The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1860-04-04
NEW ENGLAND RAMP ANT.

leather and abolitionianl. The strikers
. for higher wages had increased rapidly
In plumbers and were aeYeral thousands
strong. The strike, which bids fair to
extend throughout the pilgrim States,
though composed Of cordwainers, is wax
ing greater every day nor do we know
wben we shall hear the lastaof it, The
leaders ia the movement are pegging
away in lengthy speeches at all the meet.
liDgs Of the revolted sons Of the lapstone.
They fecltbat Their MI is At stake and
they intend to bold on to the end however
much their heartless employers may bris-
tie up about it. They feel that they are
engaged IN new revolution which not
only tries mems souls, but tries both
| mems and womens' soles and uppcrs.
They wish to escape from the clamps Of
the bosses" and they refuse to be- tried
and stretched to their will any longer.
They desire to vamp up the dilapidated
rights OF Labor and to convince capitalists
! that they have been soaked III The watts Of
oppression long enough. They design to
administer the most vigorous heettaps to
such tyranny while they. have it under
their feet and never to submit TO j! again
while liberty and leather are known
| among men. Their heroic reply to every
bidding to move on in their labor at the
old prices is: I" not another peg Y and to
this they will adhere like wax until9they
are badly strapped for money TO buy bread
with. They even refuse to listen to the
sanctimonions outpourings Of Abolition
pulpits and the political niggerisms Of
puritan philanthropists ; leather is 4 sub
icct that comes home to them more tLan
wool. They have learned tina. the losa
! Of work to them has resulted from the
iloss Of Southern trsde--that their children
must wear rags and their wives go hun.
| cry because Of the treason that is preached
aud the hostility that is practised by the
iiDtermeddling Abolitionists.
| There is deep significance 10 these
! reyolts Of laborers against employers,
Beyond the temporary GAUGES which have
produced this extensive strike, there are
elements Of an irfepressible conflict" far
more important to the people Of the North
than any which their densg may
lallege to exist elsewhere, to wit: the
vital, ever growing and ever threatening
contest between labor and capital. 4
Ilaboring majority will not sufer the pangs
and pains Of poverty and toll contentedly
! when they see capitalists, bankefs, mer
chants, -and mill-owners thriving on the
profits Of their labor They will not, foI
many generations, be satisfied to plod in
the dust to their daily tasks while their
wealthy task.masters roll by them IN
carriages. They cannot fail to contras,
their own mean dwellings with the palaces
built from the proceeds Of their own labor
and which they are not suffered tosentsr
These ssrikes must become more andmort
i frequent as competition IN labor grove
4 greater, 40 the country fills up, IS tht
profits Of manufacturing decrease and q
wealth, in obedience toits usual tendency
4 becomes more concentrated. Complicated
with scarcity Of grain and provisions, o
| with q financial stress, or occnrrin5 While
the country ID threatened with aggression
q from abroad, these reynlsions agains
.tproperty-holders on the part Of laborerl
may become widely extended and be at
tended with violence and bloodshcd. Thi
. agrarian outbreak may not become seri
GUS for many years--it may not hecom
general during the Lifetime Of any nov
llising--but that it must come and unde
circumstances Of the most formidabl
nature, is almost certain.
It's probable that tho more shrew
among the leading men Of the North e1
pect contest and attempt to defer it b
raising the false Issue about slavery I
amuse the minds Of the masses. Thi
Shoemakery strike shows that Norther
laborers feel themselves to be more il
teresied in their political relations wit
their own neighbors than they are in th
social polity Of distant States.
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