The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-02-20

MOCK ISLAND, Feb, 90 1873, .
notice a communication in the Union,
this morning, from "One of the Plow Bows"
stating certain things as being facts, which
7 will name, mildly, as being absolutely
false. He intmates that b. d. Buford &
~ do not pay twice month, regularls,
as has been their custom for the past year
and half-this | know to be absolutely
false, from the situation | bold with the
company, As to any coercion of their EN-.
nloves to trade with Butord & Taylor, I
will simply say this is false in every par
ticular. Nothing of the kind is required
bv the company. 1t is left optional with
the employe to trade where his interests
shall suggest. AS to extortionary prices,
| would merely say. that there are many
who do not trade there and still they are
not discharged nor are they thought any
the less of by their employers. I imagine
this letter of one of the Pillow Boys" was
written by some outsider for political pur-
poses. still it is none tho ,ess false. lam |
one of the Plow Boys also.
A. f. HEATS
As this is subject of considerable in
terest to large number of citizens of this
city and Moline, and Intimately connected
with the large enterprises of both cities,
THE ARGUS publishes the above letter
| from Mr.. Heath, on whom the duty Of
paying the employees Of the shop devolves,
for the above reason and in order to set
forth the facts in the case, as We find
them on investigation, The article pub
lished in the Union does not, we believe,
emanate from any employe of Buford's
factory, as none of the boys in the shop
would be guilty of such false statements.
1t is more likely that it is written 10 the
Union office, as is their habit, and published
by that paper because the proprietors OF
the shop do not patronize that paper to
any great extent, or it may be that it was
written by some dealer who wishes to get
Mr.. Taylor's trade away from him; or it
may be that it is written by some of the
leaders of the dark lantern society" in
lorder to work up state Of feeling that
will enable them to control the votes of the
workingmen at the coming election, 1t
being understood that some of the en-
ployes of that shop expect to be nominated
for Office. Possibly 1t may have been
written by some employee who has traded
} more than his wages amount to and wants
to strike at the friends who are carrying
him and extending him credit, but We
think not.
Our reasons fol- not believing that it was
written by any employee of the shop arr
from the facts stated in Mr.. Heath's letter
and from the additional fact thai the mel
in Bufords shops are better paid and maxi
more money per day than men in an!
other shop or those engaged in any othe
kind of work Suppose the Union, or an!
, Plow Boy who may have written the article
: stop and consider for a moment wha
0 would be the effect if Buford & Co. shoul
: think they had money enough and clos
their factory for twelve months. VIVA
: would be the effect at such time as this
when relief committees are patrolling th
= city, feeding those who cannot get work a
any price. Let the poor fool who wrot
s the article, and the Union who publishe
+ it, remember that Buford & Co. could dis
Il charge every one of their men and biz
e them over again tomorrow for Is pc
1t cent less than they are paying them to-da!
e Let the poor idiot who thus attempts
1t strike at concern that is to-day giviD
n 400 men Az opportunity to earn bread *
# themselves and families hide his head III
- der an anonymous signature. No wondt
d he is ashamed of his tname. While IL
is Bufords pay no attention to it, Mr.. Heat
vino is an employe of the company, brant
the author. in his mild way, as liar; y
even liar can find those willing to publis
,e their lies without investig What al
ID the facts regarding the wag
sr men in this factory receive? We ha1
n taken the trouble to enquire and find tina
10 outside of boys and apprentices, roust
n bouts receive $l.40 per day; more intel
9r gent laborers receive 81. 80, the painte
D. average So 55; the woodworkers on pie
d work earn $3.65; the grinders, So 81
y best blacksmiths. $4.S5 per pay. Do the
'e men believe that their place cannot be FILE
Ie for less money?