New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-12-07
STRTNcNG AND WORKING.

Tie Daay Toice (Boston) heartily seconds
our proposal that journeymen who strike
against employers should-nstead of standing
idle till the difference shall be adjusted-set to
work for themselves, under the guidance and
lead of men OF their own choice. II says:
eve desire TO 500 this suggestion receiving more at
tenton among woTkingmen. II Is certainly the straight
forward way for them 10 right themselves But "e are
afraid me 0riiaQmeB Of the United Sfcfes mare ho e,'
reduced lou mourn yet TO be niHnR 10 eo0pefde IN I'm
Gland tie right conditions cxist-tne working people
there are reduced low that they have no hope any
thing but cooperation Here, every man Of any bust.
capacity thinks of becoming boss. or perhaps
Of going elsewhere ana getting rich. We are consitn.
ionaly unstable. md full Of great expectations.
Then We lack faith IN one another In England. where
there Is no hope to rise Ia any other way cooperation 10
q great success
There is evidently another reason which deters
work ngmen from undertaking cooperative establish
mens In many trades, an Immense capital is inyestea
altogether beyond the reach of any association OF WORK
ngmen and beside, the run OF the business IS ali IN
favor Of he established firms and cooperative 1850
citation Of workingmen with less capital wolid nave 10
undcrse the large antagonisc firms. In order To com
pete In some tradcr this objection does not exist.
we conceive that there Is still another obstacle IN
the way and that II want OF the requisite knowledge
ABILITY TO make shoe cont does not imply ab! TO
sell IL purchase tie macrSlto the best advantages
or II the ability exists tie experience IL wabtlng
Several cooperative associations have failed Tor want
pcrcnts will fail that nothing Is to be learned ny
experience. The trials should continue to be made.
But there il yet another To"foL-Rr"Nlng ~ toih.
degree ont Of Others giyeD-why cooperation ~ NOT
oener tried IL is lack OF interest. dsincnatlh I"
change and dsirust 81 new things In thinking on
this other subject connected with The ee' t'2h
q labor We cone inevitably upon the question Of the
day the fret great measure of the woIkngmens re
iorm-a reduction Of The hours OF labor. We can
hardly expect woFingmen In this country, While hey
are eNhaustng all tioir energy aud spirit over the
work bench aud an their time. two poor sleepy
dlfkcncd hours nt the cud Of the day. 20 engage Win
much spirit In anything. unless under stfoig pressure
N necessity American labor. and the best welfre oil
American society demands the cishthour reform.
- We do not concur in the suggestion that
1.-The run Of the business is all in favor Of the
established firms" On the contrary, We are
confident that, if hundred practical boot aud
shoemakers were this day to associate, putting
in wha, means they might have, to the extent
of $40. 600 in shares OF 800 each, and were Ia
advertise that they were prepared TO make or
sell boots ard shoes for fair, living cash prices,
they would have a quick demand for all they
should produce even though each were TO work
faithfully sixty hours per week. Nor can we
conecde that any greater liability" would be
required to sell good boots for cash than to make
them.
But, if our journeymen (who are not ac-
curatey distinguished as workingmen")
" lack faith in one another" feel no " interest
in Labor Reform, distrust novelties, are dis
inclined 10 change, and are indsposed to make
sacrifices, the impediments to advancement are
very grave. Progress is only achieved through
suffering and willingness TO bear and dare for
an idea. And here is where We appfehend a
failure Of the present Eight-liour movement.
The journeymcn seem to expect that all the
advantage of the proposed change is to inure to
them while all the cost is TO be borne by
Others. We have seldom or never known a
true success to be achieved on such easy con-
j n