, 1866-06-19
TIE STONE CUTTERS, STRIKE,

Combinations between working men to
force mp the rates Of wages rest on exactly
the SAME basis as combinations between the
holders Of coal, brcadstufs, meat or other
merchandise to 1orce up the price Of the ar.
ucle IN which they deal, or between land
lords to force up rents As matter of Law 1t
is one of the unauestionable rights OF both
classes OF men to make these combinations TO
force up the prices Of. their articles, aud the
question OF doing so is entirely one Of moral
lty and dpedieuey. Morally, We would re-
gard rs odious the conduct Of the coal mer.
chants, who after lake navigation closed
should agree to stop selling coal and wood
mill coal should run up to SO per ton aud
wood to 20 per cord. So Of breadstufs or
other merchandise Tet within reasonable
limits, the right Of all who deal in one article
to agree upon md demand one price for it,
and that as high a it will bear, Is neces-
sary feature Of human liberty, and applies
as fully In behalf Of worknen In
fixing the price . Of their labor
As In behalf Of merchants in combining To.
gether 10 keep up the price Of their goods,
or OF landlords in combining to force up the
rent Of their tenements. Yet there are mani
festly limits beyond which a combination Of
Lar d1ords 10 raSse rents, Or OF merchants to
raise prices, or Of working Inon'e association.
to raise wages, becomes extort1on and de-
feats ftself: By the time the e1tortionate
landlord loses several months rent, or the
merchant allows his goods to pass the season
orsale. 1.-THE vorkinemxu remains idle until
his expenses cat up his surplus, each offender
becomes sensible that he has violated some
Law Of morality and economy. For the tu-
-n.N 10 10. a, u.I, ftor re,traints tcif.in.
@DHu,s e..A oe A - s.saa ~. Na.v yo,t s1d
Poseu % "u9 ''A' ~" N.,.
olooA!tn sup - .%as. a,rr,ssss.,
le'ot"ea W tueu ""A w ,' -f' -1r..-r
ie1ns, ANr euuss ". u Ioss .osa =. ~. .ass ~
Mons o. ooAn1 Dy 'aeH s..Ne' u'Nee s'Auu
m'stake' we 90 nol "lsa ~ 80 oul aono-
eattefa ana lne "lneas q an n4ustte' "n at1
now on : similar strke, MAKE .ae Same nus.
take. Inc several nano1ea stone-coI'e.' o.
Chicago are now losing some Len 1nsn-
Eaad dollars . week, In the hope 10
induce their employers 10 pay them the sane
wages for nine hours a. they now do for tn.
As they do not pretend that they Will 10
more than nine-terths OF the work In mite
hours which they now do In ten, the strike b
simply IN effort Of the cuttts1, by sacrificing
smn,aver, ~ ~ N ssor,ae. ] 49,. [ t.r+h 80 mnrh ~.
! one thousand dollars week. The employ
ers arc also losing someth,ug by their delay
lose more IN hi, 80 ss .h,n w. w 49,, ,a.o ~
spending more 1n,nas ,s,,;,a ~ ;ais thon thsy
"ou!e IL "o1k Nos does the fact that the
Citations combine to n..a nn+h. v . ,oss h ofv.eea -
to the stone cutters. chan,.s IN nv de,,ee the
disproportion OF their lo.. N the lass In,
Cured by their cmp1oyca. For most OF
those With whom their euplo--rs have con-
tracts will let them up without da1napes or
extend their time on accoput of y,e etrile.
The fact seems apparent therefor, tbat t,e
working men ere losing ten dollars IN oraa-
: to compel their employers lose one. Ehould
the strike continue i've weeks and should III.
employers then ylcld, tho nino hour rn,s
must continue in unchanged thereafter ,
wear before the workmen would hare recoY,
erei from t}sir losses, ereu snpposins the ad
! dItiop.. nour day would ne: them its value
.. i money which it wonlo Aot, II they did mol
work during that boxr. But as nine hour
labor can never in the loIG run produces to
either einr'escr or cmploye but nine teaths
as mneh as ten hours lator, at the same date,
; II lollo*s that ehonld the employers yield
temporarily md pay the came rate Of wages
ior nine tcnths Of the same amount Of work
such a forced state Of things will continue