Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-01-08
Strikes.

This is a time Of pretty general business
depression. Markets are dull, goods from
manufactures hard Of sale, and manufactur-
ers find themselves losing money instead Of
making profit Prices of everything are
tending downward, having been too high
ever since the war, so that there is little
hope for an improvement in the market
which will enable manufacturers to dispose
of their goods at profit, and they are nat
urally looking about them to see wherein
they can reduce the cost of production.
Many of them think the most feasible way
is to employ help at cheaper rates. This
they have a perfect right to do, if they can
find those who will work for the reduced
pay. Their workmen have the right Of
working for such wages as they choose to
give, or not working at all, and that is all.
They have no right, either moral or legal,
to say who may or may not work for their
right to NEEDLE with or attempt to influence
the price paid to another workman. To
"strike," with the avcwed object of debating
to employers whom they shall employ or
what wages they shall pay, is a violation Of
that liberty which is the boast of America.
The world is wide, and there is work
enough for all. If a laborer is not satisfied
with his work or his pay he has the privi-
lege of seeking other work and better pay,
and if he is worth it he can get it,.
The trades unions whose chief results are
strikes are curses not only to the members
but to society in general, for while the
strikes keep the strikers from earning money
for their own support they also keep them
from producing those products Of their toll
which the rest of the world needs The
most successful men in the world are those
who always keep doing. If you can't get
two dollars, work for what you can get
When you learn of a chance to get larger
pay for a similar service, avail yourself Of
it. But don't try to make such chances by
wrong.doing doing evil that good may come.
Instead of forming union for the purpose
of taking advantage of circumstances to
force employers to pay more than they are
willing to for work. thus opposing injustice
whether imaginary or really with injustice,
form cooperative labor association like
that recently formed at Springfield, in this
state, and meet the capitalists upon their
own ground. We believe in the rights Of
working men; we believe those rights are
too often ignored we believe that there are
many large manufacturing establishments
which could and should pay their operatives
higher wages than they do. More than
this, we believe the way for the workers OF
the world to get those rights Of which they
have been deprived is to combine, and meet
organization on the part of capital with or
ganizaton on the part Of labor. To this
end the Patrons and Sovereigns, and the va
rious cooperative associations, are laboriug,
and already accomplishing good which is
but drop preceding a shower. But We do
not believe in strikes, except in exceptional
cases. As samples of the results of strikes,
as generally carried on, we clip the follow
ing items from single issue Of daily pa
per-the Republican of Dec. 81:
The weavers and spinners of the Fall Riv-
eli mills held protracted meetings, yesterday,
to consider what they should do regarding
e i.,N
vers adopted resolutions declaring that il
compelled to accept the reduction it would
be under protest, and AN appeal was 10 be
made to the agents to continue the present
system of short Tune rather than to enforce
the reduction. The spinners resolved to nc
ccpt the reduction, but under protest, and to
make preparation for general strike in the
spring. Both meetings adopted resolutions
iavoring the withdrawal by the operatives OF
their savings from the banks.
The operators of the anthracite coal mines
of Pennsylvania mt n meeting IN Mauc
Chunk, yesterday, resolved upon Il rcduc-
ton of 10 per cent upon contract work and
of about 10 per cent on miners and laborers
wages to take effect January |. A commit,
tee was appointed to meet the men mt Hazel
ton, to-day. The miners have steadily de-
clared that if any attempt mt reduction was
made they should strike; consequently il
will not be surprising to .learn, Saturday
that some $4,000 miners have refused to &c
90 work
Serious trouble is expected Mt the Render
coal mines in Ohio county. Kentucky
Some weeks since, the miners employed
struck for higher wages, and the company
procured n new gang. The latter have beer
frequently threatened by the strikers, and OF
Tuesday about one hundred of the strikers
some armed, appeared at the mines and de
manded "A suspension OF work. The presl
dent of the company has applied to the gov
ernor Tor aid, but no answer has yet been
received.
Considerable excitement has been cause,
in San Francisco by the determination of TIN
proprietors of the Cornell watch factory t.
employ Chinese in all tho departments o
their works. Seventy operatives from Chi
cage have protested against the measure
and several of them were discharged, yestcr
day, us was also one foreman. Nearly nj
the operatives arc from Chicago, and II gen
eral strike is threatened, but the proprietOr'
are firm and promise to adhere to the new
plan. 1t is probable other foremen will b,
discharged. The company propose to EN-
ploy about 500 persons. Tho works are no
yet i'm order.
The two last Of the above items illustrat
the beauties of ill-managed strikes quite for
chilly. In one is seen an actual riot by la
boring men,-the very class who shoul,
stand on the highest level of morality anC
respect for law, and in the other we see tn,
manifestation of spirit of intolerance yer!
much out of keeping with the boast that GU
country is land of refuge where exiles iron
all races and nations may come and find
home and equal rights. WOrking-men o
Vermont, brothers and sisters in the council
and the grange, let us all strive to elevate
mankind, morally, socially, and intellectual
". recognizing the fact that all men are fire.