New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-22
A TRACT
on TRADES-UNIONS. PROMOTERlsM, AND
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.
BY THOMAS CARLYLE.

THE SIGNS OF THE IIMLS'
BY THOMAS CARLYLE.
The Tr,des-Unions of our days stand IN
notable contrast to the old Trades Uuions tcallcd
Guilds) Of former centuries Guilds were for quick
eninr the conscience of wOrkmen teaching every
workman that il was not permitted HIN to TANK
If dong ms work i'll that the honor Of a Workman
and of all his brethren, consisted in faithful skiltu
and excellent delivery of work AM IN never by
any temptation debasng himself 10 work like a
botcher much less like thief and knaNe Trades
Unions again are avowedlg for increase OF wages
alone of thievery, knavery, botchery meeting in
the work DONE no account is had. or, If any, rather
apreference shown for these sad qualities! Guilds,
therefore. We can define as tending Hedrenrdrd for
all parties namely. towards discharge more and
more perfect of the DUTIES had undertaken;
Trades-I mons as tending HellwaId Downward let
Us say u for all that is. Toward getting more ana
more wages for work however done. Between
men and masters accordingly, never such
scandal of work dl-dOHe, and never such perpetual
battle about the eveT-lncreaslng UdgcS to he Ge-
handed for it A truly Internal position Tor both
parties little understood or needed as such, by
either OF them,-or by anybody almost but my poor
self yet hourly poisoning the soul of everyone con-
cerned with it)-Out of which inefable, if also for
a time inevitable position all men might well pray
Good Lord, deliver us soon p
Two days ago it first struc,- ME artlcuately,
That till somebody lamong masters or men 1e-ac-
CURED and got a few Others to Ie-acqure the Old
human detestation. shame and adherence OF
WORK mL-DoNE, ana began 10 try it with fixed
determination to do their little bit OF WORK well
Whatever the wages might be-there was no
pyrcfuu salons of moral life in the affair at all,
aud no real Improvement could begin. This Is
deeply and clearly my opinion though cannot get
and II lau a
it stancing fer somebody that has still pen and a
right hand
Master-workers as the more "cultvated,' etc,
might be looked to for "initiating in this all
vital matter; but will theyf Or will workbench
perhaps take the staIt of them' Tried with the
true fidelity and herOIsm, either by Associated
'Worlmen or by one rich Master trying to asso-
eiate workmen, ! am persuaded that the Public
even now would pstrOnise it. Most blessed OF all
the Trades Unions yet heard Of! 9th July,
1872.
My hope and prophecy used TO be that instead Of
-Feadalism and Preservation Of the Game" we
snail have Industrialism and Government by the
Kisest" and So on the whole still firmly believe,
no alternative except that, or The Pit of Dark
ness for us AL" be seeming possible to me: but
the rQy hiiker has many unexpected loops. lurch-
ings whirls and windlngs very many hitherto;
and who shall guess how many and how miserable
in the unseen Generations yet ahead! THIS OF the
new-sprung Sect of people, who are called Pro-
moters" well known in the City region Just now,
and spreading there like Tropical HemlOck Forest,
are the most hideous, huge and periious-loOking.
Promoters" are gangs of Miscellaneous i'll
employed Persons perhaps in some loose way
nected for mutual interest occasion into one
general gang whose trade is to devise seductive
projects OF companies for industrial Enterprise
Enterprise calculated Gnfalliblyl to yield sure
and rich return. The enterprises otherwise are OF
most various feature. Enterprise OF every conceiv
able Sort in any quarter of the terraQueUus globe
but in this primary feature of rich and return
to the adventurous shareholder they all agree.
Their companies, too. be it well observed, ale all
companies Limited, no risk of serious loss 10
yOu, should the very worst come. These beautiful
Companies Limited" so soon as fairly born. and
got into some kind of descriptive loug-ciothes to
hide their nakedness, the Promoters lauEch upon
sinful stupid world: by every effort of human
cunning and activity. especially by pR-limted in
eessant and omnpreseut drumming and trumpetiug
hro' the new Ha penny POST, strive TO blow up TO
The due bulk Of FEASIBILITY, and popularity real or
seemlng.-till if humanity possible shares rise to
par. or premium; whereupon instantly the Pro
meters realize their own 10000 OF said shares, and
walk silently victorious, out Of that adv enture,
thanking Heaven, or the Other Place !" al this if
humanity possible. II not humanity possible, OF
course they have to vanish other terms and the
adventure with them Needful only TO recognize IN
time that your bellOws-pOwer is inadequate, that
your wind bag of an adventure does not ELL
The Limited Liability Act" lrescinding Of the
ancient human Act on that subject-which would
cost any Ministry its life a day to attempt rere-
seindingl this. which after long travail the re-
spected Womb of Chaos bore us about ten years
ago, may he taken as the first visible development
OF tie thing creative fat for it. OF open permission
10 exist: short while after which there began 10 be
eheerfuly noticed sensible increase Of briskhess
IN business" Of industrial and commercial adven-
inre, and, in short OF uRezGDpIed prOspeity; cul-
nlnatng at the due time IN Overend Quincy Bank
fuptcies lOf Eleven Millions odd, Chatham and
Dover Railways, general collapse OF mendaclty
and madness, and such abomination OF Desolatlon
a. is certain TO ensue thereupon N world not made
originally by Beelzebub and Co. but By Another,
And where Lying and Cheating are not permitted
au!-After lying on the rotheap for several
years, soraping itself with potsherds worse than
sser Job. making woful wall to Heaven and
@afth the Commercial World struggled to It's feet