The Sun.
London, England, 1834-04-29 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

A question, which requires an answer, must
occur to every lover of equal justice—why deal out
a different measure to journeymen and masters
The masters cannot be prevented from combining.
Is it fair, therefore, to prohibit the use of the same
effective instrument to the workmen, who plead the
right to use it in what they call their own defence ?
Looking at this subject impartially, we must in-
quire, whether a combination of tens of thousands
of workmen is in its nature, or necessary conse-
quences to the community, the same thing as a
combination of masters, who are not, to their work-
men, in numerical amount much more than one to
a thousand ? If unions of journeymen could con-
fine themselves to the same sort of acts as those
by which their masters maintain their mutual
understanding, and regulate their concerns—that is
to say, if they avoided all external demonstrations
of force or menace, by which offence is offered to
others—the reasoning and policy must be alike as
regards them both. But how stands the case ?
Masters combine to keep down wages, and thereby
may, for a little while, divide amongst themselves
an unreasonable proportion of those funds of which
the journeymen ought to be allowed- a more
liberal share. In other words, the masters establish
for the moment a monopoly which yields them
unnatural profits. But some masters may not
join the combination, and so defeat the monopoly.
But are they ever molested by its members ? So
other capitalists, allured by this advantage, where
it does take place, enter the trade, undersell the
confederates, and in that way break up the monopoly.
Let us ask again, has it yet been heard of that
such an accession of new employers to any busi-
ness has ever been obstructed by violent or unlaw-
ful methods ? Has the personal freedom, or still
more the personal safety, of any new adventurers,
among merchants, master woollen-manufacturers,
master cotton, or silk, or hardware manufacturers
—nay, or master tailors (a pressing subject), ever
yet been outraged or threatened by other masters,
to deter them from taking up the particular line of
trade ? No, unquestionably. On the other hand,
how is it with the journeymen ? They combine to
force up wages, and when they succeed, they also
have all the advantages of a monopoly. But, un-
like the masters, the monopoly of workmen is
one which will not afford fair play to the prin-
ciple of competition. If any industrious and
peaceable men refuse to join the formida-
ble partnership, they are persecuted, bullied,
beaten (some have been beaten to death);
no mode or species of violence is left untried to
compel them into the service of the conspiracy.
Then with regard to new comers--knobsticks, as
they were termed at Oldham—what opprobrious
term may be applied to them here, we know not :
if any such venture to supply the places of the re-
cusants, and offer to work for wages which the lat-
ter have rejected, is it not notorious that the same
means of intimidation are employed towards them
as towards the well-disposed resident workmen,
until, in mere terror and despair, they sacrifice their
freedom, become paupers dependant on the tender
mercies of the Unions ; and when, after months,
the strike starves itself to death, these unfortunate
persons perish with it. It is clear from these obser-
vations, that in spite of the existing law, terror and
violence are brought into such universal action, that
the public possess no security as against the combi-
nations of workmen for the free exercise of that
competition by which a monopoly of masters would
be at once demolished. Breaches of the peace--
ferocious and vindictive violence—all imaginable
degrees of ruffian cruelty and persecution, are
resorted to in every instance, and have unhappily
succeeded, by the intimidation of competitors among
the working classes, to such an extent, that the
great mass of journeymen throughout the metropolis
and its vicinage—we fear we might say throughout
all England—have actually—many, perhaps most of
them, compulsively been enrolled in the lists of
these unions. The Executive Government, it
seems quite plain, cannot, as the law now stands,
interfere with these transactions, except where
such interposition would be warranted for the main-
tenance of the public safety. Until that necessity
shall arise, government must contemplate the
quarrel as one between workmen and employers
only ; and leave it to be adjusted by a sense of
mutual interests. It is not the less deplorable,
however, that such multitudes of poor men with
families should be duped or bullied out of their
daily bread by a small band, for such they are,
of selfish agitators, who daily feast upon the plun-
dered subscriptions of their victims. A corre-
spondent assures us, that yesterday week, after the
dispersion to their comfortless homes of the poor,
harassed, and disappointed multitude, their leaders
took special care of their own indulgences, by re-
tiring to a banquet at White Conduit-house, pro-
vided, we doubt not, from the public money of the
union ! Yesterday was ushered in by a strike of
the tailors—for high wages, as usual, and diminished
work. The mandate of their rulers is before us—it
prohibits all the unionists from working, from the
end of April to the end of July, more than ten
hours (that is, exclusive of meals, more than nine
hours) per diem, or for less than 6s. wages. The
other nine months they are to work but eight hours,
with ss. wages. They are not to do a stitch of work
in their own homes, nor any where but on their em-
ployer's premises, " which shall be healthy and con-
venient," or on any other terms than by the day and
hour, which has of course for its object to defeat the
law which makes it penal to deliver up unfinished
work ! In the circular of these bashaws to the
master tailors, they state their purposes to be, " to
stay the effects of a destructive commercial com-
' petition," the remedy for which is broadly an-
nounced to be a wholesome and refreshinc, mo-
nopoly of labour. The master tailors there-
fore and the public see what is before them.
If they will not give way, the combiners nzust,
especially if gentlemen will follow the example
of the gallant Sir Henry Hardinge, who promises
to go out in his shirt rather than be party to a tame
submission. If gentlemen and tradesmen will have
a little patience with their master tailors, and not
press hard for an expeditious fulfilment of their or-
ders,—if the masters will invite to London some
thousands of foreigners, more particularly Germans
(the most expert tailors in the world), and call into
emcloyment a few more thousands of industrious
women, who can sew quite as well as men, but from
a sort of cO:Kcomb pedantry and jealousy are kept
out of the business, the leaguers will soon be brought
back to whatever senses nature gave them, or the
use of gin has left them, and things may again go
right. But if customers will insist on new clothes,
instead of wearing their old ones, and if the master
tailors of London, like some of the Leeds manufac-
turers, are mean and dastardly enough to sacrifice
their peaceful and industrious workmen, and the in-
terests of free trade itself, to these harpies, facilities
must be afforded by Parliament for supplying the
wants of English customers from foreign countries,
and strangling, by stronger means than have yet
been thought of, this most insufferable tyranny.
Monmouth-street may now make its own bargain
we dare say there will be no strike among the thrifty
Jews, whose stores will probably be sold at 500 per
cent. profit ; while the shop-boards of these Chris-
tian prodigals lie untenanted of every thing but
dust. The blockheads who have got some shreds
and patches of ,second-hand Owenism (bad enough
with the gloss on) for their stock of science, threaten
the masters, that if they do not come into terms,
they (the operatives) will operate for each other,
and so pocket the masters' profits. ' So let them.
Men with money at their disposal can hardly go
without clothes, and it will soon be seen what work-
men are best taken care of—those- who are em-
ployed by men of capital, or by those who have
none. We: had almost forgotten to announce to
Ave recommenkto the
our- re4ders; Ataetrr
-,sgrioa,s tonsideration of those geese, the now idle
tailors—that the Derby trades' union is at an end—.
utterly smashed—extinguished—their funds worn
out, their spirit broken, and the whole body sup-
plicating the masters for employment. It so hap-