The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-06-19
MAI ORITY REPORT
oF THs
WORKINGS OF TRADES UNIONS F!
OBJECTS OF TRADES UNIONS, AND
METHOD OF ATTAINMENT.


LAhNA'
ABUSES OF COMBINATION.
POWER OF COMBINATION LIABLE TO ABUSE.
los We d. not con nceal from ourselves
that power Of voluntary combination, such
as we have proposed for stnetion, is liable
10 abuse The cOn.ci 4-ness of possessing
such power Will 10 doubt sometimes lead
workmen to insist on unreasonable demands,
10 which the employer rather than undergo
the loss and inconvenIenee Of a stOVpage Of
bis works. viii bt induced temporarily %
submit. il may BE- 10 toe ruin, ultimately, Of
all biz prospect IN life, # ne be a person Of
small capital with heavy engagements on bic
bands.
INFLUENCE oF UNIONS on RATE OF WAGES
(66.) But this il not aIways the cbarac-
ter o. The strikes; and although it IL true
that ultimately ana permanently the rate Of
wages must be governed by the law Of de
maud aud supply Of lsbor, il is also true
that trades unions may have, and there
seems good reason 60 believe that Of late
years they have had some influence m bring
ing 40 wages 10 that rate more speedily than
ofherwise they would have attained 70 it.
Tue estimate Of tht ir Influence in this re-
spect has DO cotbt been much exaggerated.
INyuDiCI0Us ExEECIsE or POwERs - NOT A
GROUND FuR WITHHOLDING The RIGHT.
(67.) Many instances have been brought
under oar notice Of III advised strikes, and
. ~ Interference 10 9th er ways by UNIONS Of
woskm3a Ni-h eu.ple yers ia To eir mode OF
carrying on their b siness, resulting in loss
and suh ring both 20 employers and work
men. These, no doubt, are seri Gus evils,
bot they are evils necessarily incident TO
the. exercise Of this kind Of power BY the
working classes and they must, we think,
be left to the correction Of increased expert
ence and growing intelligence. Whether
these evils may be in ,ome1egree alleviated
ty voluntary system Of arbitration, or BY
the institution OF c0ncliiatOry meetings Of
matters and workmen, such as are il exist
euce at Nottingham and IN some oiher
places, is a question which we consider in a
later part Of this report We DO not think
that they form any sufficient reason for
Withholding from the working classes the
riglt Of combining together for conduct ~
their dealings with theiR employers, and OF
striking work in concert when they see ft,
provided that the combination and the
strike are voluntary, and that no contract is
violated, and the rights Of no other persons
are inEeFfered with.
PIcKETING.
(6S.) II has been shown in evidence that
these rights are IN 1st liable to be interfered
With by what is commonly known as the
system Of " pick keting." p.cketing consists
in posting III embers Of the union at all the
approaches TO the works struck against, for
the purpose Of observing and reporting the
SOrkmen going TO or coming from the works, /,
aud Of using such influence as may be in their
power 20 prevent the workmen froEa accept
ing work there.
LIABLE TO ABUSE.
(69) ID is alleged that instructions are
given 10 the pickles to cOnEine themselves
70 a mere representation of the case of the
union promoting the strike, and to use argu-
ment and persuasion only, without resorting
% violence, intimidation, or under coercion.
Bur although such instructions may be Civ
en-, u Is hardly in human nature that the
pickets, who are interested parties, and who
are SOLDERING the pTivations incident to the
strike, should always keep within the fair
limits Of representation and persuasion.
when dealing with men whom they see about
70 undeI take the work which they nave re-
fused, and ghO may thus render the strike
abortive- Accordingly, experience Sd
and the evidence before u leaves no doIbt
1 on our minds, that during TIE existenoe of a
strike, wOrkmen desirou- to accept work are
aften subjected, through the agency OF the
sickets 70 molestgiion, Intimida ion, and
0fter nudes u undue infnenc-, and 10 ef
fec' are prevented from obtaining employ
menE.
GROUNDS OF oBJECTIoN THERETO.
(70) So far as relates TO members Of The
unlon proDoting the strike, the pickeEs can
nOt he necessary if the members are volun-
tarily concurring therein; 81 far as relates
workmen who are nos members OF The
union, picketng i'm lie- 10 rrneiple and in-
reference withtheit right to dispose Of th eir
labor they think dc and is, therefore.
without justification ami far As relate.
10 The employ or. it j. violation or bis right.
Of tree resort to thJ labor market for the
supply of sucn labor as be requires.
LONDON TAhoRs' STRIKE, 1867. CHARGE OF
NIX BARON BRAAwELL.
(I The abuses t. which the system OF
I picketIng leads were made evident in a re
markable manner in the case Of the London
taiiors' strike in the spring If the ear lS6T Z
Y when proceedings were instituted agaInS,
some of the men who had taken an active
Z part as pickets, or IN organizing the system
Y The result Of these proceedings vas numer.
GUS committals BY the metropolitan police
magistrates, and finally the trial, on August
%, before Mr, Baron Bramwell in the Cen
i tFal Criminal Court, Of several Of the leader.
I OF he operative tailors' union, who were
fon0d guilty Of conspiring. The fact is,thai
| pickets, wnilst attempting to keep within
the law "a to the outrage and intimidation
a. the representatives Of the better conduct.
ed unions state that the pickets are instruct.
ed to do, may almost as eaectuslly work or
the fears of the timid, either directly ol
through the female members Of their fami
lies. and prev ent them from exercising their
free-w in the disposal Of their labor, as il
they threatened violence; and in this way
the influence 50 exercised becomes tyranny
OF the worst sort. The charge delivered hy
iar. Bramwell on the occasion above referred
70 appears to Us TO be Of such general i'm.
portance that we think it right TO print it il
f0ot-note below.