The workingman's advocate., 1872-10-26
CHICAGO DETROIT CNCNNt SATURDAY OCTOBER &C. 1872

! ~ equals, sir. What monstrous absurdity.
4nd, sir, they will make all sorts Of vision
~ and impracticablc demands. Why,
10y Will even 20 - far As TO demand cash
Rrthalr labor, and the right to trade where
~ plsass. just think Of that, sir. The
ting absnrdity Of such q preposterous
mAnd makes me sick, sir and then they
~ work but ten hours per day just
lnk OF that, sir. It's shocking, indeed it
- just imagine these deluded wretch
reading papen and books, going to lee
fes and coacerts. or playing with their
4ives and children, when they should be
I working It's awful. It's horrible"
Z spindle, where did you obtain this
knowlsdge r
"Oh, have seen and read their con-
fstitution.'
Their constitution r (the words issued
Fffom hin mouth as il shot from q catapult),
"a Thought they met last night for the first
time. How can they have constitution
10 -dAyF
4 $50 they did, sir, 30 they did but the
4ovament does not begin here. II began
Estme lncuths ago, in the East, and il rap
f4 spreading all over the country"
WY, IN: = sss1ly sss'sss snd ~! Rel, q.
short time, then suddenly seizing a pen
and sheet If paper, dashed off few hur-
ried lines, and gave them to the clerk to
copy, saying, take that into the shops,
and Discharge all the men that refuse to
sign it. Discharge them at once At once,
| say. This outrageous movement must
lie stamped out Immediately. There is no
time to lose. I'll 90 and see the other en-
ployers."
Stay" said Spindle. "You know"
he continued. I'VE have certain amount
of work to deliver this week and next, OF
lose twenty thousand dollar contract.
We must " slow"
True, replied the other, q take the
paper in now, and let us see how it will
work"
That the reader may better understand
what followed, we will take the liberty to
lay before him, or her, rs the case may be,
copy of the document the men were ask
ed to sign. Here it is i'll all its damning
hideousness
We, ,ChOSe names are hereuI,to attach
I'd, do most soient,Iy affirm that zoe do not
tOtc belong to any dSsOcidttOH Of labor
reHOuI.ced all diisgiInce to 0ng and all slIch
perntciotlS combinations.
The head clerk took the document, first,
to a man who felt confident would sign it.
To this chagrin, the man fatty refused
Sign, or leave the shop" hissed SPIN
die.
Z" Is that the only alternative, asked the
man, speaking very slowly.
There is no other" growled the clerk.
= BE it 50 then, 1 would sooner see my
wife, my babies, much as | love them,
starve, rot and die, than purchase pal
ace, with all its luxuries for them at such
All infamous sacrifice" answered Henry
Trustgood, az he took down his coat and
proceeded to don the seedy, threadbare
garment.
Spindle proceeded to the next he, also,
refused and was discharged. and 80 was
the next, and the next
The clerk changed his plans. He went
to the other end Of the shop, but succeed
ed no better. Even those who had not
joined the union, stimulated by the manly
conduct Of the union men, also refused
A bright idea entered the clerks Opaque
brain He went into Arbyght's berth.
- Mr. Relvason will make you superintend
ent Of all his works if you will sign this
paper.
He held the paper out, but Richard did
not look at it. He looked at Spindle, and
Spindle LETT his berth quite hurriedly.
Thirty men discharged, and no signers.
Spinkle shook nervously. He called the
foreman and whispered in his ear The
foreman left the shop. Spindle kept on
discharying the men.
Suddenly, Mr. Relvason put in an ap-
pearance, and So cunningly and adroitly
did he manage it, that the men supposed
he had Just arrived at the works Seeing
a group Of men talking, earnestly and anx-
iously, in the center Of the shop, Relvason
advanced and asked, with tone of aston
ishment and look Of innocence, why they
were not at work. The men said they were
discharged. Relvason called Spindle, and
Spindle came forward with very sheep
lsh, troubled face. Relvason snatched the
paper and scanned it slowly, then said per-
emtOrily.
Spindle, who told you to do this n
The clerk was staggered completely He
had no calculated upon such bold coup
de main a that
The employer eyed him fercely. He
was used to being eyed fercely, and in the
present instance il had the effect Of bring
ing him to his senses. He stammered out,
=" thought you wanted it done, sir.
Relvason tore the paper to pieces and
told the men to 20 to work The clerk
skunk out Of the shop. The men set up
cheer, returned to work and SO the matter
ended-that is, in the shop. In the Office
there was another scene, all Of which the
reader will be spared except these words by
Relvason
1--WE have been baffied twice. 1t is use
less to try to fight these men from our
standpoint. There is power here, never
developed before. We mnst use strata
gem. (He should have said fraud). We
must find out where they stand. We are
striking in the dark"
When man seeks toperform an act which
he fears to have weighed in the scales Of
public opinion, lie wraps himself in the
invisible shroud Of one-half dead world
and in the black murderous obscurity Of
night does that winch he dare not even
think aloud in the light Of day Murder
ers, thieves, conspirators, tyrants- ab-
normal humanity, lay their plans, do their
bhghting work when nature lies in dreamy
reTOse, when bats, owls and toads conspire
to make natures sabbath what it is, ghost
ly, awe-inspiring, hideous night
Alvan Relvason was tyrsnt. The men
whom he wished to degrade and enslave,
were up in arms in defence of heritage
given BY God, jeopardized by a man.
Twice the man was defeated, because the
men had used the weapons the God had
given them to defend the heritage He gare
them. The man now determined to rob
them Of their weapons The design was a
dark, bold one, one requiring for its
accomplishment the thick gloom Of Hecate' 3
sOmbre day.
Nine O'Clock that night Relvason's car
riage stopped before a low, dark, wretch
edly mean looking shanty, 1--WE will call it
q shanty, for we know of no more appica-
knv,r \ in r IL.