New-York tribune., 1871-04-24

TWO ASPECTS or THE L1BOh VCHoiiO''
Our columns on Saturday presented two
aspects of the labor question worthy Oh
more than passing notice. Some Scranton
miners. tired of the long period OF idleness
through which they have been forced to pass,
and urged by the necessities OF families de-
pendent on them for daily bread accept an
offer of employment from the operators, ana
enter the mines. The majority OF their COM
panons, members of union known as
benevolent Association choose to continue
in idleness, hoping thereby to obtain larger
wages when they begin work. SO far the lat
ter are right, and only their own ends can
prosper or suffer, as the case may be, by their
action But they believe it contrary to their
own interests to allow any miner 10 WORK
So these working miners are ordered TO cease |;
their lives and property are Threatened IL they
do not; and American wOrkingmen, In the
name of Benevolence, prevent through selfish
motives, their brethren from earning their
needed bread. IL the w. B. A. denies the
charge the only response necessary -. lou
"could prevent such violence if you would"
In another column of the paper recording
this oppression we printed the lecture OF
workingman. He also was an advocate OF OPP
preston to workingmen. An industrious race
from over the sea, he complained, was enter
ing the profitable avenues OF trade III Callior-
mia. The intelligent white man was giving
way before him. The best work yielded read
lily to his skill, and the time was predicted
when, unless preventive means were employed,
Chinese workmen will be the motive power
of labor ali over the States. And what was
the prevention to be7 Honest competition
Intelligence against paganismf NO. The
formation of league to prevent the landing
of Chinese on our shores
Ii is time for the American wOrkingmans to
stop and think. He processes to be free
man in free country. Yet he is acting the
tyrant and unwilling to accept the result
White laborers were willing to work III Scran-
ton on Saturday, and white labOrers prevented
them. The same circumstances occurred
year ago at North Adams, and what was the re-
sult7 Employers, finding white labOrerS
powerless to enter their shops because of the
threats of their white brethren, brought on
these hated Chinese, who, with all their pagan
ideas and feline appetites, soon solved the
problem of strike over which white mems
reason had no power.
such problems as the troubles at Fall River
and Scranton present. We know that employ
ers will be unjust; we know the power of cor
porations is not always on the side Of right.
But we oppose despotism of any kind, and
under any name IL three thousand miners
choose to remain idle and three miners choose
to work, there is no power within the
limit of justice to prevent either from
carrying out their wishes. When these Scran-
ton Unionists see a line of Cinnamon filing
into the mines, their outcry will be loud
one. Yet when they ask the reason of their
appearance the only reply will be. You
would neither work yourselves nor permit
"other white men TO work. And labor must
ego on"
We are not discussing here the aspects of
the coal strike in itself But when laborers,
in or out of the name of Union, as an act of
benevolence or otherwise, threaten the lives OF
men who want to work while they themselves
stand idle, we say-You are working out your
own destruction. The Cinnamon cometh.