New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-04-13
VIRsT PRINCIPLES.

off rho meetings OF hOIhlllg tth AlhhtS
in r citv looking to advance and regulation wages
THE Tribune has been quoted and commented on as u
fiendv to the movement Let us res:atc as briefly as
we NAV our views and positions touching the whole
subject:
/ We believe that the Wages OF Labor should be
bera-tha the true interest OF all classes requires
bisand that they have generally been lower than they
should be.
> We believe that unreguated unrestricted c)mpe
tton-the Free Trade principle OF Every man for
himself and Buy where you can cheapest tends every
where and necessarily to the depression of Wages and
tbe concentration Of Wealth. Capital can wait Labor
cannot-but must earn or famsh Without organization
concert ard mutual support among those who live by
selling their Labor its price will get lower and lower as
naturally as water down hill Consequently, are
in favor of Trades Unions regular associations of work
ers in the several caings for the establishment and MAIN
tenance of fair and just rates OF wages in each.
8 We believe Employers have rights well as Jour
neymen-that they too, should hold meetings and form
societies or appoint delegates to confer with like dele
gates on the part Of the ourneymen; and that by the
Joint action of these cOnlerees, fair rates of wages in
each calling should be established and maintained
a. We believe that the rates thus established are and
sbould be morally binding upon all who fit to engage
ford them has no right to be an employer and he who
uW not ought to be stunned alike by journeymen and
crstomers-and that whenever Employers or Journey
men believe that the circumstances of their trade
re an increase or reduction OF wages they ought to
sembe their own class and procure It's sanction to
conference of delegates as aforesaid and that It's de-
cisiOn should be conclusive.
3. We believe that Strikes, or reusalS OF Journey
mon to work at such wages as they command,
are seldom necessary-that proper representations
and conciatOry action the part of JOurneymen
wouN generally secure all requisite notifications OF
WAGES without striking and that the aggregate OF wasted
time misdirected energy. embt;ered feeling and social
anarchy which strike creates is seldom compensated
bv any permanent enhancement of thus obtained
6 We believe that the primary and most culpable al-
tbors of Strikes and the msceis thence arising are
those EMPLOYERS who refuse 10 unite IN any efforts for
fine systematic adjustment of Wages but insist on fixing
and paving such rates of wages they choose without
reference to the established regulations or current usages
of the vocation If these would but desst from their
evpractices the claims Of JOurneymen alone to regu-
late wages without asking the concurrence OF Employers
voud be easily proved tenable and speedily abandoned
While the Jonrneymens Scales of Prices are the only
ones they ought want of better to be respected and
adberedt TO- But to secure conference and mutual
agreement as to wages the Employers in any trade have
but to askit.
In short. we believe the present fermentation among
tho Trades of our City sautary and hopeful one-that
il is based ON just idea ofhe existing relations of labor
TO CAPITAL and rightly arms that Wages should increase
as Currency is expanded and Living becomes nomnaly
dearer and we hold that should it result in disastrous
collisions between employers and employed paralysng
whole departments Industry the fault will mainly lie at
tbe door ofthose Employers who refuse to cooperate IN
establishing and uphcding just Rates of Wages in their
several vacations If Journeymen alone regulate the
prces Of Labor they Will be likely to fix them too high;
if Employers alone fix them Gas they virtually do under
+bc Free Trade system) they will naturally Tx them
but lot Journeymen and Employers in each trade
umite in framing. upholding, and from time to time
modifying their Scale and will usually be Just about