New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-27


rights. Tho power developed by combination may
be abused. like any other power but LABOR Is heip
less and prey without 1t. L hoid thereIore' Cna'
Trades Unions and similar cOmpacts, though Often
abused, have on the whole. effected signal good;
that Labor is. to-day better paid, and its rights
better secured than they otherwise would or could
be- But all this is smoke to the eyes and vinegar
TO the nose" of the Free Traders whose fundamental
principle it impugns whose entire philosophy 1t con-
tiicts with. Hence, Prof Perry is impelled to say
that
THE guilds of the Middle Ages, and the Trades
Unions of our own day, examples of voluntary as
sOcatOns for the sake purpose OF regulating inc
wages of their members 10y combined action; Inc re-
strictions in the old guilds limiting the number OF ap
prentiCes to each artisan determining the time man
should serve before he could become master. anu
so on were very onerons, and have mostly passed
away. The Trades Unions of this country nave
never been very popular or successful The PRINTERS
Union in the principal cities has inst been dSs9lNeu
omy which is the spirit OF freedom, IS sgqns SucH
associations for such purposes. If any man has ser
vice 10 render, let him offer it freely ana make the
best terms he can with whoever wants It."
This is undoubtedly the dictate OF Free Trade
but the Laboring Glass dissents from and will never
agree to it, 1t knows that whatever there may be of
improvement in its condition has been achieved by
standing shoulder to shoulder. and regarding the
interest of each member as the interest of the Whole
class and il will not consent to dsarm and dlsband
in the face of antagonists which stand ready to
take advantage of its disOrdered ranks in tho future
as they have done in the past. 1t may sometimes
abuse the might it has evolved through COmbina-
ton; but it can never afford to discard the instru-
mentality and defnitivey renOunce the power.
VII Co5peration-the organization of workmen
into bodies capable of selling their OWE labor or
its product by Wholesale, and fairly dividing or
allOttng its proceeds-of consumers to purchase in
gross whatever they may require and divide or APP
portion at the least possible cos-seems to be the
step next ahead in the industrial and social progress
of the civilized world. Considering how protIacted
how arduous how costly, has been the struggle to
overthrow an abuse so fragrant Slavery, we ought
not to expect that this will be accomplished in one
generation, or in two and yet deem its ultimate
success inevitable. The economies 10 be realized
through OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES in rent or house
rOom in fuel, in the first cost of provisions in
the preparation of food, in medical service, &C. &c
are vast and pervading, that do not see how
rational, intelligent beings long resist or fail to
secure them Let suppose that one thousand
heads of families were firmly banded, under officers
implicitly trusted and fully worthy of their trust,
with view to the most effective employment of their
labor and the economical outlay of their means
so that of their number should purchase for cash
at wholesale all that was required to satisfy their
to finding employment and making contracts for
their labor; third sought out and bargained for
the premises best adapted to afford them the re-
Qured houseroOm on the most favorable terms; and
only the number needed were employed in trans
forming animals into meat grain into flour OF bread.
and reducing every article purchased TO the condition
most conducive TO the satisfaction of their various
needs-every one being required only to before
spending and to defray his just proportion Of the
common outlay-whO can fully realize the vast econ
Omies, both of time and means, that would thus lie
securedf Suppose some member of this combina-
ton should be allotted, through the imperfect work
ing of the machinery five to ten per cent less than
his righteous due he must still receive much
than he now does secure that his casual loss
would be swallowed up in his far exceeding and en-
during gain 1t must he that the more intelligent
and capable portion of the LabOTiDg Glass is prepared
OF preparing to realize economies vast and so pal
pable and that few years elapse before the des
TIMES Of the Laboring Glass will be nodded, its de-
pendence on more favored classes weakened |
and its circumstances vastly improved, by sys-
tematic, pervadng Cooperation. After that stage
in it's progress shall have been attained feel sure
that its contributions 10 the support of the liquor
seller the professional gambler, and the purveyors
to vicious appetites generally, will be inmeasurably
less considerable than they have been.
management and waste of all kinds, the most
gigantic of its material caamities theee two:
Lack of industrial training on the part of at least
twenty-five per cent Of its boys and fifty to seventy
five per cent of it's girls; lin good part consequent
on the former) Lack of employment for those who
should be, and most of them would be, at work If
work were proffered them. Though we have perhaps
as slight proportion of habitua chronic idlers
any other people, yet our loss from ideness alone
tvery much Of il involuntary must amount 10 humid
reds of millions Of dollars per annum-far more than
our average annual losses by flood and fire, by
frost and drouth, by storm and wreck and by
every other description Of physical calamity, And
idleness is too often hereditary disease the vagant
or strolng beggar of age perpetuating and in
creasng his kind in the Migrants and beggars Of the
next TwO-thirds of our vast and eveT-incTeasing
array of feons is recruited from the ranks of those
bred to idleness and unfamiliar with any department
of productive labor. Among the most urgent OF our
needs is that of Industrial Education for all and
this is in part met by multiplication and diversif
cation Of pursuits giving employment to a wider
range of tastes and capacities, and drawing more
and more into the walks of systematic industry by
proffering more varied indictments thereto II il
seemed more profitable to devote all our energies to
tlng the soil, that seeming would he fallacious.
because olivous of the need of great diversity of
pursuits 10 educe diverse capacities and ncite
as well as employ varied aspirations and facul
ties Industry is the better part Of the education Of
a majority of mankind, and its mutiform lessons
should be commended and brought home to each
and all.
TX Labor and the Skill thence resulting Herewith
combined being the only property and means Of live
lihood of large portion OF the community Govern
ment should be as solictOus and as vigant for its
due Protection as for that of any other individual
Property. To this end, Patent and Copyright laws