The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-03-28
COTTON PRESS STRIKES"
A Calm and D'spassionate State.
ment from the Other Side.
What the Cotton Workers Have to
Say to the Attacks or the Times
No Difference Between
Them and their En-
ployers. m@

| us cotton press hands very unjustly We have
not. notwithstanding your assertion to the CON-
trarv endeavored to secure IAN advance In
wages by msans Of intimidation As we have
before asserted and with truth. and we can
prove II. We made nm amluable demand for the
same wages which were being paid at that time
BY the hatcher and Jackson presses I've re-
ceiving much less than they. and for some Of
the work nothinR). and met with q ready COM
pliance on the part 81 our employers You say.
In speaking OF the fancled intimidation. that
II presents a question which must be imme-
dtately ana reeolutely faced" To quote from
your articles.
II is high time that laborere were made TO
clearly understand that they will not be allowed
to invade every mans inalieDable raht TO no.
0ept any wages he deems sufficient. II is, like.
wise. high time that heavy hand we're ibid
upon the rinsleaders Of such movements The
em Tsey threaten p Tie resee the esSss
community; They are foes to society. and 90
ciBty should treat them az such.
| Now this sounds like declaration OF war.
Do YOU imagine that lahorer has no rights.
not even the right to peaceably request m ad-
vance In wages. request the justice of which
| IL even ack nowledRed by our employers. since
they acceded to Il immediately II anything,
you are the party using threats and intimida-
tion. What have we done to awe rise to the
paragr Aph above Quoted2 What violence what
overt act OF any kind has been committed that
justifles you In Threatening honest men with
the penitentiary p Ask our employers whether
anything Ia our conduct was IN the slightest
degree reprehensible. and the answer would be
that the demand for increased wages was made
iii An upright. uuiet and gentlemanly manner.
lust az any clerk would do In similar case
Have thinRs come to such paas that a aborer
cannot ask for higher wages without being
falsely termed striker" "intimidator" or
Clerks ,Beneyoient Association = strikeIs
should he ask for more, pay. and. to Gap the
climax. threaten him with the "penitentiary p
Not content with this. you accuse us. In an
other PARAGRAPH. which quote Of other things.
who shall cay that We live under govern
mont OF law. when mon who are In dire need Of
employment, and who are offered handsome
wages. dare not accept them lest they be asaas.
led p N ss 81 the nsht' 1t is horrible
who ns. ne:n wsss for sSen
DRAWN Does It not cali for some expianatien2
We defy yoN TO show or cite one stnxle In
Been harmed III BY any q hia fellow hands for
such cause. This - sheer malice. and ls moth
ipg more than desperate a,tempt 70 lacite
prsindices. tho outcome Of disordered brain.
Toauote agaip from your article: :,
course which will errAy against them resistlees
forces. The American people are very patient.
viii repent his folly. There could BE- 10 more
fatal mistake than TO Suppose TINT this city ean
aea Gy by Willie s p s n ~ndar
mined BY q few reckless demaRogues who. for
their own base PURPOSES york unon the isnor-
come to an end. aud quickly. No political In
| tluence should be allowed to obstruot the
prompt enforcement Of the law
In reply to thiH we state emphHtiaRlly that we
are not pureutnE any course calculated or liz.
to array aEnst IVA ANY tsrse f any
faithfully Tor the sm Il pittaace We receive: we
have created no riot. neither have we organised.
hs 40 W. ays nc @G
vlsors. to work upon our Ignorance. Most of
US are men possessed OF at leastthe rudlmeens Of
| in some cases than the men We serve. We think
| your attack unwarranted unjust and unealled
| for. and are aware that Y Was instigated BY
| formerly had charge OF his fathers cotton In
tho Alabama Press.
healed Yesterday on the Streets" that at the
present prices each man Ia gang OF six
would make An average OF ~ os per diem. This
cMmslances by . pet gang IN the Alabama Press.
There are eight gangs o. three hs eaeh n tats
his statement. To Illustrate: All the gangs had
put up about an equal amount OF cotton. but
evn these s he RS,
70 stand idly BY and see their work given away.
Eight gangs In the Fireproof Press made In
gang ii the Mamphis. Press made sra. both
presses being worked BY the same firm. We
ns per
!ss in the cas-: case q the six men ID the Alabama
more is made Most Of ia anring The last Ave
months have made about $500 $3.50 per monthl:
This is fair average OF the WAGES earned
cotton, make stores, handle tarpaulins In the
cold and rain, range brokers' cotton In front OF
the and very often r. the press room It.
nothing. receiving only the eikht cents for
Restoring plan. A gang may store seven. eight
or ntne hundred bales In week. Should the
yard clerk think this good restoring" he
cotton out instead Of the regular gangs. who
would be thus forced to remain idle while see-
ing the cream OF their work taken from them
out. as there would be- no restoring. Often We
as " only
In some presses we are actually the yard
give all the counter marks. numbers. ETC.. OF all
levee and railroad cotton. IN order that the
yard ee5k may Post big yard book and make
We have to do the hardest kind Of work
work which lasts but q few months, and which
leaves us comparatively Idle during the bal
ance Of the season. One can see. from the fol-
lowing statement what We make:
Terrell's Press. receipts. email numbers and
reflections. about 10000: gangs.
Planters Press receipts, small numbers and
reflections. about "a. 1000; gangs.
Commercial Press. receipts small numbers
and.rejections. about 81. 900: 10 gangs.
Virginia Press. receipts. small numbers and
reflections. about 75. GOO: gangs.
PENIS Press. receipts. small numbers and
reflections. about Is 900: gangs.
Fireproof Press. receipts. small numbers
and reflections. 5s. 600; gangs.
Pelican Press. receipts small numbers and
reflections. "A. 200; 9 gangs.
Shippers and independent Press. receipts.
small numbers and reflections. $4,000: gangs.
The above is very nearly correct Il Is evi;
d-nt that this years wages have not averaged
more than $1,000 to $500 per gang, $500 to $500
per man. Where are the clerks wages" which
= n uno rofo fhao vffo nd