New-York tribune., 1876-07-25
yrW.JEPSEY STRIKES.

We orc sorry 10 say that the labor troubles III
Newark and in jersey City continue. The Mayor
Of the last named city is 50 much alarmed that
he has officially expressed his fears of " bread
"riots.r In Newark, the latest difficulty Is
with operative shoemakcrs. Two hundred
woIl,mcn employed by one house have deter
mined to resist reduction of their wages, but
have consented to complete the work upon
which they are now engaged. Alter that Is
finished they will strike. From their employers
comcs the old answer tine enough no doubt
tbat they cannot afford in tie present
condition of business to pay wages which nave
not been reduced since lS6S. II Is astoniSh-
ing how simple this matter OF wages ana
strlkes always Is. The employer cannot pay
the old rates, and the employed cannot, or
thinks that he cannot, work for less. 1t j. only
in very rare cases that common sense Is per-
mittcd 10 settle the difficulty. The history oil
unions strikes, lock-outs, and OF all disputes
about wages both in England and IN TINS
couutIy. is one of passion, Ob,t.nacy, violence
and wrath. The workman knows nothing OF
the business of his employer and the employer
t.o often nothing of the wants o. lis work
men. ne result VA, la wlIi,h all ,lir
worst passions are iniiamcd, in which
time is lost and capital Is wasted, even II
dark deeds and Idcfcnsib!c outrases 90 not
cast n gloom over nciglboihoods, and cngcn-
der, as now in some parts of Pcnnsy lyania,
long and dcmoralHiug antaeonisn OF classes.
We trust that his Honor the Mayor of Jer-
scy City is unnecessarily alarmed indeed, We
are fairly sure THAT he is. We suspect that
the wor!mcn there will hardly be hungry
enough to resort 10 the utterly hopeless and fool
ish cxpcdicnt OF riot. No good to them could
come of 1t. They would be shot down by
the military companies; they would be
bIaincd by the police; thcy would be
locked up in the station-h0us,s; they
would finally furnish large delegation to re-
side permanently IN the State Prison at lren
ton. Meanwhile, WAGES would not advance
penny; many families wouid harily have
enough So eat; while the victory wOHld be
upon the side Of law and order, and probably,
~ it usually is, upon the side Of capital also.
No: we believe that the Jersey City operatives
know too much, think too accurately, and value
thcir lives too highly To be guilty of such
madness and crime. If they are the victims OF
injustice to The amount OF Il shilling, our sym
pathics are with thcm but they suffer
no Injustice, only misfortune, when the
state of business makes necessary a reduction
Of wages. The Inconvenience which they feel
Is equally felt Ivy the whole country and there
may be many "A manufacturer to-day, living in
Il fine house and apparently prosperous, who
is really not making much money as lhcy
are, though they are working according to the
reduced scale. When times are good they
have their share of the prosperity; when times
are hard and markets dull ami orders few and
small, why should they not patiently bear
their share OF the adversely !
1t is impossible in this country, from Il COM
binaton of circumstances and for variety oi
reasons, for the wOrkingman tO be long KEPT
ont of fair wages. Everybody knows that
during the civil war advances in the rates
were chcerfuiy made, and that the lcmunrr-
alton OF the workman kept pace with the prices
current. Whether these should now be re-
duccd to something like uniformity with mar
kct rates is Il question to be decided by the
state of business in It's various departments
1t is not a question to be decided by riots and
strikes, nor BY the hot speeches OF dcma-
gogucs. ii the wOrkngncn Of Jersey City
and Newark will only remember this, aud if
their employers will make due allowance for
the inirmitcs of human mature, we shall have
40 bread liUts y in either city.