The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-03-27

times induces them to face temporary ioss,
but, for long together, they cannot WORK
without profit. Money is entitled to wages
az manual labor is and as brain work is. IL
| is when it is attempted to force wages above
the level which allows the employer reason.
able profit that strike fails. The strike OF
1872, In the North, cost the laborers at least
two million dollars, ard the employers fully
az much. 1t is estimated that New York
Ci,y has to-day one thousand buildings less
than she would have had II the strike had
not taken place. The workmen have lost
lhe wages which would have been paid out
during the construction OF the houses; the
EMPLOYERS lost the profit which they would
have realized on the work. 1t is difficult TO
see where any one was The gamer; outside of
the coterie OF professional agitators who en-
courage strife, and do what iD them lies to
keep labor and capital ut swords point
These agitators live and grow fat while fac
tories close and operatives starve.
As we have said, the right OF worklngmen
to combine for the purpose Of improving
their condition Is unquestionable. This
right is their heritage, not as laborers but as
men. The employers have an equal right to
combine for the purposes OF selt-protection.
And any laborer, or any employer, has an
absolute right to hold alooi from, or With
draw from, any society or combination,
whether its object be to protect labor or
money, to raise wages or to lower them.
This is point which the leaders 10 the
strikes usually overlook, and they now de.
clare that they will give the law to workmen
as well as employers. Mob law is their
game. 1t ls cardinal principle that society
has no authority over the actions OF an indi-
vidual which affect exclusively his own In
tevests. Where a mechanic believes that 1t
Is advantageous to him to refrain from join
ing 10 strike, his free will, 30 manifested,
has the same authority as the equally free
determination Of his companions to take
part in the strike. There ls fully as much OF
tyranny in forcing an unwilling man to leave
his work as in compelling all unwilling man
to remain at work. The question is one for
individual decision, and Eot for collective
decision. This Is aoins which cannot be
urged too strongly upon the attention OF
both laborers and employers.
It is easily understood that employers
very rarely volunteer to pay their laborers
higher wages. The advance is obtained by
a demand for it. When the demand fails,
the usual remedy Is strike. But, as before
shown, the strike cannot prevail, II the In
creased wages asked for SO increase the en-
tire cost OF the work as to make 1t unproht-
able. or leads to such an advance In the
price charged to customers as will cause
them to discontinue their orders. And
there are considerations In the employment
Of capital which are frequently dlsregarded.
Because master-builder makes money this
year 1t does not follow that he made money
last year or-will do so next year. He has to
make up the losses previous years, and to
provide for the future. The laborer has no
such risk 1t would seem, therefore, that
only frank understanding between capi-
talist and laborer can prevent differences
OF opinion which are Injurious to both. The
laborers are ready to listen to reason when
their paid demagogues are out OF the way;
the employers only expect a reasonable
average profit upon their capital Surely
the representatives OF the two classes could
do more by friendly consultation than by
declaring war upon each other.
It should. also, be remembered that any
increase OF cost In any article OF consump.
tion or use falls upon the public. A strike
which enhances the cost OF shoes is felt by
every man, woman and child who does not
20 barefooted. The answer will be that
there must be an advance OF wages in every
calling, 30 that the mason who pays more
for bis shoes may be compensated by the
higher pay he receives for his own work.
But 1t is evident that q universal rise OF
prices Is tantamount to no advance OF all.
What is gained In one quarter Is lost in
another.
We still hope that the threatened strike
In the North may be ayerted; for it is
to be feared that, If the plans OF the promo
ters be carried out, every department OF
trade will suffer, the public peace will be
endangered, and neither workmen nor en-
ployers will derive any lasting benefit from