lhireii Dcnslow, in his review of
Coiulc: "The chief object, of thy
metaphysical stage was. that it en
abled man to retain the ''drapery of
worship," which it had put on dur
ing the theological stage, until it
could be worn in its true and final
use, the worship of Humanity."
Let us be candid with our Chris
tian co-workers ; we have, many of
us in the critical or metaphysical
stage, conic to regard "the drapery
oT worship" with considerable con
tempt, yet -we may be as willing to
don it again when we reach the pos
itive or seientilie stage, as the Chris
tian is to
garments.
ay aside his theological
I Here let me again quote Dcnslow:
;" Instead of hating a religionist of
! any class, the positivist looks upon
! his stale as merely marking a ccr
! tain type of advancement toward i
i the scientific As he would not
j quarrel with the tadmle because it
I bad accomplished so few of the steps
in the chain of ascent toward man,
so In- would not, quarrel with the
I fetich worshiper because he was not
j a positivist."
The Christian may embrace the
j whole of Socialism and still find sup
i port in precepts from holy writ .j
if In- refuses, he violates the words ( ''
! of his Master. The thoughtful ,'
I Christian will be a Socialist. hecausev
' he has lieforo him the fact that his
: religion has failed to raise the world
! mit of imserv It4 most f iilliful
advocates are starving, and under
their trials are growing skeptical,
Continued on third page. J
I . rip