The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-07-19
CoRREsPoNDEMCE.
I'VE do no. hold ourselves responsible Cor my opnon'
expressed By our Correspondents.

CHICAGO, July 10, 1873.
To the Editor "a the " enlng Mail
SIR-In your issue Of Friday last no
ticed an article headed - The Stone-Cut
tern Strike" You say: The StOne-Cut- |
tiers Union Of this city is ON n strike, ano |
its members, some 900, refuse to resunl, |
work unless they receive So. 80 per day |
TO Offset this, the contractors have, ae
cording to the Times. resolved to throw
the Union overheard, that is, they have
formed union Of employers against
union Of employees.
IL in not true that the StOne-Cutters
Union is on strike, nor il it true thai
the Union numbers only ''some 900. fhe
StOne-Cutters Union Of this city numbers
some 200, and at the present time there
are not more than 300 Of its members On a
strike or, in other words, there are eighI
nosses in this city, out Of about ninety,
who refused to comply with the requests
u the Stone Cutten Union, and the meb
IN the employ Of these eight bosses with
drew their labor until such time, If ever,
Al their employers wish to comply with the
Just demands Of the union.
As for the words, according To the
Times, ] really thought that there wa
too much sobnety, honesty, and sound
sense with you to put any confidence or re-
nance ON amy statement the Times would
make. l think the morals IT that journal
are too well known for any honest Or i'm
partial paper like The MAIL to take notice
Of. You say: 1T As doubtful If a fixed
rate for days work to all classes OF work
men is equitable. To tins | say the
Stone Cutters Union does not insist on
any boss Or bosses Keeping any man in EN-
plOy II he does not suit him, or them.
there Ii no doubt but men differ very
much IN their ability wOrkmen, but
"a give the sole power to boss 70 Judge If
a man 8 ability has always proved a failure.
Ihe Union declares by voice that it will
not work for less than certain sum per
DAY, and II the boss thinks that any mem
Der OF the Union Ia his employ Is not worth
the wages that the man demands, he is at
liberty TO discharge him at any time he
may think proper.
lt Is not my intention TO 20 into the de-
tails OF the fixed wages question, As that Is
an old established custom, and until the
bosses become more perfect and conscien-
tious 4 can see no other way Of securing
to man faIr remuneration for his labor
unless 1t Is III the men forming themselves
into cooperative societies, and by that
means putting into their pockets the pro-
hts winch the bosses Of the present DAY
nve on. That cooperation rs the only de-
llverAnce ana safeguard against strikes, | am
as SATISFIED Or as 1 am Of my existence, ana
| am equally satisfied that tine more We
suffer It the hands Of tl.s bosses, the soon
or We vii 30 on the threshold Of our de-
liverance. fine and again | have urged
and insisted on the advIsADIllty Of forming
a 20 cooperative building Company, and Ia
some cases have been successful, though
not In Chicago. Still, | believe the day is
not tar distant when the Stone-C Cutters OF
Chicago Will arise from their lethArgy anu
declare by reclamation that cooperation
snail be their guiding star In the path Of
progress Ii IA not because We have not
arrived at that point that we are not fully
convinced Of It's being our only remeIy
against strikes and their evil consequences.
But to come to the according to the
Tin.ss We are "a lot Of irresponsible
yagabonds, who have neither bra rs, nor
honesty, nor dignity. tor any position
above scavengers; that Ia what the leaders
o. the StOne-C Cutters Union were Last year
and probably are this year, saysthe Times
Now, SIR. do not feel the least annoyed
at being classed with a ''scavenger, for
have Yet Ia learn that scavenger il amy
worse than other men. ! AIN satisfied that
there are men who earn an honest living al
that calling, who would teach the editor OF
the Time his alphabet in morality But
t. be put down 10y man whose morals are,
alas, too well known, as "a lot at Vaga
D II. ~. a
man can bear.
Again, the poor weeping wIllow-hke form
of humanity who conducts the Times, says
the men deserving Of sympathy are the
poor dupes who have ceased to work al
the order Of these scallaw&gs, and who are
now out Of employment. Nov, sir, the
real facts are that the men in the employ
uf the eight bosses who formed themselV {:
into Union, left of work without any
order from the Stone-Cutters Society
They asked for support from 1t, and IN
doubtly they are entitled TO II. But If
show Won a reason for this old ''monarchis
in sentiment" vIlifying and slandering the
Stone Cutters, then you will see the mean
ness he has recourse a. for revenge Of al
imaginary wrong done hum. Last fall,
Mr. McCrea had a contract for some
stone cutting work on the new Times office
and he (McCIea) conld not pay the men
from the fact, as he alleged, that he could
not get the money from the "old man Of
the TineS So the stone-cutters left, and
no others would 20 to work until the mcI
were paid the money they had earned. This
enraged the female slanderer, and il is sup.
posed that he has made up his mind Il
have revenge ON the stone-cutters because
they would not work without their wages.
This il poor spite, for if he would not oI
could not pay the men. surely he should
not feel annoyed at the men for refusing
to work for nothing, or for looking upon
him as an irresponsible party.
The Times say that last year the union
fixed wages at ~ per cent over their Actu.
al value This is false, for there vas
scarcely boss IN the city who did not pay
IL per cent and over more than what the
union demanded.
The stone-cutters this spring suspended
the rule Of wages, or, in other words,
worked for whatever they could get indi
vidually and this did not satisfy the boss
es, as there was no bases to figure from.
The stone-cutters then fixed the wages al
Is. 90 per day. and 1t has gwen satisfaction
to all the bosses except eight, and some
Of them have little or nothing to do. Al
for Bosses Union" in this city, it is
sham. II il run by two or three, and last
spring when asked Mr. Wolfe, who wa
their President at that time, t. all 3
meeting Of his constituents, or Of the boss
rs, his answer was: "D-n the bosses
the half Of them are not able to pay fol
their own stone; we have not had a meet
ing for six months" Il would rather
said the worthy President. talk to you
than to the bosses; d-n the bosses" This
was the expression Of Mr. Wolfe, that il,
Of Mr.. Wolfe, Sr. A for Mr.. Wolfe, Jr.i