New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-09-06
THE LONDON STRIKE.

We copy the following article from the new
weekly London journal, entitled "Once Week"
The writer addresses himself to the builders
casmen. and Others on strike" in the City of Lon
don: but we believe that his suggestions VIII be
acceptable to every intelligent and thoughtful per-
son in this country who may read bis appeal;
THE STRIKE.
TO THE BUILDERS, GasMEN, AND OTHERS On
STRIKE.
am an old friend of yours, and have employed
many competitors in my day, and never wrote or said
one word tending TO degrade you. But as your friend
| shsll use friends privilege to speak PLAIN.
You call yourselves working men" as though
there were no other working men in the world ms
ia piece of arrogant assumption on your part when,
if it occurred smong people better off than yourselves
You would call aristocac insoence. There are many
harder workers than you-men who work with tn SIR
brains: and bran-w honestly done is far harder
than that of the hands Writers in Ouce Week keep
each employed a larger number Ct hands than any
working builder or gasman smopg you, helping them
10 vir as well themselves, so these brain'woIx
ers are some hundred times more valuable than any
individual handworker AL the false logic tina, ever
WAS coined in any rebellion of the =" members against
the belly" cannot overset that truth 81, my good
friends take to yourselves little wholesome modesty,
and don't arrogae 10 yourselves the exclusive tito oi
wOikipg men.
For there are among you men who don't work, men
WIN sbirk work and men useless that they can get
wotk 10 do. And 80 the men who shrk Work, ana the
n en- who can't get work, take in vain the name OF
working men, and proclaim that hencetorth wages
shall be fixed quantity and that all men, good, bad,
ard Indifferent, shall be paid alike and. moreover,
that as there only work for nne out of ten the whole
shs be employed at nine hours EACH instead oil ten
hours and ahsll ave ten hours wages for II.
This is Jack Cade legislation, such IA our grant old
poet writes about, and as pracsed across the Chan
nel-eocisl.m without sociology.
81 will apparel them all in one livery, that they may
agree Ike brothers LrdternHe sgdHe) and worship
me their lord"
It won't do. There is thing called individuality
the right of every TO do all things rot infringing on
the rights of his fellows, and if this principle be lost
sight Of there is end of progress. Therefore every
has right to determine at what price he VIII sell
hs labor, and every master what ne vii! pay for It,
And any number Of men have right to join together
keep their labor out OF the market and 10 ralse
ts value they But they have ito dictate
to other men what they snail do. ii skilled
workman choices to work for any price that suit him
any number of houIs that suit hm-to interfere With
him is to exercise tyranny, and this ali Engsh-minde1
men will denounce ard put down.
In this strike the question IL Of day wages add
not of The amount of work and pay. There hS been
invented phrase, " fair days wage for far day 5
work but this defines IothiDg As the nerioans say,
il il about big piece OF chalk. II i be digging
held il msy amount TO appetite number OF ysrds,
or II light be OIL question Of makiog 80 many doors
AID NlLd0Ne, or 80 many siIHc lee oI hDoIbs HIi
down. Now, l. is qu te clear that ole man may dig
iaster tn an another make more d)ors or windows
thsn another in given time he, snen, 20 do more
work. or il he TO stop short when ne has done his task
IL the latter cara be will woik less hours 10 the for
uer case, he would be paid lower wages than his
nsighbor, by doing more work for given SUN. lie
this mode, the lees work & man does, tle higher will
be the cost Of his labor; and the constant tendency
soud be to do Itte possible unless the work bs
OF that kind which eau be exactly appreciated. II
comes then TO the fact, that astcs between master
and il best attained b, the practice of piecevok;
and the beet PAID laoorers 10 EnglaDd-tho nasves-
have arrived al precisely this condition ana you'll look
with contenp. a. day work sd ezy wages. Day work
s really only The coLdon OF odd co. who csn do
number Of Indefinite things got 10 be teeted by an eX-
act value. They are not sk' cd ~J.knen who
wiling 20 become " odd men TIE skied men get
work easily, ard are monty enploys at good weSe-,
for they lever to- IGme!ous AID nave 10 need ~
strike.
TIE strike. then is made By tie inferior workmen,
who compel the superior woiknen 10 JOIN them under
threats. II the wOTkeD out Of work be one tenth OF
tue whole the reduction Of the hours from ten 20 nine
would put all in ployuen'. II the wage PAID were
tie SAME N g process would be very tiupe. But the
clam fer wages would be Increased, willis "a rule,
oil the wages that can be paid are psd, FOR the c9n'
petition =. bushes is 20 strong that Is long as Any
pr lit be made, masters VIII 90 on increasing their
buslIes. and Increasing also the number Of the men
they employ While competition LAST, business men
keep down their profits to the lowest pitch. Ihey
have unlimited fund alowingthem 30 psy GDy way.
the woIkmen may desire. Ihey are not Tc1 beyond
MT asuIe. II tho whole Of the masters profit were
poured into the wsges-fund, each man would receive
a. much dc though the coIones dinner were dlyi led
anorg the egimeIt, tie caurchwardens and over.
se.rs threw their dinners mo the wOlkhoC-s caT tfon
Ii two masters be competing for one man rivalry
viii extract the largest amount Of wages they can
afford 70 psy. II two men be competing for one mas
ter they NUT work for any price he chOOses 10 give
TIE inferior msn Will inialiby offer for the lowest
naees but the master will be fool If he does not en-
IL - ard him - Pa
Keep In in E comfortable copdton. The higher
wages master can afford to PEI, Lie greater will be
the result 20 himself, If the mans work be 10 proper
tion to hi- wsges. II sser pays ElOO week 70 ~
DeB be viii reed less amount vi toos and Workshop-
and other mst.ers, than he pad lUO per week 70
100 meD and viii conduct hps business win less
trouble. ,
IT. therefore workrnen want TO improve their condi
ton they should subscribe ~ send then surplus num-
Der 10 the coloues by Of benefit societies, ~ 10
ether modes.
Probably the strike vii DO this indirectly. Il will
set inventive ard intelligent men 20 make machinery
DO more than j. has yet done and possibly II msy
he working out Of proyGeltial ends 10 prevent the
degradation Of manhood to unworthy erplOyments.
In truth strike il the particuste grumbng OF men
who have not yet learned to talk; It Is skIo 20 tue
dumb ghs OF men who feeling miserable, burn down
hsyricks 20 cTsv attention 10 their misery.
You, gssrnsn VINO hrOled alive, and made 10 IN
hale SEM poison, IN order thai streets and workshops
nay be selighted, son are, doubtless rnisereby or,
ard not con peDrs.sd by thirty snilin - f~eeH DO
yoG II TX thai thirty i've sbilmgs Wa make e dlter-
eIce in your sensation No Il J. crasiiy 70 orCI
Won ard the OIL remedy i 10 teach machines 10 10
sour work, indeed ], be not within the province Of
at 10 produce other light without sILng process.
Better that we should 20 10 bed With the buds, than
20 with the race vi heots worse slaves than ever
ioed in the mil in elder Greece. IL IS 10, neces-
sBry cOrd.on c! humanity & use p'ps = ung y4por
for lights Istesi If he Dydro-cAbon oils now dawn.
lIg GPor tie pubic faculty Of perception, Gus produced