Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-10-08
Communism at FAN River.

1t has been announced by the city dailies
that serious riot has taken place at Fall
River, Mass, which has resulted from
strike Of the operatives ia the mills, some
months ago. Fifteen hundred rioters are
reported as marching through the streets
and defying the police; and so belligerent
did they become that the city was put under
martial law. a.H i.
This is another conflict between labor and
capital, and 1t breathes more Of the spirit of
French communism than any other riot we
have witnessed outside the great cities.
From the facts in the case, it appears that
the corporations found that they could not
run their mills, full time, at the prices paid
for labor, and were compelled to reduce the
wages, as they had right to do under the
circumstances. This fact was announced to
the operatives, whereupon they organized,
and withdrew in body, demanding not only
to be employed still, but at their former
wages. This they had no right to do. 1t
takes two parties to make contract. The
operatives had right to 60 elsewhere, if
they could find more repunerative employ
ment but they had no right to organize and
withdraw in body, for the purpose of COM
polling their employers to pay them an ex-
orbitant price for their labor. That was
extortiOn. All their public gatherings and
exciting speeches, and parading the streets.
for the purpose of forcing the results aimed
at, were wrong. And the leaders are espe-
cially eulpable, as most of the evils which
have resulted from this senseless "strike, -
are traceable to them. They are like the
"dog in the manger !" they will neither work
themselves nor allow their followers to work,
to earn their daily bread.
We have said that this effort to force the
corporations to employ them on their own
terms is extortion. To illustrate your
neighbor has COW that he wishes to sell
you. You would be glad of the animal, but
cannot afford to pay him his price. 1t is
your right not to purchase the COW still he
insists not only that you take her, but that
you pay what he demands. And because
you decline to do SO, he falls to abusing you
and insults you every way in his power
and even threatens to burn your building
down over your head. Such is the spirit Of
the strikers and rioters of Fall River.
And they act on communistic principles.
They insist that the world owes them liv-
ing whether they work or play. They would
compel those who have money to divide with
them, whether they will or not. This spirit
and these principles are wholly at varianc,
with the institutions under which we live
and God forbid that they should ever take
root in American soil. sm
And the Fall River strikers have com
mitted suicide. They themselves are tn
greatest sufferers. They have spent thes
passing months in idleness; have consumed
their former earnings and many Of them ar
| W Wuuts Auu nav
they gained ? Absolutely nothing. Even
restored to their former places, with tn
wages they demanded, they have lost, beyon
recovery, the avails of months OF labor an'
J reduced themselves to poverty. But the
will not be restored. If they return to tn
mills, it will be upon terms fixed by the cor
pOrations. aud under still more stripger
regulations.
When will the labOriDg classes learn wiz
dom When will they come to believe tina
there is no antagonism between labor an
capital; that the prosperity Of the capitals
is the prosperity Of the labOrer, and that tn
misfortune of the one must be the misfortun
of the other ? When that simple lesson
learned, the terrible consequences Of thes
strikes and riots will be avoided.