The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-04
Pine Must.

History nnd public defamation are full OF
Illustrations in regard TO the influence of small
things. The pulpit and tho rostrum will not
let us forget that break in tho dam from u
neglected leak; that discovery of gravita-
ton from falling apple; that improvement
OF the steam engine by the device of luzy
apprentice. The cornerstone of John
Quincy Adams fame was laid when .'in bib
''and tucker" he proclaimed to the sons OF
the Pilgrims that
''Grcat streams from little fountains flow;
Great oa&s from little ncorns grow"
When he announced this profound principle
to Massachusctts-thi rich truth "marriod
ito immortal verse; Mt once
determined to make that wise little fellow
| President, SO soon us he should come of arc
| According to The Nation, the labor move
ment which now agitates the whole country
had Il similarly unprctendng and humble ori-
GIN As Massachusetts aspires to rule the
country, the shocmakers aspire TO rule the Old
Bay State. Labor reform, rs il is called.
owes its inception, or ut least its renewal
TO "thc Knight Of ST. Crispin"-a secret
oath-bound society, which, in that State,
mcnaces the public order and security, like
The foot of the savage which Crusoe found
upon the sand Of his sca-girt realm. Only
III the present case the invading foot is
ca5od In n brown paper sole and split
leather upper. The st. Crispins have an S.
X. and X, and F. S. and an X. S. and
G. S, and II L. and 4 U. and an a. u, and
All !. ,. and an D. Sin word, Il full COM
pencnt OF Algebraic digniiaric5 They
have resolved that no one shall learn to
| make shoes without the consent OF tho Or
! der, unless he shall be the son Of II shoe
maker. Ihey nvow the intention Ito pro-
event too many people from learning the
trade" When this society applied for i'll
corporation TO the Massachusetts I.erisla-
turc, and the charter was refused, the labor
reform agitation began. They Indignantly
proclaimed that tho servants of the public
had thrown out n workingmcn's petition.
They turned out en- anasSe in Buffers dis
trlct, nominated their candidates on the
labor ticket, polled fifteen thousand votes,
and returned from twenty to thirty labor
members to the Legislature. And Massa-
cllusetts, having thus taken out her pocket
handkerchief, the whole country sneczes,
''as in duty bound"
The attempt in this case is not to guard
The laborers from oppression, but TO create
medieval guild-to discountenance appren-
tices and magnify the wages Of labor by
lessening the number OF laborers. The re-
fusal of the Legislature to allow n labor
caste to be established, led TO the establish
mcnt OF the ''workingmcn's platform" Tho
Republican organ TO which we have referred
says: eve scr no conceivable reason why
''the same manGuyring may not he repeated
Sin every State Of the Union, and why it is
mot established that very dangerous party,
'caplhle of exercising all enormous innu-
''ence for evil OH the future OF the country,
'has not Sprung up almost without our
''knownS it. II the laboring population OF
the country can really DO induced without
''any cause whatever, to band itself together
''aSanss the rest OF the community, we
"havc reached serious pass" This is bold
and honest speaking, and none the less val
liable because it comes from the lending Re
publican journal of tho United States.
In the relations Of labor and capital, the
law OF demand and supply is as supreme as
III any other department OF secular life. La
bor docs not need any dignitaries in initials,
or bishops in 7'a'ii6us. The essential need
for the prosperity Of the workingmau-a fair
days wages for 4 fair days work-cannot be
supplied by the caste OF Brdhma or the lam
tern of Guy Fawkes. What we should seek
for, is good understanding between the
employer and the employed; and then fair
field and no favor.
mi,