The Montana post., 1869-01-08
STRIK ES.


for the suppression of wages. No man will
be allowed to work until the terms are COM
piled with-S60 per month.
BY order of the
MINERS LEAGUE.
Miners will notice in another part of this
paper notice warning all men from inter
feriny with the strike now going forward in
the UnionvIlIe mines. The causes which led
to this strike and to the formation OF a MI
ner's League, we will briefly explain. There
has existed for some time tacit understand
ing between Mr.. Hodge, agent of the Union
No. 2, and Mr.. Tatem, agent of No. 3. that
by "A close combination and playing into each
Others hands they could control two or three
hundred men, and do with them as they
pleased. On Christmas eve they promulgated
an order that any man not on hand Saturday
would be discharged, which many of them
were. Workingmen have been for some time
past at those mines treated little better than
slaves, which treatment many had TO submit
To in consequence of being broke. A man
could not stop off one day without asking
leave of the agent, on pain of being dis
charged. Men brooding on these thing, cul-
minated on New Years day IN general holt
day without asking leave. The result of this
j. that the agent cut short our already small
wages $40 per month 70. daring To think for
ourselves. We have now struck in our turn,
and have entered into n league to protect
ourselves from any further acts of tyranny,
worthy only the age OF SluNeTls anu NOT 70
be planted in this free Montana. We there
fore appeal to all liberty-loying people to
assist US in dispelling this compact of capital
against labor, and keep monopolies from
crushing poor men.
THE MINERS LEAGUE.
No one interested in the welfare of
Montana will read the above without
regret. 1t is the Inauguration of strife
between capital and labor an asserted
oppressive combination on one hand-a
declared hostile one on the other. From
the published notices and such informa-
tion as we can obtain, there is fault on
both sides. There is still time for de-
liberation and the avoidance of that
overt conflict between employer and EN-
ployee. which must be. hs il ever has
been, injurious TO each. The refusal of
the companies, if such there was. to
give their laborers Christmas and New
Years as holidays, is wholly indefensi~
BILE. They are recognized as legal holi~
days, and worthy custom has established
them as days of cessation from toll,
when the laborer may have rest and
recreation. To insist upon men laboring
on those days. except in cases of actual
necessity or in their falling to do so asses
sing a fine of$ 10 on each is. if not tyranny.
at least rigorous exaction and an impru.
cent, unnatural exercise of power. Gus
tom, habit and law have educated men
10 regard their observance as their priv
ilege and right, and to impose penalty
for celebrating them is an infliction cal.
culated to incite animosity and destroy
that community of feeling which should
exist between the employer and the EN-
ployee that their mutual interests may
be promoted. On the other hand, the
notice of the Miners League that mo
man will be allowed to- work until the
terms are complied with-$60 per
month, is unlawful, criminal in letter
and in spirit, and sad misstep.
Labor is a commodity-it is the work.
ing mans capital. Its price, as any
other commodity, is regulated by supply
and demand. The money of the mine
owner is his capital, and he, using it to
procure labor, at whatever rates he may.
the combination that assumes TO forbid
them that right and place an arbitrary
restraint upon others, is beyond the
bounds of law and order. Free labor
has ever reserved TO il the right to limit
as to time, and in the absence of
contract, to quit whenever desirable.
1t has too, an equal voice and influ-
ence with capital in fixing wages, be-
cause labor is as requisite to the purpos-
es of capital as capital is to labor. They
should be cooperative in sentiment and
sympathy as they are in physical effect.
if the highest interests of all would be
subserved. Combinations by either, on
general principles, tend to excite distrust
and ALLEVIATE il from the other. Employ
ees may individually or collectively es~
tablish a certain price for which they
will labor and no less; but the employer
has assuredly the same right to decline
paying those rates. Then, if coercion is
used TO compel labor at the employers
rates, or TO prevent others from accepts
ing them. it is an attempted exercise of
despotic power, which neither our laws,
the spirit of our institutions, or the SEM
iment of the people will sustain 1t is
better then that temperate considera-
ton should govern all parties. and If
mutual concession is necessary, grant it
rather than TO waste time ia idleness.
while the mills stand silent aud the days
glide by that would bring dollars to the
miners. fdebate or obstinacy is per-
mitted to irritste vindictiveness.an and nur-
ture the impulsive passions that have
found expression, il will bring evil to
all. Eventually thers will be calm judg
uent and concession. and it had better
L L. Il L.