The workingman's advocate., 1869-05-22


cir God has placed % purely and 90 plerti-
fully on the Swface of the earth, Chi ling
that it win cost him money 70 carry II In
side TO you. He does not care to provide a
steam fan, or large ventilating furnace, n
be can In any way excuse himself from what
shoald be this bOunden daty Of his.
From business point OF view, let US now
examine him: let rs show the part he acts
in the economy Of the coal trade.
ln the first place, he invests the monied
capital. This purchases labor and material
which, COMPOUNDED together, form the coal
mine. As man u business, be will pur-
chase as cheapIy as possible. You sell to
him the bulk Of the labor, for which he, too
often offers YOU bis own price. He does not
at ell times ask you the worth Of your SER
vices. You have been in an uncombined
state, ani you have been bound, In order to
get your bread, 20 accept the terms for IL
you have bad the pr sumption to object, an
other would have taken your place, aud you
would have lain on the shelf We read about
the bundle Of sticks in Esop's Fables, which
could not he broken until the bonds holding
them together were broken, and by taking
them singly it was an easy matter. You
have had no unity in times pad, and you
have represented the nundle scattered the
operator has dealt with you one at a time
you could not resist him thus /; so you have
generally sold your labor At his own offer.
In his dealings in material, the case is a
little different. He 10 asked 50 much for
that, and if the required sum il not agreed
on, the material is held back it still rep
resents its true value in the owners hands.
In due time, comes the produce OF the
mine, which is taken into marlses aud sold.
The greater part Of the produce represents.
labor, aud If the operator, 10 bis anxiety TO
do business when the market is dull, sells At
q reduction, your wages ere reduced to cor
respond. Your wages is his only resort in
this instance, and be reckons on your sab
mission. II you object, you are discharged.
SO be has sold you In the market Without
your consent maybe disposed Of yOu By
a'ction. Yes, all that blood and sweat and
tol ture and life and limb you have invested
IN the production Of that coal, 60 of at the
rap Of the auctioneer's hammer With all
this be tells you be is losing money, and
pulls long serious face but, notwithstand-
ing, with all the losses the martyr suffers,
be still drives bis pair, and pulls at the
small end Of the best quality Of cigar.
lie goes to the market with the story Of
your high wages, and comes to you with the
story u the low market. He thus has two
chances, one 10 an advancing market-the
knowledge Of which be keeps from you
and another in the reduction Of labor. You
are thus at his mercy, If you are without
union, or If you do not act in concert against
bis impOsiliOns
Al the best, the operator is but in reality
an agenl-a privileged one on ascouut OF
bis advanced capital-scting between you
and the market, His own interests will be
his hrst consideration, let him be as honest
as the man Diogenes was looking for. Ii
his true capacity, be is almost indispensable !;
Dot you must keep him in check. | mean
you must look after him, and do not allow
him 20 practice imposition on you. Keeo on
good terms with him at the same time, Gon't
70 against mis- interests. for these are 20
nearly related to yours, as to be almost
blended. Do not blame him 100 much for
the past, or be embittered against bin on
account Of past wrongs b1t act 10 concert
With your fellow wOrkmen, and do not let
him take unfair advantage Of you IN future
Spilled milk cannot be gathered Up again,
and it is no use shedding tears over it.
Stick TO your onion IA spite OF all the 0ppO-
sit0u you are likely to meet With, and you
will be ike the bundle Of sticks before allu-
dej to hard 70 break while the bonds bind
ing you to each other are strong. Beware
OF the schemes which your willy enemies lay
for your disrapture.
To sum up, manage your own business;
neither be driven nor led. T. w.
Ashland. Pa, May 1862.