Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-05-15

| ocss-they would not come I'D stairs, and re.
| lucsted me to meet them at the basement door
in going down, saw some five or six well-dress-
I'd, intelligent-looking men-not a rare sight
among the mechanics of New York-and them
hey standing under the 'stoop,' and leaning
iganst pile OF maple, josts, one of them opened
he business with little dissertation on political
| and social economy, and the inherent right of
men to band themselves together for the COM
non good; after which, he inquired my reasons
Tor continuing to work in opposition to the artH
IF the majority. Those who have lived in Ameri-
"a, and those only, will be able fully to compre-
hend the significance of these four words in ital-
les. My answer was, that Il had come to Amer
ca to better myself and could not afford to lose
time.'
But you need not lose time. There's a steam
boat fitting up down below at the dock; we can
ret YOU work on board of her at twelve dollars
week
4 don't know anything of steamboat work;
and if did, it would not suit me to give up a
steady place for one that must necessaril be un-
certain
You mean to say, then, that you will keep on
| working where you are?
Il do
You must be fool to work for eight or nine
dollars week, when, by standing out, you could
get twelve
Not so sure of that it is but few who can
make two dollars day, and l am not one of
them Nine dollars is about fair rate for what
l can do
That's no reason why you shouldn't try to
better yourself by standing out. The bosses
must give in, if all hands will only strike; and if
1T weren't for you European slaves and conyicts
we'd soon carry our point
The term convict is taunt frequently applied
to Engishmen by working people in the United
states, and its introduction into the argument did
not at all surprise me. .
Il have little inclination 7 <to tb,o,r
myself out of work just to enable you, and
dozen or two more, to get your twelve dollars
week. My first duty is, to take care of myself
and my family. Our boss is a good fellow on
the whole, aud don't want to leave him; and,
besides there's another reason why 1 won't
strike
And what's that?'
Because it won't succeed. You might as well
try to stop the stream of the Hudson, as to keep
up wages, while fifty or hundred cabnet-ma-
kers are coming in every week from Germany
ready to work for twelve dollars a month
THAT shows how much you know about it. In
our great and free country, there's work for all
Europe SO it's no use saying wages can't be
kept up
Whether or not, retorted, that's my opin-
ion, and shall stick to it till find better
On this, the opposite party delivered himself
of lengthy harangue, in which arguments were
quoted from Adam Smith, De Tocqueville, and
IL,
apparently, to convict me of fragrant error, and
prognosticate consequences I had not at that
time read the works of these writers, and had
only very youthful experience to oppose to such
weight of authority, and being, besides, one
of those unfortunate individuals who cannot
think of the right thing to say until twenty -four
hours after the occasion has passed, [ remained
silent My opponents mistook silence for assent,
and left me- expressing hope that they should
see me at their committee-room next.
| The passage, at the entrance of which this
scene had taken place, was separated from
turner's shop adjoining by thin wooden parti-
ton, and the turner who was New Yorker,
stopped his lathe to listen to our parley. When
he heard me turn to 60 up stairs, he shouted
sHlllo! Johnny Bull, they were rather too many
for you. You must get up little sooner in the
mornn, IT you want to circumvent Yankees
Look out for squalls, old fellow!'
Words are only wind replied quoting one
half OF 'down-east' adage, as I ran up the
stairs; he, however, before got out of hearing,
added the second half: but blows hurt
Three or four days passed away; trade was re-
maIkably brisk, and few of the bosses gave in
"a fact announced with great exutation by the
turn-outs, who now lelt confident of victory, and
urged their demands more strenuously than ever.
But compliance was no part of the bosses in
tentlons, for no sooner were the arrears of I'M
finished work cleared off, than the hands found
themselves again at liberty. This proceeding ma.
turally lrrltated the struggle somewhat; and SUBJ
scriptions for the support of those who, habitu.
ated to live from hand to mouth, had saved no.
thing, were called for with renewed IMPORTANTLY.
The strike YVES beginning to feel the pressure of
the laws of nature.
Now and tfen, one of my shopmates would
drop in, and Intimate that it would be dangerous
for me to persist in having my own way but felt
no whit INCLINED to yield, for, although had seen
the houses of intermarried blacks and whites de-
0uto tod aud hnr,F -. Il
furniture, had but little apprehension of person.
al violence, and the boss protested that he
would see me righted, should any mischief he.
fall. So it went on for a few days longer, when
second deputation waited upon me, and less
ceremonious than the first, they rushed Mostly, and
without notice, up the stairs, and crowded into
my bench-room. There were about twenty of
them; their spokesman looked clean and resnects-
BILE, but the others were dirty, out-at-elbows.
tobacco-cheWlng crew, only to be described hv
that expressive American epithet, Ioafers:' and
they eyed me with very sinister looks, while
the leader began to appeal to my esprit du corps.
1t is scarcely necessary to repeat the argument
that followed. Having nothing new to offer, l
merely said, that 1 considered myself at fIIl Ii.
berty to work for whatever amount of wapes tn
me seemed satisfactory; that | would no more
submit to any interference with that liberty. than
to any tyranny over my conscience; and that all
claimed at their hands, was to be let alone.
Or1es o, hustle him out frequently interrupted
me; and perhaps proof that blows hurts MIGHT
have followed, but just as l finished, nv boss
came in and commanded the party to leave his
premises, with an assurance that he would NOT
suffer me to be molested. The leader, who seem.
ed as much ashamed of his followers as Falstaff
was of his ragged regiment, Immediately beat a
retreat and his troops with him; one or two, as
they went out, declaring that thew would .ham.
mer' me whenever they caught me in the street.
L. however, went and came as usual, and for
some reason-perhaps the boss's declaration in
my favor-met with no annoyance. What was