The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-23

Under the above caption we find in tho Ne,o
York Tribune Of Saturday last, calls for meet
ings ofvarious associations of the different trades
in the city Of New York, preparatory to- grand
procession which is to parade the streets onsthe
23d inst In reference to this procession the
following card is also inserted
LABoRERs' BENEVOLENT Union SOCIETY OF
THE Four DIvIsIoNs-A Mass Meeting OF the
several Divisions of this Society was held on
Thursday evening at Forrest House, 40 Spring
st. Mr.. Thomas keenan, called the meeting to
| order Mt 8 o'clock Thomas Nicholson, Vice
President; Patrick Dillon was appointed Seere-
tary by the President, who stated that this meet
ing was called for the purpose of making ar
engagements to join with the rest OF the Socie-
ties who intend to make demonstration on the
23d inst. Daniel b. Taylor, late President Of
this Society, addressed the meeting in a very
animated style on the subject of unanimty and or
ganization. The eyes of the public ut large were
upon them, and now was the time to show that
they ,cce mol the contemplate body certain bosses
thought them TO be. He wished that they could
tdrn out ten thousand strong, 80 that their enc
mics aooatld be COMPOUNDED. On the motion being
put whether the body should turn out, after a
very long discussion, the house divided, when
the majority appeared for the motion.
The passages italicised indicate the feeling
that prompts these orgonizations--and the at
tempts to create hostile feeling between the
bosses or master workmen, and their en-
ployees---as though the former were to be re-
garded as the natural enemies Of the latter.
The existence Of such a state Of feeling is
much to be deplored and tends to shake the very
foundations of any community in which it is
found. The reciprocal relations of employer
and employed towards each other are such, that
without harmony and concert Of action the great
interests of both must suffer, and the wages Of
labor be lessened by the reduction Of its profits
to the employer. All combinations intended to
exact higher wages, by forcing direct antago-
nism between these two classes, are founded on
false policy, and produce most nnwholesome
fruits. IN
Water does not more surely seek its level, if
no artificial barriers are placed in the way of its
free flow, than do the laws of supply and demand
regulate the prices of labor. To suppose that
journeymen can, by combination, force employers
to increase the rate of remuneration permanently,
is great mistake in the end, for it lessons the
amount Of work given in a greater ratio than the
increase of pay The sense OF mutual obligation
and mutual dependence, is a surer guaranty than
threats and attempted coercion. ri 0,as
We, therefore regret to see this offshoot of
foreign socialism creeping among and corrupt
fb, lahn al Of
The experiment has been tried in France on Il
large scale, and it has brought bankruptcy to
employers, and beggary to the employees. It
may suit the selfish purposes of some ambitious
and intriguing demagogues, thus to raise lad
der on which to climb up into consequence and
power-for such organizations are potent for
such an end-but those honest aborers WHO
consult their own ease, and their own interests,
will refrain from such experiments demanding
but ga fair days wages for a fair days work" as
heretofore, without the intermediate agency Of
associations resorting to violence to carry out
their measures.
One Of the first fruits of these newfangled no
lions may be found in the annexed article from
the ~ Y. Sunday Times: Blk
AGGRESSIVE ASSOCIATION.
Combinations of operatives formed for the
purpose of obtaining just remuneration for
the labor OF their members by peaceable means,
are in our view unobjectionable Capitalists COM
bine and enrich themselves by monopoles, un-t
der special laws; and no valid reason can be
urged why working-men, whose capital consists
In cCtll cfrancrfh and ind nd xrho, 1ol,
produces the wealth of nations, should not band
themselves together for the protection Of their
own interest. But they must keep -acithin the
lac, and not attempt to coerce such Of their fell
low craftsmen as refuse to join their associa-
tons or conform to their rules.
We believe that the trade unions organized
in this city have generally conducted themselves
with moderation and propriety; but it appears
by the police records, that the Journeymen Tai
lors Association have been guilty Of gross
violation OF the laws. This association we are
informed, consists almost exclusively Of Irish
tailors, between whom and the German tailors
there exists bitter feud, in consequence Of the
latter refusing to Join them, and continuing to
work at the old prices. For some time past, the
associationists have been in the habit Of decoy-
ing the German tailors into their headquarters
at the Sixth Ward hotel, taking their bundles of
work away from them, and refusing to return
the goods, until they had signed the articles of
the society and contributed TWENTY-FIVE cents to-
ward the general fund. The Tribune says that
the goods thus seized, are, in the event of the
bearers refusal to sign the articles and make
the required contribution, returned to the own
ers. This may be sometimes the case, but we
can state on good authority that in very many
instances the property has not been voluntarily
returned, and that it has been found necessary
to employ the police to recover it. We are al
so assured that cloth, trimmings, &C., to the
amount of several hundreds of dollars, taken in
this way, have never been recovered at all.
Last week, some of the members of the ASSOC
citation proceeded to still more unjustifable
acts of violence and plumber than those above
referred to. Several foreign journeymen tailors,
who had just received work from their employ
ers, were Knocked down in William and Nassau
streets, and had their bundles taken from them.
In one instance, the principal Of large whole
sale clothing establishment witnessed an out
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