, 1873-07-31
THE DECLINE OF On1Bp1N1sm.

own torms to thu boot and hhoo manufacturers,
especially in Massachusetts, has no fur fallen to
pieces TINT It fs no longer capable Of oxerting
any influence, either for good Or for bnd. In Its |
day, 1t materially regulated and changed busi-
neps, and it's membership became no powerful |
and influential that It had groat succcBa In con-
trolling politics. That day has passed, however,
.and now to deal with Crispinism ia no longer
vital question. Ono Of tho most Influential OK
members Of tho Orlor has recently published
card, which not only very clearly shows tho
character and workings Of Crispinism, but con-
tains some facts which ought to be suggestive
to other trades-unIonH, The writer Of tho
card Ia ono Mr.. Cronan, Of Milford, Maos. In
1860, when tho Orispins numbered aomo $4,000
members In tho state and 1000 in tho littlo
town Of Milford alono, Mr.. Samuel Walker,
loading manufacturer, determined that greon
hand should bo taught tho business OF treeing
in his factory without the consent Of tho CriB-
pins. The othor manufacturers had yielded th}a
point, but Mr.. Walker was ut onco brought into
collision with tho OrispinH, and determined to
fight It out. Tho Inter deliberately sot to work
to chockmato h1r. Walkor by influencing tho bot
tomora not to work for him. 90 that he could not
mako boots This required tho services Of somo
special agent, who could give his whole time
to tho business. 1lr. Cronan Nus appointed
agent aud went to work. Tho grand and inter-
natlonnl lodges indorsed all that he did, and ho
was promised tint If ho incurred any financial
responsibility or risk tho lodges would reimburse
| him. Ho continued his lnbors for year, but
Mr. Walker did not yield on the other hand, in
] 1870, lo sued Mr. Cronnn for interfering with
| and willful1y injuring his business. Mr. Cronan
submitted lia caao to tho Supreme Court OF tho
State, and TINT tribunal decided that ho WAS lia-
interfering with Nr. Walkers b,1sinoHs
Tho lower Court had fixed that danl-
ago nt $4,000. The Crispins, who
ind agrood to stand by him. not only loft him to
fight lis suit alone, but they also left him to
make such settlement with Mr.. Walkor as lie
bost could. III word, aftor getting him into
trouble, they betrayed md abandoned him. Mr..
! Cronan concludes his card with the following
pathetic moral: II for ono have seen enough
Of mans inidolity to man. I beliovo tho labor-
ho must 10 1t in this FREQ country by industry,
Bobrioty, and tho intelligence which all may no.
quire. Artificial methods and combinations may
promise woll in tho beginning, but arc always
certain to ond in miserable fail,1ro" While Mr..
CronaE's arguments against Crispnsm may lie
moro or less woakonod by the anger which he
foela at his deserton whom he most
needed assistance, still his cnrd disoloses one
Of the most important among the causes which
have led to tho ruin of tho Ordor, and that is the
decision Of the Supreme Court, TINT interference
with an employers workmen md enticing thou1
to leave their business makes the person SO
acting liablo for damage done to tho business
Under such decision as this, it il
impossible that tho Crispins or any
other trades-uuiopB can thrivo in MaBsa-
chusetts, ns this is their most common
modo of warfare against employers. In addition
to tho determined resistance mado by tho manu-.
facturors tho domiso of CriBpinisn has also
boon hastened by causes ut work In the Order
itBelf. Tho most potent Of these causes hat
beon tho fact TINT, while at stated periods they
succeeded in gaining some temporary adyan
tageB from tho employers, these wore mucl
moro than Offset by the salaries which they hnt
to pay for tho support Of their officers, the incv
table everyday oxpouseB Of running tho lodges
aud tho leavy assessments made for the sup
port of daa1fectod workmen during tho pen
dency of strikes. Another and very importan
agency which has holpod bring about their ruiz
is TINT, in seeking to WELD G political in
fuence, they fell into the hands O
unprinciplol demagoguea who havo uscd th
members OF the lodges for their own selfish pur
poBos, and have thus drawn them AWAY from til
roal objects OF their association.
UriBpiniBm has stranded upon the same roc
which has been fatal to many othor trados-or
ganizations. SO long aa they sock to compass
their ouds by Interference with tho moral an
= legal rights Of the community, and allow politi
cal schomers and alvonturers who caro- nothin
for the objects Of thoir organizations, to us
their votes for Interior purposes, so long will
happen that their existence can only be tempo
rary at best. It is Inoyitabo TINT, where Nh OF
ganization representa- ony c]asa-intoreRt, othc
interests will organize against 1t, MI
the moment 1t allows itself to bo diverted frol
D itB distinctive PURPOSES or socks to accomplis
l them by improper methods, it's days arc nun
I berod Tho liHtory Of CrspiniBm is full {
: warnings to the Grangos, and to every otAt
- organization in tho interests OF class, to re-
upon themselves and not allow otllora to Iii
= thom, and to seek for constitutional rather tia
! unconstitutional remedies for their grievances.
- | @---1-----------
= The Parisiana, for want Of something bett
to> do, aro improving tho visit Of tho Shah
: pcrsia by learned and humorous disqusitio1
0 | UPON tho proper mnuncr of spelling and writil
: ,hia nano. Tho Journals had him as "Naa