Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-04-20

in Northern shops and factories, and en-
ables the Northern mechanic to be as
independent as he pleases in his de-
mands. We must first create the de-
mand in the South for mechanics, be-
fore We can regulate the price of sup
ply.
In regard to the various strikes" at
the North, among the working people
there, we look upon it as only one fea-
ture of Manifest Destiny working out
the problem in behalf of the Southern
mechanic, who should rejoice at all such /
evidences of dissatisfaction or indepen- |
dence on the part of the Northern me-
chanc. Every strike at the North is a !
help to the new order of things.in the
South, and will the more speedily cause
the Introduction of mechanical enter
prises in our midst.
Many of our own mechanics are out
OF work, simply because the work is
done or has heretofore been done so much
cheaper at the North than at the South
that it has gone there. Now let them
continue their strikes there until our
people can afford to take work for less
than it can be taken by the Northern
bosses, and then our mechanics can be-.
gin to realize the workings Of this Man
ifest Destiny we speak of, by seeing the
work done at their own shops-for the
law that governs supply and demand
will surely govern this matter.
Now, to illustrate what we mean by
the "work" we have reference to, let
those curious on the subject stroll around
our wharves aud look at the shiploads
of mechanical products of every conceiv-
able kind that are brought here from
the North and transported to every
point in the South and when they get
some idea of what passes through our
harbor alone, let them multiply that by
ten or twelve other routes South, and
they may get q tolerable idea of the
stiffening in the backbone of the
Northern mechanic, that enables him to
" strike" when he pleases for higher
wages or fewer hours. When the South~
ern mechanics get the manufacturing of
all the mechanical products used in the
South, they may be enabled to strike"
occasionally too, when things don't suit
them exactly.
What we have written on this sub
ject we wish it understood, has no refer
ence to men employed in Government
Works. Their operations, hours of la.
Dor, and prices, of course, are regulated
by laws which we as yet, not being in
the Union, have no right 10 discuss.
Though our view of it is, eight hours
Constitutes, according to the law, days
work in the Government Shops, and
the mechanic should have his days
wa ges, even if the law said he should
work but three or four hours as be
cannot work for the Government any
number of hnnrs it may coll fer,oud tl'ea
get employment the balance of the day
elsewhere, and we presume the wages
allowed are not over and above enough
to support him.
We have learned that committee of
workingmen left here TO. Washington,
lately, to join in a protest with similar
committees from Northern Yards against
the Interpretation given the eight hour
law by the Secretary. We very much
doubt the policy of this action. We
doubt it for several reasons, one of which
is, that the workingmen of this Yard,
like the people in this section, are under
ban, (however unjusty we will not
here discuss and that fact, We conceive,
will damage any effort that may be de-
sirable in behalf of the object sought to
be accomplished. For the same reason
do we doubt the policy of advocating
any measure looking to this end, in
newspaper printed in this section. The
evils that are upon us had best be borne
patiently, until our State is restored to
the Union and we have representatives
in Washington to defend our interests.
Any other course on our part may an
noy those who have it in their power to
defeat our purposes. Besides, if the
men from the Northern Yards cannot
accomplish this object it is evidence that
there is strong pressure against its &C
complishment, and how unlikely are
we, who are resting under ban, to be
OF service. May not our very presence
there for that purpose lend the enemies
OF our scheme a handle against the
measure?
Rss~ We deem it prudent to warn our
Southern people, the trading portion of
them particularly, against the frequent
rumors of war with which the press of
the North abounds lately. They are
tra6a ap5 cpoo,,lot;o, doJ~.. T.