The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-02-05
FROM OHIO.

y SEEKER AFTER TRUTH.
FROM OHIO.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan'y. 25th, 1870.
To the Editor OF the woRKnGxAHs ADVOCATE.
In looking over the columns Of the
last issue Of the WoRKINGMAN's AD-
voCATE, | find that there was a notice
given in reference to the Cigar Makers
strike at Cincinnati, Ohio. Since the
above notice was given, the Executive
Board of the international Union
deemed it expedient to have the Presi-
dent and Vice-President of the Interna-
tionaI Union to so to Cincinnati, and
investigate the cause Of the strike, and
if possible bring the union and their
employers to an amicable understand
ing. I send you a synopsis Of Mr..
John w. Levine's (the International
Vice-President) speech, which will give
the many readers Of the ADVOCATE an
idea of how matters stand there now:
THE CIGAR MAKER' SrRIKE.-MEET1NG
AT WORKMEN's HALL YESTERDAY
AFTERNOoN.-RRLlRF FROM THE
INTERNATIONAL UNION NEAR AT
/ HAND.
The meeting was called to order at
2 o'clock by Mr.. John Walters, and ON
motion that gentleman was made per
manent Chairman Of the meeting.
Mr.. L. Benjamin and Cottlieb Tres
cher were chosen Vice-Presidents, and
Messrs- Earis and HOnhauser were
chosen Secretaries.
| When the organization of the meet
ing had been perfected, Mr.. F. Blend,
President of the Union, introduced Mr..
John Lavine, Vice-President of the In
ternational Union, of Ottawa, Illinois, as
the first speaker.
! Mr.. Lavine said he was pleased to see the
meeting so largely attended It would be ne
cessarY for him, before proceeding to the most
important topic at present under consideration,
to give his hearers q synopsis OF the history Of
organization of labor unions throughout the
world Some City years ago, 10 England, in
Ireland and in other countries existed tyranny.
That tyranny vas oppressive and obnoxious TO
those who labored for q livelihood, and in the
course Of time the obnoxious and tyTannIcAl
capitalists came 70 oppress the men who labor
ed for them in such q manner that they were
forced to resist the encroaehments upon their
independence, and resort TO the formation of
labor unions for protection. Nine -tenths cf the
men who organized the unions then formed did
% TO resist the enc roachments Of capital upon
their rixhs. Men never engaged in a large
strike unless il TO resis; a reduction Of what
I.L-- = q
days work fairly rendered
All laboring men belonging to protective
unions knew that il WAS the aim Of capitalists
to create dissension among them, and TO enc0ur-
age all sorts Of difference Of opinion 10 order
that their organizations would be weakened and
made pOwerless to pc with those who thought
themselves the masters Of the working class If
they could only destroy the understanding exist
ing between laboring men, they would be able to
do with them just what they pleased. But since
the org lnizAtiea of the first labor union, they
had been uniformly unsuccessful ia their at
tempts to rob the laboring men Of their strength
by creating schsms in their unions When
Calico brought fIrWard his theory that the
world reVolved, the powers that were deemed
the idea toe enlightened for the ignorant
masses and 20 check inquiry on their part in
regard to the great truth promulgated by the
grand old philo 1Opher, made him swear, or pain
of DEATH that that which he claimed to have dis
covered was false But the old MAJ on his
Bonded knees, still declared that the earth moves
So it would be with the laboring men Tney
would be suppressed and prosecuted by capital
until thew stood united as one man.
In this strike they we're uDited-the Uaion
and the non Union cigar makers we're hand 10
hand and heart TO heart for their rights.
Mr.. Lavine said that he and the other officers
of the International Union who are here had
come With full determination to accomplish
something for their fellow Workmen in this city.
Their frss official duty was TO wait upon the
EMPLOYERS They saw the bosses, and said to
them that the had learned with alarm of the
serious difficulty existing between the employers
and their servants, and were anxious to do some
thing to heal the breach between them. They
i told them that If they deemed it expedient the
, Union mn would like them to appoint com
mittee e. cOafer with a similar committee Of the
cigar makers, 70 arrange some mode whereby
, the two contendng elements might come to an
. amcable settlement of their points of difference.
! The ma ufacturers agreed to appoint such com.
! mittee and did 80. Tho two committees came
together and had q conference. Neither side
} proposed any terms Of a settlement bota re-
: manned 6Im in the positions they had taken, and
so no progress had been made toward an adjust.
: ment Of the difficulty.
|, The employers asserted that the men refused
7 TO work tor them &C reuucuOn OF Two 0OllArS
q Der thousand and dem 4nded their old wages,
unjustly, as they assert, because the manutac
turers were forced TO cut down expenses, owing
!. 70 the reduction which they hal to make ia
their prices. They claimed that every commo
J. dity had been reduced in price, and that they
2 had to conform with :he reduction Labor
would, as a natural consequence, have to fall.
> Was this 80 Had any employer in Cincinnati
reduced the price of his cigars in the last year
0 He said no.
G The bosses claimed that they deem ID it Deces
sary for the safety of business, that the wages
r of their employees should b. cut doWn two dol
4 lars per thousand. That was not their object.
D There were some establishments in the city pay
e ing the old prices, and willing to continue
I them but those manufacturers who hid agreed
upon the reduction had passed a resolution in
structng them, rs members Of their orgsniza-
ton, TO adopt their bill Of prices, and dsch rye
4 every man who would not work at the prescrib-