Daily Republican., 1882-09-23
SATURDAY, sEPrEMBGK 2s. is .
DO Strikes Pay


This has been emphatic ally year of
labor strikes happily now almost ended,
AT the threshold of winter it would not
be out of place for workingnen, whether
artisans or common labOrers, to take a
retrospect of the pasJ and see what has
been gained by such a long enforced
season of idleness. They certainly az
ter calm ald impartial reasoning must
come to the conclusion that strikes do
not pay, either for the striker or the
emp lOyer. Nearly every kind of me-
ehanic, artisan and laborer have taken
hand in strikes during the past year
Rnd in most Instances they have re-
turned to their work at the old rates, at
great loss of time to themselves and
considerable am Ount of privatiOn and
suffering. They are not so well off now
nc they were before they commenced
the strike. The three largest strikes
were the Amalgamated association of
Iron workers, the railroad freight ham
dlers and the OF eratives of cotton manu-
factories at Cohoes and Fall River. AT
ter some three months of enforced idle
ness, dCring which time the strikers
not only made nothing, but spent what
they had for months before laid away,
they have returned to work at the same
rates of wages they before received.
The same is the case with the cotton
operatives, but the fate of the poor
handlers of railroad freight was worse
than either of the others and is indeed
to be deplored. The iron workers and
cotton operatives were taken back by
their toImer employers, because they
were skilled workmen, but the railroad
employees being nothing more than
common day laborers, their places were
easily filed by other laborers, fresh
from Europe, who were ready to sub
BtitHte them even at a lower rate.
Though there has been a great loss of
money on both sides, the suffering has
been mostly on the side Of the strikers,
aud now that the strikes are in gen
eral sense over for the year, it would
be we'll for each party to strike bal
RDce sheet and see what has been
gained. Both empl oyers and employees
go to work again with loss of conf
denCe in each other and with reserve
intention that as soon as an OppOrtu-
nifty occurs to sever the relationship
heretofore existing. The employers
have lost money by long shutting up
of their manufactures, which disturbed
tn channels of trade. The workmen
have lost money by their forced absti-
nence from work. Nothing whatever
has been gained. Even in the small
number of cases where workmen have
succeeded in getting q small advance,
it rests on a very precarious and weak
foundation, for the employers at the
first opportunity will in turn lead off in
a reduction of wages. Strikes do not
pay. Even the bricklayers strike, the
only one of consequence in our city, did
not pay, except to about dozen or TWO
of first class workmen, who got an ad-
yPncs OF twenty. FIVE cents day, while
abe other four or five dozen went to
NO X at the old wages, after having
lost the wages of three weeks. The loss
in general however is incalculable.
Had the strike not occurred, probably
. hundred more houses would have
baen built.
We would not take from the MT
Ghanic and labOrer the means by which
he would protect himself, but whether
n strike is the best plan to secure an in
crease of wages, is to our mind decid-
edly doubtful. The rates of wages must
be and will be regulated by the de-
mand for labor and the supply of labor.
If there is more work than laborers
higher wages will rule, but If there are
more faborers than work, wages will
AEoop. The best way to our mind is to
settle these differences and difficulties
by consultation and amicable agree.
1DeNts between woIkmen and employ
EEs-indeed the problem seems hard to
Eolye, but one thing is proved by this
years. disturbance of labor and capital,