The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-01-20
Co-oPER4TIYE PARrNERsHIPs.
HOW TO FORM AND RUN THEM.

City-The Joarncymen Printers and
Tni1ors sAssociations-Hints to Enter
prising Artisans.
1t is an encouraging fact for all Industrial
interests of this country that the working
classes are at length earnestly directing their
attention from protective to cooperative
unions. Both are means. by which labor seeks
to protect itself, the fancied or real enemy in
both cases being capital seeking to get the
most work for the least money. Practically,
the American protective unions are organiza-
tions which have tended 10 produce such an
tagonism and precipitate strikes. Co-opera-
tive unions, rightly conducted, are calculated
to reconcile capital and labor by combining
their interests and thus 10 abolish strikes alto
gcthcr The New York Tribune, in the course
of an interesting article reviewing the rise
and progress Of the cooperative system among
the workingmcn, says:
The great defect of the Protective Unions
has been the fact that they have been aggres-
sive and expensive, therefore, unwse organ
izations. They have maintained at heavy ex-
nothing Where the Unions have succeeded
in enforcing their demands it has been but
for u time; the submission or compromises
OF the employers have been but tempo
rary, and the struggles have been liable to
renewal at any moment. The Iron Moul-
ders' Union-one Of the strongest on this
continent-spent during and since the war
over million and a half dollars in con-
ducting strikes for higher wages without
effecting anything of practical value. The
cooperative associations of the various trades
are proving, on the contrary, to be defen-
sive and profitable unions; not only saving
the money formerly spent In useless strikes,
ence of the Iron Moulders-of which more in
future articles--fully prove this, as does also
the success of the associations named below,
Their tendency is to prevent strikes. 1t will
be powerful argument in favor OF strikers IN
the future to point to capitalists who refuse
their demands on the ground that they can
not afford the required advance In wages, to
successful cooperative unions without large
capitals voluntarily paying the demand. There
can be no stronger argument advanced than
such an illustration; and we hope to see many
of them in this country.
A great deal of matter has recently been
published in this country relative to the sue
cess of the cooperative establishments In Eng
land, France and Germany. This material has
theoretical character, and OF little value TO
practical men. The consequence Is that for
the lack of practical knowledge OF these enter
prises the laboring classes have not engaged
with zeal in similar schemes. The United
States is considered by men who have long
been engaged in cooperative movements
abroad, rs wider and freer, and in every
sense a better field for cooperation than in
Europe, but IL Is as yet the least Cleaned OF
them all. We propose nothing further IN re-
gard TO the theory OF corporations; the simple
nurnosc of all snch schemes Is, or should be,
to combine capital and .labor-making each
laborcr his own employer. Our purpose here Is
to give in such detail us we can gather IL the ex
pcricncc of the only successful cooperative as
sociations in this city for the guidance and en-
couragement oil those who are contemplating
similar schemes. We are sorry to say that
these details are not perfect and full. 1t Is
the consequence OF a strange and lll-dehncd
but nevertheless very strong Jealousy existing
among workingmen. The working classes, as
q rule, are the last to give their support 10 the
established cooperative establishments; anu
speak of all such enterprises not only In doubt
inc but contemptuous terms. On the other
hand, we have found that, with few eXcep-
tions, those pccuniarily interested In co-opera-
tlon have been unwilling to give information
which would serve to enlighten others $50
the proper steps to be taken In forming and
imagine why such feelings should exist; we DO
not attempt to explain their existence, but to
note them rs weak point In their organlzar
ton which the laboring men ought to mend.
The most prosperous of the cooperative as
socations of the country are not IN New YORK
City; indeed, the $4,000 or 10000 members OF
the trades unions OF this city have been lar
less active than those of other cities. The
iron moulders, clothing cutters, builders, car
pentcrs and others are at present organizing
associations on the cooperative principle, bnt
the only ones in New York which may be call
ed successful are the journeymen printers, at
No. IGG William street, and the jolrneymen
taiors, at Fourteenth street and Third avenue.
JouRNEYMES PRINTERS COOPERATIVE AssocIA-
TIoN.
Mr.. John Vincent, formerly compositor In
the Tribune office, and at present foreman IN
sthe Citizen composing room, was the Original
tor of the ASSOCIATION, ut No. lGG William
street, the most successful OF the three co-opc-
rativp establishments among printers In the
country. One OF these is In Philadelphia, the
other in Chicago; bOMl are younger than the
New York association, and little Is KNOWN.
We shall he glad to hear more 0l their success.
The New York establishment was Indirectly
the result of the failure of q strike. In 1851
Mr.. Vincent was one OF the many thrown ot
of employment by that failure, anu repaired 10
Boston, where. shortly after, he was again lett
idle by the failure the second general strike
in the newspaper offices. The strikers at the
time were anxious to get q statement express
ing their views OF the differences between
publishers and printers before the public;
and, being offered the use OF vacant Office Tor
that purpose. several printers set mp, printed
and published u circular, setting forth, III
strong terms, the grievances OF the strikers.
The circular attracted attention, and commit
tees from various trades unions IN boston
waited upon the printers and offered them pc
cuniary aid if they would continue to publish
the circular in the form of weekly paper, to
be the organ OF the Boston Workingmen'S
Unions, embracing and representing all trades.
Arrangements were at once made; the o1hce
and material were rented; thirteen OF the
strikers formed 4 cooperative partnership. IN
which their labor was their only capital, and
paper, called The Boston Voice, was at once
issued by them. No job work was obtained,
nor indeed solicited, rs the material which
they possessed was exclusively that OF news
paper office. The thirteen Involuntary co-ope-
ratives made a respectable living ont OF the
Office; but the great difficulty in tile way oil
success was the want OF capital, and at the
close of the year the paper died, and the en-
tcrprisc came to an end. The profits were
nothing; the labor of the associates had not
even been paid for at the regular Union rates.
But each of those engaged in this adventure
came ont of it with the conviction that small
capital and good management was all that was
necessary to the success Of such Il cooperative
scheme.
Mr. Vinccnt was nrobably more firm in this