, 1874-02-25
THE CRISPiNs' STRIKE.
Tho Shocmakers vs.. Tho NTauulac-
tNrcrs.


tNrcrs.
Letter from S. M. Booth, ESD.
10 ths Editor Of INT Chicago 7rsonno;
Sin: Permit disintorostol nasty few sur-
geBtions on tho Disagreement Of tho boot-nnd-
sloomakors aud the t-ahl-shoo-mauufactu
cra Of tilfs city. NY Bympatlles nro always
with laboring mon, aud agroo with YOU TINT.
tho cooperative principle must eventually ad.
itBt tho ro|ntlonB between Labor and Capital.
l5nt s'tch adjustment requires mutual oxplann-
tionH, concessions, and good will, enlarged intol-
ligcnco, and mint DO tile work Of tirno. It can-
hot be expected to mcot the present emergency.
Wishipg vol to both parties, write primarily i'll
tho
INTERESTS or CHICAGO,
rogardingtho whole III grcator than part.
Heretofore tho boot-anti-slloonlako In tho
large houses Of this city hayo dictated tho prico
for their work. After the pauto, when tho out
look for tho trndo WAS discouraging, tho man,l-
facturore said, We cannot afford to continue tho
prices Of lust yoar. Wo cannot manufacture 80
long in advance OF our needs. and pny moro than
81 caao; md tho workmen acquicscod.
Recently, without consultation with thoir em-
ployoru, or nuy attempt ut ntnicable adjustment,
the workmon struck, first in ono establishment
mud thcn In another, for last ycar's prcos. Theru
is no Disgusting nor dlsputing tho fact that it
was the beginning Of a general strilto for, Ind
those houses been brought to thoir terms, thoy
would have compelled tho other houses to pny
tho advanced price, or cohao manufacturing till
thoy could supply their places with olhor work.
men: ln tho mean timo, tic prospects Of trade
hal Enlightened, aud tho manufacturers yolun~
tnrily increased lilo price Of work to s4.50 case
nloyed Hhonld not "strike ;" nor aid others III
striking"
Then tho manufacturers formed Trades
| Union fos. Thoy wore compelled to it for
BELF-rnoTEOT1oN.
Strike bcEots strike. They had to choose be-
| tween stopping H0tr, when they arc strong
enough to stand It, or stopping BY and by from
sheer exhaustion. Eastern doalers aud Western
| CriBpins would soon drive thom to tho wall.
| But the manufacturers dictated to the work.
| men hotu they should spend their money! Not
| exactly, and not at oil, except that tley said,
| You ahail agree not to spend tho money wo
| pay YOU to injuro and destroy uH Wo will not
| willingly furnish you with . club to boat our
| brains out. Wo will not employ mon who con-
sptro agalnat Our interests, and who combine to
extort from us what wo can't afford to pay.
| That is tho law OF
MISREPRESENTATION,
which all prudent mon obey.
| Tho facts arc: Tho workmon have struck
for Inst yonr's priccs,, and tue manufacturers
all there ie OF 1t. Tic manufacturers have pnid
from 81 to $150 i case moro for tho samo
grade Of work than Eastcrn houses pay; and
tley say-with good reason--that they cannot
pay @5 case and compete with Eastern houses
in eolling; that they must get their work done
| at tho priooY they propose, or coaao to nanufac-
turo and TINT, il they cannot do this, thcy must
hiro their work done at tho Last.
/ ha nf fa nrtior In rf lao
workmen, II persisted In, will bo to throw aome
800 to 1,O00 men out OF work ut their own trade,
mud eithor add thona to tile number Of idlers, or
! push them into other ayocationH already over
| crowded.
The truth is, aa wo have long known, tho boot
| nd~shoo-manufacturcrs hero.
| HAVE MADE No rnoFlT
| on the sale OF their own work, because the cost
creator than that Of thoir Eastern competi-
| tors. They have established a reputation
i for Chicago-mato boots by using uniformly
tho best materIalB, and thus drawn trade here,
constitutes large purt Of tleir total sales. by
| this lome-mannfacturo they have attracted
millions OF dollars yearly to Chioago. which
would otherwise have gone to Eastern cities, and
| havo made thid tho grcAt distributing point for
the boot-and-shoe-trade Of the West. Aud the
| Indirect benolits OF this trade to Chicago can
hardly bo ovoreatmated. For, it Western doal-
ers 60 Eaat for their boota and shoes, they will
alao go there for their dry goods, groceries,
hardwarc, clothing, Int and caps, millinery, etc.
Not only is the boot -nnd-shoe-trade Of Chioago
| very large Que, but it has beeu most Lonorably
conducted, mud tho houses engaged in 1t arc
among the strongest and boat in this city. H.
ahoemahors, thoy ought to bo able to give en-
Ployment to
>. FIVE THOUSAND,
| We hayo tho bost hides, the best tanneries, and
the bost materials of all kinds at our COM
mard; and the primo necessaries Of lifo--1our,
beef, pork-in fact. almost everything eayc
| l.ouso-ront arc fur cheaper loro than ut tho
East. And, but for tho excessive. price asked
Tor work here. in comparison with that paid ut
the East, We should havo thousands, whore hun
drcls haye been, employed in our nanufactorios
to-day. but 1t cauuot bo expected that any
cAsB Of men will long continue proatlcss busi~
ness. We
CANNOT REVERSE THE LAVE OF TRADE.
| They mo stronger than tradeH-unions or manu-
faoturers' unions. People will not pay % for au
nsticlo that tloy can buy for 81 or for S4.50.
Not willingly. And NOT long. eron undcr COM
pulHion.
Il IL unpleasant for the acknowledgements
TINT this strike has occurred though 1t nay u1ti-
n,ately inuro to their bonefit. If it shall break
up tho tyranny Of tho trat1os-uuions, which will
allow no ono to learn thelr irade without their
permission, mud only d very few at that, it will
be q blcaeng to tho whole community.
Tho interests OF employers and employed arc
mutual, md whoever seeks to antagonize them
does both them and the city wrong. With WORK
Mt such prices that tho manufactutora could liyt
and compete with Easter, houses, such b,1at,
ness could bo built up here as would make oht
cago tho
not only for tue West, but for the Southern ant
Middle Statos. And It would giYa constant enl
ploymont to great multitude oi woskmen.
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.IRnbbf Bismarck.
To- nf