, 1877-09-12

FIGHTING A0A1NBT THE MARKET.
There aro 12,O00 ignorant lncn tn tlt
Pcn''sy1vania coal regiona who aro bringing
lo,ooo or 10, QUO people to tho verge Of atnr
vaton by their purverse and obstinate rcfuan
to work, or allow others to work, Mt tllt
prices tho employers are willing to pay,
They im"gino That tlloy nrp OH STRIKE
ngairat tlseir bosses, and that they have only
to hold out long enough to bring the latter
to terms. This il their error. As matter
Of fact, they arc striking agniust tho market
OF tho country, and tic market OF tho coun.
try can only DO ,na1o to yield better prices
by tho readjustment of manifold interests,
Of which coal In only ono nmong tie many.
In tho prosent depressed condition OF manu-
facture anil trade. coal yieltls cortain slepre.
ciatcd price per ton. Tho owners Of tho
mines say to tho operatives: "Wo can nflori
at this prico to pay 20 much per ton
for taking tho coal out OF tho
ground, but no more; but NO will
establish sliding grade Ut wages, whereby
you sllall 10 better paid for your work 1t,
proportion as VIC aro pafd for tie result'
To this tho operatives stubbornly reply !;
mo. wo don't caro what you get we want
| 80 and 80 much per ton for mining tho coal,
| and wo rofuso to work, or to allow otlcra to
| work, till We got it." Tho owners say thoy
can battor alford to lot the coal re1natn In
tho ground tl,nu to 1nino 1t at loss, aud
work is indefinitely suspended. II Ia appar-
ont to intelligent people TINT, under those
circumstances, tho miners are striking ngaiust
tho general community and not ngaiust local
employers. But tho general community
cannot 10 controlled by tho coal..ninors
alone. huolrod othor induoncos, equally
important, are at work shipping tho rotations
Of supply aud demand. Tho result Is
that these minors ]ay down their
tools and say tlat, ''As tines aro
hard md prices aro low, wo wont work
ut all till things improve" But how Gun
there be any Improvement M long ns work.
inguon nro governed by so palpablc aud pro-
posterous an absur1ity7 In llard tines, they
ndd tho dead loss Of voluntary non.produc-
tion 10 TINT of enforced non-prodnc.ion, and
continue their average consumption without
adlfng anything to the world's stock. Under
this rnle, 1t is inevitable TINT tirnes must be-
como harder; and while tho pressure IL be-
coming moro antl moro sovero, and tho wants
Aud sutforingB Of their famflieaaro Increasing,
thoy say they would rather sarn nothing than
share tito common shrinkago which all otlor
CLASSES must endure.
1t is not strange that o claas Of people
who permit themselves to be guided by such
taso and stupid notions should 10 in a con.
stant condition Of turmoil md trouble, :
Unfortunately, thoir Rolt-imposed sutforings
aro not confined to their own cInss. Tho
ealamitous results OF their lonso ignorance
oxtond to somo e1tont throughout the ontira
community. They themselves incur loss
which they mover Gun regain. Tho loas to
tho miners in Ponnsylvauia represents prob
ably not lcaa thnn 100000 tlay, or sleo,.
600 week, or nearly la1f q million dollars
q month. How many months will It require
oven at tho Increased prico they demand to
recover ono months loss Of absolute jtlle-
ness? Aa n matter Of fact their loss con
mover be made good, for the increased wages
will como mono the sooner on account OF
their present idleuoss, and they would havo
ontoycd this increase In any caso, and just
tho Same II thoy did not voluntarily incur
tho prosont loaa. Moanwhile, by With
holding coal from the market, they
will not incroaso tho price thereof, since tho
manufacturers cannot afford 10 pay moro.
but they will cause tho suspension of other
industries, mud throw out Of employment
Thousands Of workiugmon who nro willing to
oarn something less than usdal rather than
not to earu anything. This Ii tho elect on
The country at large, but TINT upon tho State
aud tho immediate noighborhood Of tho
strike ia much moro posniclous, 1lcfusing
to work themselves, they nro, nevertheless,
not willing TO starve, and assort tho still |
more proposteroua claim Of n right to 1.-Two |
upon the work Of others. Though tho
farm-labororB Of Pennsylvania do not earn
% much por DAY aa tho minors could earn at
tho wages tho employers oifor to pay, tho
Ida minors propose to live upon tho farm.
ers. Thoy began by begging. but having
begged till tho farmers can 10 longer Yo-
apond, they resort to stealing and Riding,
other mons cattle, aud robbing
other mems gardens aud farms. Tho moro
object their condition becomes, tho moro
desperate they grow, until mon who might
be respectable, sslf-supporting citizens DO.
generate to the condition Of outlaws aud
bandits, requiring troops 10 watch them and
keep them from organized revolution. This
degradation Is voluntary and tho Legitimate
fruit Of ignorance.
IMPORTANCE or RECIPROCITY,
Canadian reciprocity IL subject that
needs to be kept before tho people. It ia
matter Of moro than speculative interest.