The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-10-13

.1O.VOf'EFEs .Gv't sT6sEhEs.
IL rs pretty well understood by the mass OF
the people that stupendous strike has oxist ed
in the coaI-minnS district1 OF Pennsylvania,
during tho past winter winch materially Gu
hanced the price Of tina necessity Tor every
iircside in the great cities Of thc republic, and
which has borne most heavily Oh tho poorer
class That strike 10 sLill lii progress, and las,
| like the avalanche, increased IA magnitude rs
| it progressed, until the situation has become
most embarrassing one. and surrounded with
many difficulties.
The following remarks from tho Battle Crock
Journal on this important matter. ID commend
cd TO the careful porusal Of tho reader, us III 1T
will be found many suggestions OF value and
which serve to olucidate tins question so full
of difficulties, and which has grown out OF the
stupendous monopolies, which have been Great
Cd by law from time to time even from our
earliest existence AZ a nation. There arc I'M
doubtedly some statements III this article which
we would not have made, but on the other
hand there Is much that 10 good, therefore NO
give 1T entire:
"The strikes OF laborers constantly occurring
in many portions OF tho country eau scarcely
fail to direct the public attention TO question
which is likely to become before long tho Ell
crossing one III our cOuntry-Wo mean the
question whether labor and capital arc both to
be made secure in the enjoyment or perfectly
equal rights and privileges At present 1t ~
obvious that both the capitalist ana the laOorer
seek to possess themselves OF certain al
vantages, the one by the monopoly granted by
unjust legislation, and the other 10y resort 10
! tyrannous combinations. Every intelligent
man can see that largo number ot tho richer
class OF citizens are actually IN possession or
favors conferred upon them by unequoi is"s'
Some OF these favors and perhaps all or them,
have been granted from a real or pretended re-
gard to tho public interest. The monopoly OF
the National Banks, for instance,so far us
\ the liberty OF investment II them ~ hmllod,
they are monopoly-is submitted to WITH tio
moro patience, because they GlVo us staple
| and reliable currency; and yet IL can hardly DO
supposed that sono method VIII not be de-
vlsed to make banking safe and ut the Same
| time free. The immense burden OF the tarlii,
which the country at present rests uhdef, YVES
| imposed largely under the plea o. necessary
taxation, but give rights and privileges to Ger
tam capitalists which everybody can SOC are not
enjoyed by those engaged IN othef industries,
and virtually lays tax upon the great BODY ot
! the people to enrich IaYore0 low. lho pos
SCISSORS and managers or rGIiroad STOCK are DO
coming in nearly every State, M s1ntptrIuHt az
tnpertO-an independent empire within the
government-and are able to control not only
| the prices OF everything WINCH the people buy
and sell by the regulation or freghte but even
| to direct the entire COmmercGl legislation OF
the people to their own benefit.
In Wow Of those facts wb arc not surpris-
| ed at the multiplication or labor strikes, III all
parts OF the land. Monopoly granted TO the
capitalist must inevitably lead 10 what would
otherwise DO an improper combination on the
part OF the aborer. The proprietors OF the
coal and iron mines and the railroads rod the
people under the pretenso OF protecting indus
trial interests, aud then turn and obhge the
| aborer to work for about half the remunera-
ton which ne ought to receive. And yet II you
should go to these laboreIs and ask them 10
! aid in putting down this monopoly by any prac-
ticable method, ten chances 10 one, they would
array themselves on the side or then Cypress
OFFS. They arc made TO believe that tGi1iIB and
monopoes exist for tbeir benefit, ana on cloc-
ton day themselves create the necessity for
their own strikes, by keeping the monopoilsts
in power. The PennsylYauIa minors Will vote
to pay fifty per cent more thap they ought FOR
nearly every article they buy leaving their
wages entirely at the mercy OK their employers,
and when starvation stare5 them IN the face,
they refuse to work OF 10 permit aay ore else
TO work.
1t cannot be long before the people every
where will insist upon the freedom or labor
from the restraints now imposed upon 1T by
the various monopolies granted TO certain IN
vestments OF capital The laws should give
everybody an caIlai Chance to dispose or his
labor or OF it's proceeds ana should see that
nobody posses q single exclusive privilege.
Protection should then be afforded against
those unlawful combinations which interrupt
industry and hinder the wiling laborer from
earning his daily bread Let the law maker
crush every monopoly OF every klnd, amt then
provide for the condigu punishment OF every
man who says to his felloWmau thou shalt not
work, even II thou starve.