, 1873-04-18

THE KNIGHTgVuLE STRIKE,

done.
THE KNIGHTgVILLE STRIKE.
There soolna to bo an impression Tint tho
puddlera' riot Mt Knightsvillo, Ind, waH war Of
racos, whito againae black and, as it occurred
simultaneously with tho Louisiana slaughter,
the conclusion has been reached in aomo' quar-
tors that both ovonts woro III tho naturo Of a
persecution Of tho negro race. Nothing could
bo further from tho truth. Tho now puddlors
At KnIghtsyillo wero attacked, not becauao thoy
wero nogrooa, but becauao they Ind gono 10
work in tho place of mon who had struck. Had
thoy boon white mon, tho same result would
! have followed. Tho riot was the product and
consequence Of tho fallacy common among
! lebor-uuionB, TINT they hayo not only
right to quit work themselves, but also
to keep all other men from tie work which they
| haye abandoned. As matter Of course, the
! only way IN Which this can bo 1ono Ia for Tho
Btrilors to array themselves against law md tho
kill, burn, and to drive away tho men who aro
trying to earn on honest living in tho placcs
which they haye themaclyen voluntarily abar-
donod.
Tie Knightsvillo strike had itB origin, aomo
onths ago, in tue discharge OF portion Of
tho mon who werc not working to tho
satisfaction Of their employers. Thcroupon
tho Puallers' Union ordered general
strike and cessation Of work. III Other
words, tho good worlsmen wero compelled by the
laws Of their combination to abandon tlleir
moans Of oarning a living in order to sustain tho
mill repeatedly offered to also back tho worknen
who Ind not boon discharged, but refused to
employ those who had boon discharged, boceuso
tioy did not earn thoIr money. Those OYER
turoa wero declined. Many OF The Idle putldlors
who probably forosaw tho result, wont away to
sock employment olaowhcro Olhera preferred
to Btay and live upon tho contributions
sont them by tho puddlers' Union, and
spent their tin,o In drinking aud carous-
ing on union money. In the meantime
tho rolling-mill had Obtained puddlors from olao-
whero AZ they could not securo white mon md
union mon, they took black mon md non-union
men. The atrikors harassod tho new workn,on,
who wero under tho protection Of the employers
until q moro than ordinary supply OF liquor one
day gayo thom tho courage TO mako general
attack, which was only suppressed by calling out
tho militia.
Tho net result Of this Btrilso is loss Of time,
and money, and temper, condign defeat, and
general Generalization, extending evon to tho
women and families. When a strike is rosortel
to as means Of establishing tho prico Of par-
t1cular kind Of labor, and Ia conducted in I'LL
orderly manner, tho chances that tho strikers
arc in the right aro equal with those that tho
employers aro so. This is not tho case, how
over, when general strike is ordcrod In order
to protect few lazy vagabonds for Whose special
bone1t and protection tho procruatean rules Of
the union Beom to hayo been nude No busi-
ness can afford to support worlimen WHO not
only fail to do their own sllaro Of tho labor, but
demoralizo tho ontiro forco by thcir example,
When labor unions undertake to force Hucll mon
upon employers, thoy must expect to bo de-
toated. It would be hotter to cloRo up tho works
ut once than to attompt to run thom OH
sucl, q basis. Thore Ia no moro hopo Of
succoss for tho strikors when they ro-
sort to violence, in a caso OF this kind, than if
they should content themselves with peaceful
cessation OF work. 1t would bo simply suicidal
for employers to admit tho principle tint they
must employ poor worlrnon because they hnp-
pom to bo!ong to tho .unior. Tho result Of tho
puddlers' strike at Kniyhtsyille illustrator In
every particular tho necessity for tradoa~unions
to abandon tho theory that oyory workman, good
or bad, atands OIL tho aamo basa, aud must ro-
cciye the samo pay, simply becauso llo is monl-
bor Of tho craft More good worlmon aso
harmed thnn bnd ones benefited by it.