The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-07-25
CLEVELAND. o.. July Ii. 1874.

Inc lHuisCrcot 49, VI uAAIoitAhA1 III uAlb l
gone past are ready-made arguments, in
the mouths of their opponents, whether
he be boss or a workman. have met
miners Of great deal Of experience who
refuse to take part in amy Of OUT orgARiza-
tions, because Of mistakes that have been
made, willfully or otherwise it matters
not, by associations that now cease to
exist, anticipating similar errors in this
our present crisis. Those errors and mis-
takes are the most powerful weapons that
can be used against US by thoss whose in
terests are best served by having labor
disunited II is no use for us to close our
eyes to the facts and say such stories are
pure inventions by our enemies. Some Of
them are true. We do sometimes fall into
error, which, to cover up and hide, would
be very wrong in us. The movements
made in the past, that led to ruin,
ought to be used by US a. beacon lights In
our present motions, warning us Of the
rocks ahead. Unless we learn from ex-
perience, our progress will be but slow,
and permanency to our institutions jeapor-
dised Ever rule Of our lodges should be
carefully weighed ON all sides before
passed upon and established. The effects
they will have upon members themselves.
and bythose of our own class not members
Some may say the opinions of outsiders
should have no bearing upol questions
discussed in our lOdge-rooms. This may
be true in some cases, but it will not hold
good in all Let me illustrate: certain
work employs ninety men sixty of them
belong to the union, the balance are not.
The members of the Association take up
the question Of prices for certain kinds Of
work, and, having discussed it to their en-
tire satisfaction, pass upon y scale so much
for entry work, 50 much for digging the
coal, etc, and pledge themselves to each
other not to dig for any less. Now, let MS
examine the result of this action. A dull
time has set in Immediately after this has
become all ordinance of the lodge The
boss proposes a reduction i'm the prices.
The men outside of the organization are in
no way bound to the pledge of the others,
and some arrange to work at the reduced
prices The members of the lodge meet,
discuss the matter over, and resolve to
adhere to their ordinance. This involves
strike ga their part, but not 50 on the
part of others Some of those will not
work if the others are on strike, but some
less honorable or scrupulous, will. The
work is very dull not more than third
Of the men can get work at any rate.
Some Of the places are to remain idle for d
time, others are to be run If men can be
found to work them At the prices offered
Many Of the men know which places are to
run and which are to stand still, and some
Of those who work in the places that are to
stand, would Just soon the balance
idle with them till all start up together
A few men work-men not In the union.
The mine IL opened; stragglers come along
and get employed at the reduced prices IN
the places Of our UNION men, and they, by
the rule of the lodge, are bound to stand
by and see their places worked by strang-
ers, at prices they are offered. This il too
much for some men. They will suffer ex-
pulsion first. In time like the present
such q rule simply takes the work out of
the hands Of the members of the lodge and
tration is drawn from actual fact. Except
in cases where almost all are members of
the Association, the question Of wages
ought never to be fixed by rule in the
lodge but left to the entire workmen, and
decided according to the best of their
Judgment, when all the circumstances Of
the case are fairly considered.
Another case in point. A lodge in q
certain district, finds that work is
getting quite dull, and the members are
reduced to half time or 50. Strangers to
the district, but members of the associa-
ton, are coming along and getting started
to work, through certain influences by
friends interceding, etc. This additional
force, added to the dull season, is making
the work for the whole I" beautifully less
all the time, till the members look upon
the employment Of any more as a real
grievance, and the matter is brought up
for discussion in the lodge-room. The dis
cussion ends i'll a motion requesting the
bosses to hire no more men till those in
the work be getting full time. This propo-
sition the boss readily agrees to, having
more men than he knows what to do with.
In the meantime a strike starts in the
same district, and an hundred more men
are thrown upon the market The work at
the above lodge increases from three to
four days in the week in consequence.
Some Of the strikers seek this place, get an
interview with the boss, who promises
work "1 the members of the lodge tciu
aIIotc him" The seekers after job HE
them to the members and state the case.
The men point to the rule, but say it il
mutually agreed upon by the boss and
them. Those men 20 OFF and swear the
rule and the whole association, and not
without cause. They need work-the
bosses offered it. These men were getting
day more q week than they would get if
their own places were running. The
members themselves would Just as soon
see those men get job as not, but there
10 foolish resolution on the books, and
this prohibits them.
Such by laws are borne Of pure selfish
ness, and should not be tolerated in any
section Of our organization They are not
in any way in conformity with our consti-
tutional requirements in this regard, and
would in all cases be declared illegal if
referred to this Office. The constitution
makes it obligatory upon all lodges to
assist any brother member in finding en-
ployment, when he has his credentials, in
stead Of putting obstacles in his way. In
such times m these in which we now live,
whatever work is going all are entitled to
q share-al need it. Where such bylaws
exist let them be stricken off the books ct
once, as in them lies the seeds Of dissolu-
ton to the union, at those points, thou
sand times stronger than all the opposition
the bosses can bring 10 bear against us.
JOHN JAM s.
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