Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-02-26
vLYYPIA. SATURDAY MORNING, TEB. &c. 1876
TRADES UNION.

full trade, is conceded by all who nave
noted the results of experience. The
individual who invests his time-tht
equivalent of money-in the acquisition
of knowledge of the details of mechan
ical art and the requisite skill to master
them. should be enabled to shield his
life capital as closely as the money and
property of the banker or merchant is
protected by law. To afford this
means or relief to the artisan; TO secure
an adequate return for the time and
labor expended by him; to afford q
means of protecting Intangible as well
as real property the trades union or
ganization was instituted.
The means employed have almost in
variably kept wages at reasonable
figure. They have been frequently
stringent, and apparently oppressive,
resulting sometimes in strikes" and a
suspension of business, but the employ
er as we'll as the employed have gen.
orally conceded the wisdom OF the
course, soon as the excitement had sub
sided.
The Grange movement was founded
upon just such o necessity. 1t was to
enable the farmer to secure reason
able profit for his produce, that the
grand army of tillers of the soil has
been enrolled under the name of Pat
rons of Husbandry. The means used
were not those of Cancellation. They
did not uphold with one hand while
the dealt blows with the other, but by
a united and vigorous effort conquered q
peace upon terms of their own dictation.
Who blames them for that organization,
or doubts the justice of their cause ?
Who that has spark of manhood
about him will consent to waive his be-
lief in the first law of nature, that OF
self-preservation?
The publishers found themselves in
about such position few years ago,
when a I" rat" printing-ofice was estab-
lished on borrowed capital, and main
tanned by resort to the most degrading
devices to control the printing business
of the town. Its proprietor did q
smashing" business, but the unpaid
bills here and elsewhere, indicate that
his plan of operations was not founded
upon a sound basis. The publishers
combined" for self-protection, and
refused to be the mouth piece of organ
izations. which, when they had money
to pay, allowed the proprietor of the
Excelsior Job Printing Office to work
out "an old BILL" but when there was
gratuitous advertising to do, generously
called upon the publishers to put their
shoulders to the wheel and roll on the
car of popular progress! Seif-respect,
aside from any other equally legitimate
motive, prompted the precise course the
publishers pursued in the matter. They
resolved that they would not be the
lackeys of associations in which they
held q common interest, and for the
support of which they were heavily
taxed. Az an instance of the heather
Chinee" method of obtaining patron
age, we cite the fact that the Echo,
under the management of Hewitt &
Munson, published whole-page de:in-
quent tax advertisement four weeks for
the munifcent sum of $50 in green
baeks-a price which would barely pay
the cost of composition of the type
used, without cent for profit or to
pay interest on the 5000 mortgage,
rent, or swear and teal" of the mate
rial. Is it any wonder that Hewitt &
Munson failed, or that Cook is on the
ragged edge of despair" by pursuing
just such suicidal policy.
Now the public have known us long
enough to understand our mode OF do
ing business. They know We pay bills.
support enterprises which promise well
for our local interests, contribute liberal
share to the support Of public measures,
and no falsehoods invented by the os-
tensible editor of the little Echo can
impair reputation thus earned. In
the publication Of the new daily, we are
not actuated by any malice which the
Echo may suppose We entertain for one
who has SO richly merited ill-will. 1t is
simply the adoption of a long-contem-
plated resolve to publish q daily as
soon as it would pay" We intend
to demonstrate that problem by six
months experiment. If it succeeds,
we'll and good; if it fails, none will suf-