New-York tribune., 1874-11-28
NEw-YoRK DAILY TRIBUNE, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2s 1874

are dull, in comparison with the aetlVity OF
former years. 1t is by no m,'ahS certain as
yet whether the dullness is not normal
whether there is to be any change until inc
accumulated ills of the war, and the specula-
tive ora which followed 1t. are cured by the
action of time, and by the restoration OF
affairs on sound basis. But be this as IL
may, the fact is at present undeniable that
there is not enough work offering to-day to
keep the labOring classes so comfortably and
proftably Lemployed as usual. If in this state
Of things any association Of unskilled manual
laborers choose to refuse what work they can
get at reasonable wages, or even at wages
sufficient for q support for the Winter. they
are merely exposing themselves to hunger and
cold. Their places can be easily supplied
from Ncw-York, and if they could not, there
would be an immediate influx from the cOun-
try to Gil every vacuum thus created. We DO
not deny that in prosperous times IA labOrng
man ought to have something more than
bare living. He should share in the general
prosperity so far as to have his part Of the
comforts Of life, and be able to lay by some
thing, like his employers. But just now.
taking fair average, no one is making more
than living, and no wOrkingmen's Union
can reverse the laws which regulate this state
of things, for their own especial advantage.
If every wOrkingman were left to himself
he would see the truth of this, and do the
best he could under the circumstances. But
too often 1t happens that he is not LETT to
himself His IDEAS are furnished TO him by
half-dozcn self-choscn leaders, who have
placed themselves at the head of his organi-
cation by dint of glib talking and violent
denunciations of capital. They are no better
informed of the laws OF trade or of human
nature than the modest labOrers whom they
govern, and they reject with an insolence
which is half arrogance and half envy the
advice Of those who could be Of benefit to
them. They find their interest in agreeing
among themselves, and if any one is inclined
to show any CLEANS of common sense or JUS
tice he is readily disposed of by accusing him
Of being bought by tho capitalists. The Ia
borer, under gHch tyranny as this, has really
no mind or will of his own. lie follows
tho decrees Of his vehement Oligarchy
with unreasoning submission. lie may be
satisfied with his work and wage; may find
it sufficient to feed and clothe himself and bis
family, and may be content to work along,
waiting like the rest Of the community for
better times. But if his leaders meet some
evening and heat their dSordcred minds
with talk or brandy up to the point
of ordering him to leave off working
indefinitely, few labOrers have the moral and
physical courage to defy the crushing power
of their Associations and assert their own in
dividual liberty. Their cold hearthstones,
their shiyering wives and whimpering chill
dren, are hard to face, but the taunts of their
mates and the censurcs of their Unions are
much more terrible; and so they put their
hands in their pockets and idle away the
precious hours with the rest. They arc for
tunatc if they fall into nothing worse than
idleness and want. The Devil wants no bet
ter chance than these men give him. There
is always a grOG-shop conveniently near and
when a non-union man passes by to his work,
there is never any trouble III finding stray
brick.
We may be preaching to deaf ears, but we
cannot refrain from saying over and over to
the misguided worllingmen of New York. here
on the threshold of hard Winter, that small
wages are better than none, that work Is bet
ter than idleness, and that it is wiser to do
the work OF any employers whatever than
that of those blind and violent leaders who
will carry all who follow them into misery or
crime.