The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-05-18

and shoes, and everything you must purchase. 1
Hence, you have deep interest in the quick |
reconstruction Of Chicago, for plenty Of build |
ings not only reduces rents, but the cost Of all |
family expenses. 1t is simply impossible to |
have cheap rents or cheap living while the |
present scarcity Of houses continues. Striking
against house-builders in therefore, striking
against your own bread and butter, and your
own interests.
Employment il always in proportion to the
amount Of capital willing to be invested in re
production. Capital and Labor are naturally
partners the one is the complement Of the
other. Labor, without the aid Of Capital, is
naked, and starves. Capital, without the help
Of Labor. cannot increase, but decays. Strikes
and lock are q species OF civil war, intlct-
ing ON the combatants impoverishmsnt and
misery, no matter which seems 70 win Oh
tanning subsistence il the chief material object
Of existence Darwin calls it the struggle
for life" Whatever reduces production IN
creases the intensity of the " struggle" and
the solicitude for existence. The expediency
and wisdom Of reducing the hours e labor be-
tween April and November, being the active
season for business, turn on the point whether
production will be curtailed thereby, and, If
so, whether the laboring Glasses can spare q
portion Of their subsistence. Ii it is thought
that by exActing ten hours pay for eight
hours work, between April and November,
the laborer can throw the loss Of production
on the employer, be Is mistaken in part at
least, for the employer will add 20 or some
other per cent. to the selling price Of his goods
or his rents, and make the consumer or renter
pay it. So that the workman must lose in the
purchasing power Of his wages by reason Of
dearRcss, equal to the falling of in production.
And if the journeymen in one trade exact
higher than fair proportional wages, the con-
sumers of all other trades will be overcharged
and injured. If all the trades force up their
rates Of wages, then none Of them are bene-
fitted for losses on purchases will balance the
gains ON wages The truth is, that something
cannot be had for nothing, and all that can be
divided among the communii is the total
production. The less that is, the less will fall
to each ones share. And it may be laid down
as an incontrovertible axiom that until the
laborer is able to dictate to the capitalist the
price at which the latter must sell his goods
or lease his tenements, and also the wages he
must pay, it will be impossible for the laborer
to improve Ais condition by strikes or abbre
Walton of work. The great law of supply and
demand will determine the price Of wages that
can be paid in the rebuilding Of Chicago, and
all coercIve and forcing processes will fail in
their object, and come to nOught. When the
price Of commodities and labor are forced above
their legitimate level, they are a. certain to
fall back again m a ball cast into the air il to
return to the earth.
What labor needs is plenty OF steady en-
ployment at fir wages, which cannot be had
without employers with abundance of capital,
wLo believe they can realize a satisfactory
profit in Q particular business. Ii they are
successful, they are sure to re-invest their
surplus profits, and thereby furnish contin-
-.
they enlarge their business. Strikes operate
a. hostile raids Of an enemy. Business be-
comes deranged and uncertain proprietorn
loose confidence and cease to enlarge but
proceed to contract their operations and dis
charge their employees. Thus the strikes saw
off the limb of the tree which supports them,
and tumble to the ground.
OF all remedies for the ills and discontents
of labor, idleness, in the forms Of strikes, ID
the most irrational and Intellectual 1t is m
attempt to force Capital to surrender by the
method of starvation But it il labor that
starves first. Capital merely foregoes profit,
while Labor suffers from the pangs Of hunger
Capital has q magazine of provisions from
which to draw its rations but Labor has AZ
empty larder and woman and children suffer
ing and crying for bread The inventor o.
strikes was a very short-sighted and igno
| luulNluudly WuOcNeT ne Wa8, anu n2e
done his followers great harm and little good
But how shall the condition Of the laboreI
be improved! That il . hard problem tc
solve The Ablest minds in Europe and
America are investigating the question Nc
satisfactory answer has yet been given The
best way to avoid strives and lock outs that
has yet been tried is by arbitration and the
fairest division Of the profits of Capital and
Labor is by corporation. / need not elabor.
ate or explain either Of these, rs you are "a
miliar with the principles Of beth The for.
mer settles disputes and differences in q peace
full, quiet and rational manner, preventing the
immense loss Of money and production that
attend protracted strikes. The other secures
to Labor the largest possible share Of profit
which the business affords. But this plan
l am sorry to say, often fails by reason d
cross purposes, unfaithful members, dishonest
managers, lack Of unity or want OF sufficient
capital And yet l have faith in its ultimate
general adoption when the masses become let
ter educated and more intelligent, because the
principle of cooperation il based on equity
and fair dealing
Aside from arbitration and cooperation, ]
have nothing better to propose than the course
pursuec myself, viz: To work steadily at the
best wages offered, practice economy in per.
sonAl expenditure, drink water instead Of
whisky, keep out OF debt, put your surplus
earnings ut interest, until you have enough Il
make payment on . lot, build a cottage on
it at the earliest day possible. and thus be in
dependent Of landlords; 60 with your wife 70
church on Sunday, and send your children "a
| school.
II you have no wife court some worthy girl
and marry her. Push forward hopefully and
perseveringly, and there IA no fear but you can
better your condition and become Independent
men long before old age OvertAkes you.
have now redeemed the promise made in
the outset OF these remarks. to avoid all dem
AgogicAl hAttery, and to address your minds
IN the words Of truth and soberness on the
great industrial problem Of the day. trust
that what ] have said may afford some food
for reflection, and that il will be received in
the same spirit Of frAnkness and kindness in
which il has been Offered, no matter how much
we may differ in our conclusions
At the conclusion Of the Mayors speech
Mr.. Cameron presented the following
resolutions, which were enthusiastically
received and unanimously adopted
Resolved That the wOrkingmen q Chicago here =
ssmbled publicly their willingness In such future
disputes may arise In this city between the employer
and employe 20 submit their grievances or demands "a
Board d Arbitrators one half Of which shall BE- e.
lected by the employer the other by the employees
and, in the said Arbitrator fail 70 agree third
whose decision shall be anal and binding on the lis
putants.
Resolved That we cordially endorse the system Of CO.
operation whereby the profits Of the supernumerary-
erred to the pockets Of the mechanic and
capitalists Of Chicago that prepared execute ali