The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-11-07
From the Argus of August 18th. 1861

ANOTHER STRIKE At Rock ISLAND ARSE
NAL.-The common lsborsrs at the Arsenal
decline to work for $l.44 q day, and declare
that the eight hour law, if it was only in.
tended to reduce the price of . legal days
work, is q fraud upon the laborer. They
demand the price they formerly received,
and they ought to have it.
The Davenport Gazette of this morning
(the l2th,) referring to the strike, some days
ago, says:
"It seems that at that time . committee
waited upon Hon. Hiram Price, and asked
his opinion in regard 10 the intention OF
congress in passing the eight hour law
whether the old wages were to be allowed
under it or not. He told them that the
question of wages was not considered when
the law was passed, therefore it would be
hard to define the intention of congress on
the question of wages. unless the motto
'~'silence gives consent" should be made to
apply to the subject. He advised the men
to 60 to work, labor eight hours each day
accept reduced wages for the present, and
when congress meets present their claims
for the amount withheld under Gen. Scho-
fields decision"
We advise them to do no such thing. In
the first place they cannot support their
families at $l.44 a day. And in the next
place they cant afford to De kept out of .
part of their wages and wait the d~ilatory
motions of congress for the balance, and pay
lobby men all they may get for working up
the Job.
OF course this state of affairs ID not the
fault of Gen. Rodman. He must obey
orders from his superiors. But we repeat
what we have said before, that 1t 10 folly for
any one 10 Washington to fix q uniform rate
for wages on all government works
throughout the United States. 1t can't be
done. The price of labor will be governed
BY supply and demand, and if Gen. Rod
Arsenal, he will nave to offer just such
wages as will bring them.
LArER.-A. 7 o'clock this "Wednesday
morning Gen. Rodmsn, probably in order to
have an excuse for lsborers to work 10
hours, sent word to the stone cutters requir'
ing them to work 10 hours, and giving them
no information as to what pay they should
receive. They asked the privilege of hold
ing q meeting to decide what to do, and
were denied the privilege of holding any
meetings on the Island. They all immedi-
ately quit work and left the Island, holding
a meeting on the grass, on this shore, where
they unanimously adopted a resolution that
they would not work but 8 hours a day, and
would not go to work again until they knew
what wages they were to receive. A COM
mittee was appointed to communicate this
resolution to Gen. Rodman. Their action
was perfectly orderly and respectful, and
was right.
Neither Gen. Rodman, the Secretary OF
War or the President Of the United States,
has any right to require one minute over
eight hours q day. And it is the right of the
men to know precisely what they are to re.
c~eive, before they go to work. Congresshss
enacted that eight hours is a legal days
work on government Jobs, and the Presiden,
has approved the law. These men have
rights under that law, and their rights mus,
be respected. Difference in position, in of
foe or out, deprives them of none of the
rights of American citizens, or of the re-
spect due an American citizen. 1t is the
right of the United States officers TO FIX Just
ssch rates of wages as they please, and it is
the right of the men to accept or reject
them, Just exactly as they please. But it is
not the right of the United States to require
but eight hours for q days work, or to re.
quire any man to work at sll unless he
pleases to do so nor TO require them tc
work without distinctly informing them whst
wages they are to receive.
Eight hours is a days work, on United
States jobs. Let the Secretary of War o,
ecu. Rodusn fix the rates of wages they
propose to pay for q legal days work o
eight hours. The men will soon decide
whether they will accept the prices offered
or not. If the prices are satisfactory, plen
ty of men will offer. If they ore not, the,
such prices will have to be offered as viii
bring the men.
That's the whole story in q nutshell, AM
r the sooner the United States officers ant
agents recognize it, the better will i. be 70
all concerned.
t From the ARGUS of August 18th, 1858.
3 THE arsenal STRIKE ENDED-Gool
y FEELING REsToRED-WoRK TO Re RESUMED
I'VE learn from Richard Lloyd, ESQ.,, lou
r Alderman Lloyd who is superintendent O
stone work at the Arsenal, that, at his re.
quest, q meeting of stone cutters. laborers
. &C., &C., was neld under the trees, on tn,
river bank, just above the Arsenal Bridge
at IL O'Clock this forenoon, 1.-THE 18th a
which he informed them that. ifthey woulo
e resume work, only s hours a day should b
f required, in accordance Nth the lau, ant
that they should receiue such pay, per day
as IS paid an Chicago and st. Louis ; snt
Immediate measures should be taken to as
certain the rates and communicate them /,
the employees at the public works
. After the proposition was discussed, the fol
\ lowing letter was sent to Mr.. Lloyd
, Rock ISLAND, Aug. IA, 1868.
:, To RICHARD LLOYD, ESQ, SURF SroSl
: WORK AL ROCK ISLAND ARsENAL-Deai
8 Sir We take pleasure in informing 20,
8 that we consider your proposition reasons-
= Bile, consequently we accept it.
Respectfully yours,
The STONE CUTTERS.
: We are glad to learn that good feeling il
. restored, and that work is to be resumed
We have never doubted that Gen. Rodmar
would do all he could to preserve amicable
relations between the War Department and
the government employees. And it is
source of pride in us to be able to gay thai
the workmen have conducted themselves
with remarkable propriety and rood man