Weekly Clarksville chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 185?-1857, 1857-03-20
[Fhou, the Columbia MirrOr.l w
JUNIOR SONS OF AMERICA.
The DenAocratic Herald. hdsiing crashed the
old Jelks, comes do,ea gpoa Che boys,

old Jt<hs, comes dolcn upon the boys,
There is an association here known as
tho Junior Sons Of America. 1t is com
posed principally, If not exclusively, of
Young mechanics and apprentices, and is
the branehof a'similar association formed
in some of the Northern cities for the pur-
pose of protecting its members against the
ruinous pressure of foreign competition
The American mechanic cannot and will
not work at 'Sten cents a day." which is
about the average price of labor in Europe;
and there are thousands of foreigners con-
stantly landing upon our shores, who, hav-
ing worked for nothing at home, are willing
to work for nothing here, and sometimes
lower the standard of wages to the point at
which an American starves, To protect
themselves against this ruinOus e0mpeti-
ton, the American mechanics of New
York, Philadelphia, and other Northern
cities, where the evil is most severely felt,
formed themselves into sort of mutual
protection society, called the Sons of Amer
ica Such a society was established in
Nashville in 1880, and still exists there, if
we are not mistaken; and strange as it may
seem, nota newspaper in the State has at
tempted to put it down. From the society
of the Sons of America sprung that Of the
Junior Sons Of America who contend for
Protection to American Mechanics, and
American Citizens for American Rulers.
Washington Camp No. of the Junior
Sons Of America, was, established in this
place some time since, and has gone on
swimmingly until now, when 1t has had the
dire and bloody misfortune to provoke the
calamitous hostility of the Democratic Her.
ald which, taking its cue from the Mem
phis appeal, one of those papers at whose
snuff taking, the Herald always obsequi-
ously sneezes, came down upon the institu-
ton last Saturday, with an exterminating
crash. The society NEEDLES with, politics
no further than to maintain that American
Offices should be filed by Americas citizens.
This is regarded by the Herald as smacking
of "Know- NOTTINGHAM" and it pitches in
to it accordingly. Another reason why
the Herald manifests such hostility towards
the society is, it maintains that Americans
should be paid American prices for their
labor, The Herald evidently looks upon
this tenet as direct attack upon its own
pocket, and 1t would be rccreant to the
strongest impulse of its nature, did it not
repol that attack in the most vigorous man.
ner. The Herald is both practically aud
theoretically an advocate of the low wages
system. Forinstance, it has been known
to maintain, by precept as well as by prac-
tice, that ten cents is quite enough to pay a
very green negro for chopping very large
load of wood on very cold day for a very
small stove and carrying it up very long
fight of stairs. What wonder, then, that
it is bitter in its hostility to the Junior Sons
of America? Why, just no wonder at all
Speaking of this Society, the Herald
says, "there are some trees whose roots be-
come troublesome, and whose JraSches must
be Topped off, meaning thereby, of course
that the Junior Sons of America are the
roots and branches of an unhallowed tree
and must be dug up and Topped off, So, i
seems, that these ungodly young traitors
are doomed. The Herald says they mus
be Topped off; it has determined to eradi
cate them=--to cut them down and cast then
into the fire that is not quenehed; and i
will do II. There can be no doubt abou
that. Every scheme set on foot to secure
the American mechanic, whether he be {
manufacturer of cheap tables, or stickel
: of cheaper type, is regarded by the Herald
as an assault upon its purse with an inten
to rob, which should be crushed in its in
cipiency.
The Junior Sons of America may con
slider themselves everlastingly smashed
for they certainly are, unless they immedi
ately raise by subscription, purse of thir
ty seven and a half cents, and buy up tn,
Q influence Of the Democratic Herald Thi
is not large sum, it is true, 20 expend fo
the attainment of so important an object
but no one will doubt that is amply sufi
cient for the purpose.