Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-30

The Boston Post notes the fact that
the spirit of the striker is abroad in the
land and bodies no good to labor or capt.
tai, aud that history has shown that
strikes, in a majority of cases, have been
Intellectual to accomplish their purpose.
In England, in some cases, they have
been successful in raising wages and
reducing the hours of labor, but, accord
ing to good authority, a much larger
number have failed. 1t has also been
noted that strikes for a rise of wages
frequently succeed, but strikes to pre-
vent fall commonly fail. The reason
signed for this is, that the demand for
higher wages comes in prosperous times,
when profits are good and can bear a
reduction; whereas, the lowering Of
wages by employers very rarely comes,
except in times of depression, when
there is more labor upon the market than
demand for its products.
In England, in early times, proven
ton against strikes was attempted By
legislation. Latterly it has been aban-
doned, for the immense number of trades
unions, allied by common sympathy, has
made them a powerful force, and too
much so to encourage efforts at coercion.
In this country the right to strike has
been recognized, unless it interferes with
existing contracts, but even here no man
nor body can take from others the right
to work and to enjoy the results of his
own choice and industry. The public
sympathy is justly awakened in behalf
of laboring men when they are oppressed
or their wages are unduly reduced, but
when violence Is used or conspiracies are
formed to deter men willing to work
from pursuing their occupations wrong is
done. and all ground for pity is mis-
placed. Every man must be left free to
contract and to labor on whatsoever
terms he chooses, aud whoever resists
this is public enemy.
The Post further argues with great
good sense that the present unhealthy
condition of things existing between
some of our manufacturing corporations
and their operatives is fairly traceable to
the workings of the present tariff. 1t
remarks that the increase of strikes has
been very marked since it, the tariff, went
into effect, and are the natural outcome
from high protective tariff. The plain
reason of this is that bountIes at first
give manufacturers large profits. This
others are quick to see and to avail them
selves of by going into the same bus!-
ness. Soon the supply of goods exceeds
the demand, causing glut IN the mar
ket. Then, in order to pay stockholders
their dividends, the price of labor has to
be reduced, the loss falling ultimately on
the employees. All this happens in the
midst of the cry of the necessity Of pro
tecting home labor, though all the pro
lection which the laborer gets is re
duction of wages. If he protests, mills
are shut down and the same clamorers
for protection to home industry send
abroad for foreign laborers to take the
place of our citizens who are thrown out
OF employment.
Ia this connection. our Boston contem-
porary also calls the attention of Con-
gress to another important matter. 1t
says: "The striking spirit is very con-
tagious and liable to lead to breaches of
the peace, besides enlailing suffering
upon large numbers of innocent people
A strange paralysis seems to have over
taken that body with respect to the
present odious tariff. Why is this2 All
agree that revision is needful, and that
it is high time that war measures should
be materially modified. 1t can only be
accounted for by supposing that too
many Congressman or friends behind
them are personally reaping too large
profits to permit any changes to be made.
But the tendency to strikes ought to be
warning to them, and enlightened self
interest, if no higher motive, lead to
tariff reform before widespread mischief
shall enforce attention to the subject.