The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1866-11-10
lsssly denounced this practice, and luncA
has epoken of Il thus -


has spoken OF il thus:-
sIhs shefnsid srhsdsv.s f--ribae baAde. !.
Tally -i-h0 the grinder
Hs ssss BIZ lliiis ONE doyato the trsds.
N. .aras Il. ~ ~ z n ss;sa l. d. han Il
TN his holy b nlnted and his eyes ere iaA,
And ~ st.ss q. ,Ss s s,,a. ssa e ~ a
This ia no imaeinary picture. Within the
last three months have been asked BY lhe
official representatives Of the cutters, the
blade-forgers, and the union Of my own
trade, 10 discharge q nephew (whose father
was on hrs dying bed}, because be wns not
. ~grinder's son. could certainly have
taken my son 10 work, bat think Il win be
to his ply steal and moral advantaee 70 go
some years longer to the Peoples College.
therefore retain nay fatherless neptt y, and
shall do so in defiance or the union or any
body else; and, in doing this, feel Goa
scious Of dischsrging duty, in being a
father to the fatherless. Not having be-
loDged 10 the union for twenty years, ! feel
competent to dispose Of my labor without
any dickation from the trade society There
are no greater Disadvantages Of trades unions
than these attempts to interfere with per-
sonal liberty We may fairly inquire how
the workmen have become possessed Of such
opinions. They ARE condemned by oil think
ing people. | unhesitatingly answer, from
past legislation. For nearly 800 years Par
lament endeavored to ksep dOsca Tie price Of
labor. :" The Statute u Laborers, Is ELw.
ILL.,, c. 2, directly aimed ut this object. Adam
Smith truly observed, "Whenever the Lee
gislaiure attempts to regulate the differences
between masters and workmen, its counsel
Tors are always the masters" As successive
Parliaments attempted to KEEP doscn wages
by class legislation, the belief has become
traditionary amongst the workingmen that
legislation can CAN KEEP THAN Up. Sicce the
days of Adam Smith, however, new light
has been spreading, which Is gradually dis
peiling the illusion. Trades unions clam
" vested rights" bought by serviude. TINS
il but the Legitimate consequences on the 5th
Of Eliz. c. 4, (which forbid any workman
following trade who had not served sevee
years apprenticeship" But some may ask
did those cruel practices of the unions arise
out Of legislation Yes because the law IL
self has been cruel aad unjust towards the
artisan. The 2nd and 3rd Edw. vi, c. 10.
enacted, That if any artifcers, laborers,
&C., should conspire, covenant, or promise
together that they should not work but at a
Ger tain rate, or should not work but at eel
tain hours and times, the should forfeit for the
frst offence El0, or else should suffer twenty
days Imprisonment; for the second offence,
Gao, or the pillory, and should lose one o.
their ears. And shall at all times after that
be taken as q man Infamous, and his saying,
deposition, or oath not 10 be credited in any
matter OF Judgment"
[Mr Wilson then goes on to controvert the
policy Of the alleged attempts Of the trades
70 monopolse particular descriptions Of
work, after which he ask J What, then are
advantages Of trades unionsg Those usually
pointed out are the sums paid FOR sickness,
accidents and deaths. In all THESE concur
at the same time, they are non-essen tials Of
a trade society, and, as before observed, ARE
omitted because q better provision can BE-
made for the above purposes. Trades
unions have more influence on the price than
on the valtS of labor. There can be gene
raj increase Of price, which will fall on tbs
consumer Qor whom trade is carried on J.
general increase in value is impossible, be
cause if some commodity has increased il
value, some other compared with it has d..
creased. Tue greatest advantage of unions
is their Defensive power. In temporary de-
pressions, they, perhaps, keep up the price
OF labor. After all, competition is th,
great levcller. The workmen, however, for.
get that Il competition for work brings dowr
price, the converse action keeps it up. w,
before endeavored to show that the benefit,
OF unions arose from their exclusive ness
but thus principle Injuries all kept out Tn
real officially for the social Ieformer is tn
pressure OF the agricultural population. This
is clearly perceived by Mr Porter, who says
g We have seen that the prOportlonste mum
Der Of persons employed in agriculture ha'
been continually diminishing. In 1881,
The number OF adult males employed il
Great Baitain Wac ,2+3, 057, out OF popu
lation Of 1853, 3l6; but in ls4l,- With oul
nnmhers increased to 1920, 1894, the adult,
so employed we're only | ,207 ,969, or fewel
than at the last census by 50, 065 persons.
Now, II the surplus population be not alb
sorbed in manufactures, what is to becom'
of thems Let the advocates OF unions au
swer The trade rules which forbid thes,
men using the strength and abilities which
God has given them are contrary to III,
moral law which teaches, 8 Whatsoever y,
would that men should do to you, do ye ever
30 to them" If the advantage OF restriction
be applied to this test 1t falls to the ground
! Quoting from The fourth edition Of tn,
:. Principles OF Political Economy" to show
| that Mr. Mil is not the advocate Of trades
union exclusiveness, Mr. Wilson proceeds
The best friends Of the people are hos
| VINO tells them Of their faults, ia the hope o
improving them. How, then, may the advan
tagcs Of unions be increased and their dis
advantages diminished? In the 6rst place
by making them in practice what they arr
theory 7-yol1ntary associations The well
conducted unions could not then be blames
Tor the misdeeds oil others, neither woult
they be disgraced by such advertisements al
this 80 A new feature in the Sawmakers
| Union. On Mr.. William Groves, SEN, com
ing down to the Office this morning, be wa,
informed by his foreman that his bands hat
been stolen from the Lower Wheel. w,
are not aware that we have wroDgsd the 50
called union. We have been informed Since
that some Of our men are in arrears witt
their contributions to the union. We pre-
sure, when we have paid their wages. Pri
responsibility ceases-Rlchard Groves an {
Sons, Beehive Steel and Saw and File
Works, Sheffield, March Sth, = 1B65-P )
Two Of cur men waited upor Us on Wednes
day evening, and stated that, unless zoe Poid
El2 es.-that being the atnoapt due from
our men to the union-our bands could no.
be restored, and ace should not be allo1ed q
resume scoTf. What nextT' ~
Need We wonder at these things taking
place while the union leaders bring the ReY'
e. A. Verify, B. A.. 10 defehd the unions
and who called these things practica
jokes 2" m
The workingmen know these things are
constantly connived at by many trades. Al
far as arrears Of contribution are concerned,
II unions we're voluntary, ! see no objec-
tion, but even advantages, in giving them. I
legal power Of recovery so long a. . persqa
continued member. Nothing woul,s 4
prove the unions so much as the Eare fns
telligent workmen refusing association
either with trades or individuals who coun;
tenance outrages or any violation Of the law.
Unity Of moral purpose il required, and
then physical force arguments" will be far
surpassed ia the dignity and moral power Of
. rxnstn1 rannIo The law mnuid hbf In tho In