The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-02-28

The Las'orers' Strike In massarnusetts-
neeinning OF the Coentet Besweea CA-
pftsi and Labor.
Inc strike Of the shoemakers at Lynn is ex-
lending to other towns of Massachusetts, and
threatens to become one of the most serious
questions that will agitate New England. and
perhaps all the Northern free labor oommuni-
ties, for years to come.
1t ia not local outbreak provoked by some
temporary and transient cause. 1t has its orr.
gin deep in the foundations Of the social sys-
tenn of New England, and if the evil is not re-
medied in time, it will shake that system to its
centre For years capital has been growing in
power there, and under the form of corporate
associations it has seized upon nearly every
power in the State. Massachusetts, alone has
nearly five thousand of these soulless corpora
tons, welding an influence which no man has
been able to Withstand for the last quarter of q
century, and governing alike the legislation and
the labor Of the commonwealth. Years ago 1t
made mighty but vain effort, under the falla-
cious cry Of protection to home industry" to
obtain control of the policy Of the Union; and
though it failed in that it has never relinqushed
ia course in Massachusetts, and many other Of
the Northern States. In many of them legisla-
ton has succumbed to its power, and the la
borer has been degraded to mere toiling ma
chine, called TO work by the stated bell In the
morning, and dismissed by the curfew at night
to squalor and unrest
The evil is growing apace, and now the con-
fict is beginning. Labor has begun to rebel
against the tyranny of capital. Breaking out
in Lynn, it has rapidly extended to the shoe
trade of the neighboring towns, and before
long will bring into its tide the working thou
sands of all the manufacturing communities,
and involve the industry of New England in
ruin, and its Inhabitants in an exodus from
starvation. Unlike the slave labor of the
South-which has lien on both land and capt.
tai for its existence-the free labor of the North
has no claim for sustenance upon the soil, and
capital has shown itself to be its worst foe It
is time for the statesmen and philosophers of
New England to throw aside all minor conside-
rations and to look this evil in the face. The
Everetts and the Cushings of Massachusetts
must take the subject in hand, and bring their
eloquence and genius to bear for the elucida-
ton of the danger, before it has involved them
in its vortex.
Much suffering and misery must ensue to the
laboring population of Massachusetts, through
the cessation from labor, which they have
adopted as means for compelling the capital
lists to recede from their grinding oppression.
They cannot live upon air. The miserable pit
lance they have hitherto been receiving for their
work cannot have left them accumulated gains
upon which to exist for time. At the present
moment, too, set Of fanatics and political de-
magogues, who have sown hatred between the
religious and political organizations Of the
country, are striving to infase their poison into
its commercial elements, and to divide the trade
Of the land as they have divided its churches
and its political parties. The hostility to the
North which their war upon the social organi-
cation Of the Southern States is creating in the
bosoms of all classes there, adds new element
to the difficulties, and may yet deprive the Ca
pitalists of New England Of portion of their
ability to accede to the just demands of the
laborers.
Thus the social dangers to New England are
increasing; and the fanatical teachers of French
radicalism, who have led that section into
crusade against slavery, are not the men for
the coming emergency. Socialism, and the
community Of goods and phalansteries,
form q part, and an irrepressible part
Of their theories for society. The philo-
sophers of the Tribune have been as
rampant for the adoption Of Fourier's system
as they now are for the abolition of slavery.
Every socialist is an abolitionist, and though
every abolitionist is not q socialist, he is on
the way to become one, and must become one
by the inevitable progression of his doctrines
This the advocates of Brookfarm and the pha-
lanstery at Freehold well know; and therefore,
when forced to give up socialism, they adopted
abolitionism as the next thing to it. Their
fellow workers have been preaching their
theories against slavery, while they have as
sisted to build up in New England an oligarchy
of capital; and thus are they leading thousands
blindly into the adoption of their theories.
They have assisted to create state of things
in New England which, if not cured in time,
will convert every Yankee into as thorough
going red republican and socialist as any to
be found in France or Germany.
But men have something else to do than to
sing psalms and hymns to all eternity; and the
singing of psalms and hymns will never clothe
the naked nor feed the hungry. Let the true
statesmen Of Massachusetts, then, stand forth.
and, acknowledging the evil, seek the remedy.
Let legislation and labor be freed from the
tyranny Of seulless corporations. And, before
all. let both them and US look at once at the
suffering and hunger which are lowering over
our brothers in Massachusetts,. The present
strike must spread want among them to fear
full extent. Let the humane in our midst come