The workingman's advocate., 1875-02-20

I excuse TOT the hpathy that cnArhcttfiLSs,
or has characterised, their action. " hils
~e have expressed, time and again, the
opinion that trades unions, 6i sthen-
selves, regarded As ends rather ban As
means to fn end, can never se....Y the re-
demption Of labor, We eoh..~c their ex-
lstence, influence and training - pres
ent circumstances, essential t5 sure the
object sought A competent Mechanic,
and no other, should be permitted 70 join,
who refuses to become connected with
them, is very apt to give the cold shoI.l-
der to 60 operation and labor reform il
very apt To- doubt the propriety Of making
the financial question political isrre, -
using the ballot box to remove the gritv
ances complained of We regard them a.
the training schools for the future AS the
means to enable the workingmen to oc-
cupy a higher p5ane and take a more ad-
! yanced position
OF course We have a right To expect op-
position from those proprietors who sup
pose their interests are injured by their
/ operations. but that Workingmen them
selves should be Influenced by such oppo-
sition is strange indeed There = NO
trade organization on the American CONT
nent properly conducted which has not
advanced tie material and moral interests
Of its members and there is no trade
which has permitted its organization T. 20
down, which has not been injured pecunI-
arily ana morally thereby, As thousands If
those who read this article can testify.
Sand one Of the largest coal dealers ia
| the Northwest To US few days agu: ). Ry-
member, while am onncsei tn trxs =
unions unO1l- business principles, and per
Ihaps from selfish n.OtirsS, | am free To- con
fess that but for their agency. believe
my miners would now be digging coal
I for 80 cents a ton. In fact, ! told one
of the most influential operators from
Brazil, Indiana, 50 this very day. He
was complaining about the unreasonable
exactions Of the unions, and the price
Of coal. etc. when | reminded him that
it was to our interest to get coal dug
as cheap as possible, and 10 the inter
est Of me miners to get as much Al
they could for their labor, ust as we tried
to get for our coal That # miners dug
for 20 cents a ton he would be very apt
to offer them 80 cents, provided he knew
they had no organization at their back.
And this admission too. reader, from q
non union employer.
Again, short time since, in converse
ton with law-book publisher Of thin
city, We learned that most Of Hs work wal
done in Madison, Wisconsin and Albany
o n. Y, where he informed US he gave EN-
1 ployment to - composltors and binders
. and here again the union was the great bug
7 bear. " get my work done N Madison,
{ said he, " fifteen cents per thousand lea
n than can get IT done in Chicago, and q
some Of the works contain 5000, OOO ems
you can see the SAVING for yourself Now
let us ask these w0rkmen who are perfect,
satlshed with All employers sense of Jus
tice, and cannot see the utility Of unions
to give this admission a moments reHec
ton Probably the printers who work il
Madison average Sl5 per week; the print
ers employed in Chicago SlS, or So an,
this amount is all upon which they cal
depend on to support their wives and fam
bookseller to save lawyers who ask from
$500 to 81 600 as a retainer in single case
a dollar volume, perhaps, trades union
must be denounced as the bane of society
and the workmen's wages reduced fifty o
sixty cents per day Can humbugery
Misrepresentation, or selhshness 70 fur
ther
In spite Of representations to the con
trary, trade unionists have as much con,
mon sense, honor and integrity rs any
class in the community and certainly al
much regard for the welfare Of their enl
ployers, as the men who are too cOwardly
to demand their rights yet knsves enough
to aedI-what the backbone Of others have
secured. II prices must come down-ii
wages in some instances must be reduced -
they are open to correction, though they
claim-and Justly 80 an equal right with
capital, at least, to put a price upon thei'
Otr, labor And in view Of the fact that
there is a probability that a reduction Of
wages will be demanded in many trades,
and such reductions urged on the ground
that the contracts entered into render such
action imperative, we suggest the prOpri-
ETY. Of immediate reorganization on the
part Of these trades which have permitted
their unions to dissolve that invitations
be extended to employers to meet with
their employees in council, to secure, il
possible, a mutual basis Of agreement for
the ensuing season. Even if the offer
should be rejected, it will knock the con-
tract excuse in the head, and convince en-
ployers they are dealing with q class Of
men, who while they are willing to con-
cede every right to others, are equally
determined that their own shall not be
infringed on.
Ventilation Of Mines
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