Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-11-21
Notions From Way Down East.

The more We know of the East, the
more apparent it becomes that many Of
our modern ideas and conceptions are
only new forms Of old ones. China in
vented not only gunpowder and the
mariners compass, but paper money.
1t is generally admitted that many re-
Ggious doctrines and ceremonies come
from India, while the system and prac-
tice of strikes and trades union has been
long in vogue there. ..
Inc most marked feature of labor
strikes in civilized communities is their
failure, compared, that is, with their
success. But the strikes carried on by
the laborers of India are msrvels Of
combination, unity, obedience and ex-
petition. The famous caste system of
that country is not solely of q religious
character. There are trade castles and
profession castles. BY means Of these
they are able to obtain higher prices for
their commodities than they can in open
market. They maintain two prices, one
for the poor native and . higher one
for the European who can get no abate-
ment. Nor is there any pretence Of
concealing the fact. In the matter of
apprenticeship they are far more strin-
gent than the trades union. No one
born outside of the caste can be sp-
prenticed to its trade, and all born in.
side must be. The system has extended
to the Mohammedans and native Chris
tians.
In time of food scarcity the grain
merchants lock up their stocks on hand,
break their contracts, subscribe to Q
general fund in defense of lawsuits,
ueny that they have any grain, but, if
the case goes against them, walk from
the court to the market and sell at
famine prices the grain they just de.
MED possessing. Toddy.drawers-who
are not bar. keepers, az their name i'm
plies, but drawers of juice from the
palm tree-have prevented an increase
Of tax on their trees by refusing to
draw toddy till the scheme was aban-
doned. In 1876 the butchers Of Luck
now almost caused meat famine by
going on strike because two of them
had been arrested for stealing COW.
The East Indian Railway Company
could not compel their coolies to sweep
out shed ct the station of Allahabad.
During the famine of 1877 bombay was
filed with distressed natives seeking
food and shelter. Hospitals were
erected and the police by mistake I'M
dertook to convey thither some sickly
looking coolies. The harbors were full
Of ships, the quays crowded and swarm
ing with natives landing or storing anu
shipping the cargoes. The next morn.
ing not one of these thousands of Ia.
borers was to be seen, and the foreign
commercial business Of Bombay
stopped. The orders to the police
had to be withdrawn. All this was ac-
complished without officers, rules or
funds. A few men, looked up to as ad-
visers, spoke the word, and those
thousands obeyed instantaneously.
This power of combination, the re-
suit OF centuries of inherited instinct,
is 80 tremendous and active that they
do not need to spend their money keep
ing up visible and formal organiza-
ton. Between times it is unseen; 1t is
" the sleeping giant of their constitu-
tion," but when occasion requires
wakes and accomplishes its purpose.
Moreover, they are afraid that it they
should establish Q union after the Eu'
ropean or American pattern, the for
eigner would seize it and use it for his
own benefit and to their disadvantage.
But for the few uses to which they put
it, il is far more effective than any trades
union ever yet established elsewhere:
No doubt if Denis Kearney should
" 90" with the Chinese he would find
in their history some parsonage which
would not make him appear at all orig
inal or strange in their eyes. They
certainly invented jealousy OF foreign
ers before he did.-Detroit Free Press.