The Morning herald., 1877-07-23
THE lNsURRECvIOS OF LABOR.

Strikes are the Instructions If labor.
Like instructions in the political body
they are purely destructive. There is no
creative or ht aling virtue in them, hence
they are to be reprobated. Strikes like
revolutions, may be justified by their re-
suits. Ifthey break up vicious customs,
or lead to an equitable adjustment Of
wages, strikes are righteous, if not-not.
The present widespread and tumulous
strike has become national calamity in
vviving the loss of many lives; the unset
tement Of the public mind; the destrnc
ton of millions Of property; the certain
impoverishment of the strikers, and worse
than poverty and suffering upon their in
nocent families the coming winter.
No man eau deny the right of working
men to organize for the projection of their
labor, it il their Auty-their right is per
feet to say at what rate Of wages they will
labor; but the moment an individual or A
society, interferes TO prevent man from
making any contract for,-or agreement to
work at any price, it is an act Of tyranny
which strikes at rights. without which
society could not exist. The men who so
interfere are enemies of order, and must be
put down if needful by the strong arm Of
the law. The bloody scenes at Baltimore,
and Plt.sburg,indicat mach suffering ard
evaporation among he great body Of the
people; it is very plain that their feeling
are warmly enlisted in favor of the striker,
and against corporations, 1t is to be de
r )red that public sentiment should lie 81
vicious; as tie present contest is MI
whether certain sum per day is under
the circumstances enough wages bu'
whether Jones is 10 be permitted to wo, k
a, wages, Brown says he will not work for
The corporations are cu'pat:e beyond
measure in one particular, it does not al'-
pear that they let these men know thai
under the circumstances reduction O
wages was q necessity, but in the contemn p.
tuous fashion of a Feudal Baron, they said
such are my orders as to wages, and lkcy
were required to obey without murmur ol
inquiry. There are some newspaper talk
abou: shooting down the strikers if they
assemble together, etc. OF course itii,
can be expected of the average editor OF
such questions, but it is we'll 10 state tn.
case:
"The duty of governments, nation :
ard local, and Of good citizens, in This. a
in all otter strikes, is single and simple
1t is to keep hands off, so far as the strike
is concerned, and leave the question to be
settled by the parties to it in the only
practicable way but to stop al one. and
punish with extreme severity all violence,
intimidation, threats aud other unlawful
expedients all "hitling below the belt
in the contest which is left 10 be settled in
this foolish and wasteful way, the mcr
who "srike " are not to be punished b,
the law for striking" which is piec
of ignorance and folly and punisbes itsel
but they are to be punished if they at.t mp
to reinforce their ignorance aid folly /,
crimes against pubic order l, is IT,,
duty of governments, which are supposed
to be Administered b. men capable o
governing, to hold the balance calmly anc
firmly between the argument Of abstinence
from labor which the strikers have An up,
doubted right, if they are foolish ant
ignorant enough to exercise it, 10 Use agains
their employers, and the Argument O
peril to life and property which they hav,
no right to use against their employers"
We notice meeting called by railroa,
men to meet in Nev York, to devise
plan to refuse employment to any memb.
of a trades union. This is a movemen
which is fraught with danger to the toiley
If employers may combine to deny t,
their employees the right Of association
they may combine for any other purpose
If such an attempt is made by the cor
poration,of the country it will drive theil
employees int oath-bound secret societies
and lnaugura.' a contest between labor
and capital which may prove disastrous l.
the whole couotry.