Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-05-15
THEDAILY TIMES.
on Chamber's Journal.]
\ ENGLfsH WoRKMAN's ACCOUNT OF
A eSTRIKE' IN NEW YORK

n.
sidence of two years in that busy and enterpri.
sing city had enabled me to form juster views
concerning the social policy of its inhabitants than
those which had presented themselves to me on
first landing; two years. if properly made use of.
will serve to correct many fallaces, and to throw
light on places and people. There is nothing
like seeing with your own eyes, if you want real
ly.to know what the two latter are-whethe,
they come up to your standard of comparison OF
otherwise. In several respects, chiefly material
liked America better than England; the abun-
dance and cheapness of provisions, for instance,
and the ease with which fruits and other luxuries
to say nothing of books and newspapers-were
procurable by the working-classes, presented, al
that time at least, striking contrast to the state
Of things in the .old country liked, too, al
hrst the sort OF free-and-easy intercourse Of the
working-men with those conventionally speaking,
above them. Jack considered himself as good
as master, though not without occasional morti-
6cations at not finding the sentiment reciprocated
The feeling, however, impaired show of indie
pendence, ratf captivating to one who was not
a little imbued with sold country radicalsm.
On the other hand, had been astonished, not to
say disconnected, at finding l did more
and more every day-how much mechanics are
looked upon in the United States. You have on
ly to wear jacket and apron, and write yourself
artisan, to be excluded from good society as
rigidly as if born under the caste-laws of India.
Where there appears to be an equal chance for
all to rise, those who have risen draw the line of
demarkation with much greater severity than
strangers are willing to believe.
Another point on which my notions were cor
rected was, that it was not so very easy to find
work in New York as is commonly reported, and
that, though wages were 20 per cent higher than
had been accustomed to, the high price of cloth
ing, lodging, &C., made it, Notwithstanding, ne
cessary for man to be exceedingly careful of his
expenditure, if he wished really to save money.
There was no royal road to wealth on that side
the Atlantic any more than on this.
Yet, among the facts which liked, there was
setoff for this: it was the absence of those stu
pid INTERPRETATIONS which in England, and on
the continent of Europe, hamper SO annoyingly
the movements OF commerce, and complicate so
vexatiously the relations between employers and
employed Few of these relics of feudal-age
policy exist in the United States: master takes
as many apprentices as he pleases, perfectly re-
CARELESS of anything his !journeymen may think
or say to the contrary. He believes, and not
without reason, that while he pays them fair
wages for their labor, they have no right to inter-
fere with his mode of conducting his business.
1t was relief to get clear of the Evolutionary
customs and usages Of European workshops,
and to feel that the way clearer for rising out
of the ranks. But there was one exception, in
large foundry and engine-factory into which I
sometimes went to see an acquaintance: there
the 'old country, customs, as to drinking when
new hands were taken on, prescribing coercive
limitations and so forth, were in full vigor. NV
| shopmates were greatly amused one day by my
account of what had seen and heard in the fac.
tory, and our foreman exclaimed in language
that would have done credit to Sam Slick: Well
if them machinists amt the pigheadedest feers
| ever heerd tell of!-they must be Johnny
Bull =
Such were some of my experiences of Ameri.
lean life, and was working on in my usual plod-
ding way, when found that there was still some
thing to be learned. The journeymen cabinet
makers took it into their heads that too great a
share of the profits of trade went into the mas
ters pockets, and they determined, by demand
ing higher wages, to secureif possible an in
creased proportion for themselves. The masters
being informed of the fact, maintained the con-
trary, and thereupon issue was joined. An odd
price book and a 'new-price book came immedi-
ately to be talked about with fervour scarcely
exceeded by that of the O. P. hos.ihtes, well re.
membered by old playgoers in London, and
among the men, a few ambitious spirits assumed
the direction of affairs, and drew around them
many willing helpers. Preliminary meetings
were held to organize an opposition to the mas
ters, and to take measures for the proper setting
forth and enforcement of the claims of the men,
and the grounds on which the advance of wages
was demanded. Populations were appointed to
snow reasons
why they should give in but the bosses would
no. give in, and declared themselves to be the
best judges of their own business that wages
were as high as sale-prices would allow, and that
rise was out of the question. On hearing this
the men threatened strike, to take place by
certain day, if their demands were not complied
with.
From ten to twelve hands were employed in
the shop where Worked rather heterogeneous
10 IN md ono fryo otb
were Americans, and the rest were Germans,
French, and Irish being the only Englishmall
Notwithstanding the diversity of nation, there
was but little in sentiment, for with the excep-
ton of the apprentice, who was not free agent,
and myself, they all determined to turn out
and many taunt had l to bear for refusing to
join them. Our boss was a man well to do in the
world. Having of course heard of the threaten
ed strike, he said We'll, you can do Just as you
like. There's no boss in the city pays better
prices than do, and they won't 20 up q cent
higher for all your striking
For my part, was quite taken by surprise bv
the strike; it was the last thing should have ex-
pected to see In America. But there it was, sure
enough; and now that the boss had so unequivo.
cally declared his sentiments, the shop became
the more demonstrative in the expression of theirs
They were not going to be slaves for anybody; it
was a free country; they had right to higher
wages, and higher wages they would have. The
Britisher wasn't half man; he was a sneak, who
ought to have stayed in his own tyrannical coun-
try; and much more to the same effect. Conse-
quently, on the day fixed, they just Showed
themselves at the shop for few minutes after
breakfast; and then went off in body to a great
mass meeting called for the first day of the
the strike; and all the while emigrants from Eu-
rope pouring into the city at the rate of ten
or twelve hundred every week.
A first measure was to ascertain the numbers
who had struck, how many were recusants, and |
in what shops they were working, with view to
devise means for procuring total cessation of
work in all the shops of the city. Advertise
ments of the proceedings speedily appeared in