Daily Republican., 1882-06-09
FRIDAY. JUNE .. 1852.
The struggle Between Capital and
Labor.

The struggle Between Capital and
Labor.
The strike amongst the iron and steel
workers now in force from Western
Penn nnsylvania west ward and in which
100, 900 men ale engaged in the most
gigantic strike ever known in the coun-
try. The issue between labor and cap'-
tai seems to be fairly Joined and specu-
lation will be busy in advance in at
tempting to solve the result of the con-
test. From present Appearances this is
something hard to do, but it is certain
that somebody will run out OF funds
sometime and following that must en-
sue hunger and want in every shape
1t is natural to suppose that mill own
ers have the most money and will be
able to hold out the longest, but this
view of the case can hardly be borne
out, for many of them are as poor as
the men who labor for them, and they
are probably interest payers for the
means by which they have been enabled
to carry on business at all. These mill
owners and employ ers hold that the
strike must come to an end in few
days, or, at most weeks must exhaus'
the resources Of the association under
whose advice the strike was entered
into. They also hold that most ct these
laborers have not joined tie movement
voluntarily, but through the pressure
oftrade unions, and that they will be
clad to avail themselves of the oppot'
tunity of going to work at the earliest
hour possible. This is a very natural
view of the case, hut the employers
may easily be mistaken. On the other
hand the leaders of the revolt are Just
AZ confident that the mill owners
will grow restless in the self en-
forced closing of their mills, that they
cannot look with indifference at their
brethren in the East, whose mills are
in full blast and part Of whose profits
should 60 into their own pockets and
that this will induce them to hang out
a flah of trice long before the strikers
have exhausted their means or their
patience.
But of one thing all parties are
perfectly satisfied, and that is
that the strikes are very Improbable,
as they stop the wages OF the employees
and the profits of the employers.
Viewed through the lenses of the politi.
cal economist, they are ali unmitigated
evil, and this estimate is pretty nearly
correct. But there is kind of spunki-
ness prevailing amongst all classes that
pre, ents them from "knuckling down"
as they call it, and this feeling often
asserts itself in very unreasonable
ways. The man who works in the iron
mill likes to assert his independence at
times as much as the richest million |
aire in the land, and he goes upon
strike not 80 much to get few addi |
tional cents to his wages as to show his
bosses that he too is an Independent |
factor in the body polite Then too
after having worked hard for weeks,
months, and perhaps for years, he feels
that holiday and little recreation
will do him good, and a strike gives
him the opportunity better to indulge
this feeling than any thing else that can
turn up. For time he is as independ
ent as a lord, and just as idle. This to
him for the time being is true enjoy.
ment. He sratches time to go on ex-
cursions. visits Long Branch, Ocean
Grove, Atlantic City or Cape May, and
for q time rollics around in general to
see how the world goes any how. But
in the end more serious questions ami.
mate him. He sees the flour and meat
barrel gradually emptying and they
have to be filled and refilled. The sum
devoted to creature comforts grows less
every week and finally it is with diff.
Guilty that both ends may be made to
meet. There is an underlined feeling
that every thing is not going right, and it
requires no sharp vision Of sight to show
him what 1t is. 1t is all out-go and no
income The natural inference is that
all will soon go and then what? That
is unpleasant to dwell upon.
Both ends however are not meeting
for the workmen. The manufacturer
finds no sales for his ware and his profits
are the smallest. He says he cannot
pay more, and hence the present issue'
Time only can tell which will win. If|
the decreased production of iron ere
ates q short supply and sends up the
price, doubtless the manufac urers will
start up their mills and yield to the
demands of their workmen. If not
then the mills will remain closed until
hands resume work at the old prices.
Good crops, which are abundantly
promised now, will have much to do in
solving the trouble.
WE HOPE the new City Council this
evening will appoint the Council COM
mittees, especially the water and street