Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-12-24
printers, Unions, Strikes, and Some.
thing Else.

Printers Unions, as generally understood,
IRE we'll enough. Strikes are, perhaps,
..maiules justifable, though seldom If ever
Asnedcial 10 the strikers. Something else,"
4, which We give an example below aud
Lave our readers to name it, is decidedly
oor policy, at the least; it seldom succeeds,
ma is sure TO be detected; but it is the nat.
raj resort of those whose obliquity of moral
&sion is such as to blind them to all straight
inward and upright methods of reaching
~ end in view. We are in favor, then, OF
,suine Printers Unions" We are in IA
Ssor OF STRIKES" In those very exceptional
Vases, if there are such, where resort to
7eree is both iustihable and necessary; but
Ne are not disposed to favor the manner of
loing business exhibited by the Something
Disc, under any circumstances whatever.
PRINTERS UNIONS.
Printers Unions are supposed to be es-
3ahlished for the benefit of good and regular
brinters, but upon principles reasonable in
Does the National Printers Union counte
oance not only the establishment of certain
briees of labor, but also the dictation to en-
bloyers of what particular iadiUidudls be-
baging to the ONIONS they shall be per-
hitted to engage? Would that be for the
BENEFIT of the craft generally, or only of in
lhviduals, supposing employers so dcmented
- TO accede to it at all2 Did any one ever
Near of the printers in particular place, the
|rood, bad and indifferent, the young and
nld, the sound and "the MANNED, the halt
and the blind" combining suddenly togeth-
q, liking a uniform price for labor, by the
weak az well as by "the piece" and then
saying TO their employers 'you must keep
N Of ,s at this price oryou keep none; dis
oharge one of us, whether he earns his salt
'or not, without the consent of the rest, and
I'VE all 90 instanter; employ another good
Aprintcr in place of one of us and we will
leave" We never heard of such a "Union"
or such an attempt, till last week. That
gus one. That attempt occurred here and
was of course futile one. We read last
week, however, the result of a somewhat
fsimilar attempt on the part of certain ma
thinists in New York, and here is what the
New York Herald of Friday last says of IT,
'Of cours' it cannot be pretended thatall these
$men are on level IN point OF ability and useful
hes to their employers The nnfairness of a
astaike which would Compel the latt to adv n q
n ther wages generally fir M twenty-five 10 thirty
Ave per cent is self evident. The indolent and
uuskilful would thereby he enab ed to extort what
, the aod wo kman is entitled 10 clai n an the
general enforcem mt of such rates would absol
all the profits of the concern under existing con-
tracts. After holdiog out for some time il la,
ben ar an yed that the employers shall pay TWEEN
~ -hve to thirty FIVE per cent ore to those alone
%who are worth the advance. This te inmates the
#sruggle in manner honorable to both parties.
# IL werkmen generally would take this com MOI
fense vie of tn ngS, they would have no dfhcult,
%in adjusting with the mannf aoturer fair rates o
XtemHn ration for their services. rikes nav
hever yet benefited their condition; for they ar
nnjust in principle UNJUST not only 10 the EN-
poyer, but to the good workman. They may b
Y compiled with for a time, under the pressure 0
NV eoessity; but they always end by in reducing in
SO tn business humble of new hands and lever
1ng The general rates of wages below their origina
X>nt uHa nd