Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-10-22
"THIMOs HOPED FOR"
opera House. Last Evening.
The Capitalists view of the Labor Question.

If the large audience which gathered at the
Opera House, last evening. is indicative OF any
thing other than he personal popularity of Miss
Anna E. Dickinson, it ia revival of interest in
lectures in Wilmington. When we remember
the elm audiences Of last season, it is really en-
couraging to note the apparent interest with
which this season opens The Opera House was
moderately well filled, and the lecturess WAS LIS,
tened to with rapt attention, and the clear and
lucid exposition Of her views often provoked ap'
plause.
was the basis OF new lecture which was deliv-
cred last evening, for the first time. Ii treats
wholly Of the Labor Question, and may be re-
garded as an elaborate defence OF the Capita
| ist against the demands of Labor Retormer-,
- of WoTkingmen themselves a. eanst tho
policy of labor strikes. Dividing Society into
| three classes-the brain-workers, the hand
workers and the idlers-she proceeded to det-
milton OF the latter class, after subdiSislon.of
| il into the idle rich aud the idle poor, shown
| their influence and the sphere which they tille,.
| in the world around them While the former
were a cheek upon the wheels of progress. the
latter were prolific source OF pauperism and
| crime.
Passing on to further consideration Of the
| labor question, she cited the evils which arise
/ from strikes aud their effects upon both the
| employer and employed, relating instances
/ which bad come under her own observation
One instance was that Of a ship builder who had
| allowed his workmen to set their own wages,
preparatory to sending in his bids for contracts,
| Dasing his estimates upon the rates established
| by them, and allowing himself only margin OF
| 10 per cent. for profit Soon strike
began, and he yielded per cent, or one
half his profts. Another WAS ordered,
and when lie attempted to eXpostulate,
showing that their demand, il complied
| with would take away all his profits. he was in-
-. - 81 gRs.N
of his employees, and lodged only in the Trades
Union. Upon seeking the officers OF this, all
propositions were rejected, even that to assign
his books to trustees, for the benefit of the
workmen. As result, his business was broken
| up and his character bankrupted Another IN
| stance was that OF a printer at Lancaster, Pa,
who had taken contracts in similar manner,
| and when his workmen struck, he went 10 the
case and worked himself, day aud night IN order
| to save his reputation but at the expiration OF
| five DAYS was compelled to dezist and seek his
physician in Philadelphia, but toavail he died
| in three days.
The effect of this action. on the part II the
| workingmen, Miss Dickinson SAYS, is to break
up and destroy our Industries, and suffer English
| manufacturers to underbid us, Notwithstanding
our high tariff Every branch OF trade is begin
ming TO feel this; 1t is continually increasing
from year TO year, and finally no taiif Will be-
high enough to prevent it.
The effect of strikes upon the work n gmeu
themselves is to impoveIlsh Ii them and their fam
lies. In this respect it has double effect
requires the expenditure OF their past earnings
= to sustain them through the strike and prevents
the accumulation of any new sums because then
means of support are cut of.
Trades Unions she denounced as tyrannous
| and unwise in the extreme. heir arbitrary de-
mauds were antagonlstlc to the interests of the
| workingmen, and ottimes were productive oil
| great harm. They refuse to allow more than one
| apprentice to four jnurneymeu. and a result
= their own children are roaming the streets In vice
and immortality, while men from other shores
2 land upon our own to fill their places in the
{. ranks of mechanical labor.
L.. Miss Dickinson came next to consider the sub
a | ject of legislation al demanded by the working
men. This she pronounced impractical and
impossible. If Massachusetts, or Delaware. ol
J. Ponnsylvana. shuld enact, through their Legis-
. atures. that eight hours shall constitute a day
abor South Carolina, Georgia, or any othel
! State controlled by Capitalists, or msn not the
4 representative of the workingmen could witt
y equal propriety, fix the number Of hours of la
Dor in those States at l6 and thus thl
le means would fail Of the end If the
u former States could fix upol stand Ird o
Sc price which should be - or - per day, tn
latter could adopt Il Further if WOrkingme
iemand for themselves that they shall be re
ne | 1uired to work ouly eight hours per day, the
n canuot deny to Others the same privilege So
al they begin rk at nine O'Clock, they cannot e!
lt pect their wives to become generous before the
h are just and prepare their breakfast before tht
hour. They must accord the same privilege {
Vt the professional man everybody y-and II the
ne wish to get married in the evening it cannot /
p done, Tor the paIa1n stopped work at five Oclnc
re- Miss Dckinsons panacea for the ills complain
IL ed Of was not in strikes, not IN legislation, but
corporation. In this, she said they would fu
a solution OF the problem. WOrklugmen ofte
he maugurate strike and are forced to resuu
ii work at the old rate Of pay. Finally the on
ii, ployer accedes to their demand for an increai
II, 1f wages long after the strike has ended, but
all uch manner that they never know that the re-
Ii son arises from an increase III the profits of Il
usiness. Capital and labor should not be at wa
e- They should be harmOniZed aud the working
ct man should obtain means from the capitalists
ey begin enterprises instead of Srrayng themsely,
IA hostility to them. She spoke OF the cal
of Sampson the New England manufacturer
shoes. His workmen struck He reached aero
the Continent and supplied their places wi
Chinese. The strikers funded their MEANS i
1d- stead of spending them in dram-shop, aud esa
aS li4hed factory of their oWu. Tue result, at II
nB expiration of year, was that Simpsons prof
we're considerably augmented the Chinese we
90 receiving in wages three time more than they Ii
Us received in California and thirteen more than
o. home while the striking wlrkmen. in the ia
$50 OF great obstacles, realizing from the pl
100 fits of their business three times more than til
on mad ever made before Thus all three part
IS we're benettted and thus it is with cooperate
25 At the conclusion of her lecture Miss Dick
81 son discovered that the fringe on
81 drezs had caught upon the wire scre
. which il stretched across the stage behind
).26 foOt-lights having been secured there aim
from the commencement of her lecture L
ceiving this she remarked in an audible voice
the audience, You see you are ready to lel
me- but l am not ready to leave you Her
met mark was received with applause.
vine -----
Societies.