Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-03

great iron manufacturing centre Of the
country, the fires were put out, and the
doors were closed There is scarcely s
doubt that the example thus set in Pitts
burg vii be speedily followed in other
manufacturing towns and cities. and in
g few days the army Of unemployed viii
be recruited to the extent Of many thou
sands.
Tbs condition Of affairs cannot be too
greatly regretted, for the consequences Of
such 8 vast body Of men being in idle
ness can be productive Of nothing but
evil. II nothing else results therefrom
It Is estimated that the pecuniary losses
which Will ensue will amount, in pro
portion, to 500. ZOO annually. This
Is vast sum 20 be lost 70 the country,
snd the virtual withdrawal Of that
amount Of money, OF proportion thereof
attherste Of nearly s, 600, 900 Per month,
from circulation, must necessarily tend to
increase the difficulty OF living, Of which
there Is uow so much complaint And
the worst OF It all Is that before business
IS resumed, and the present difficulties
are settled, the loss above mentioned will
fsll almost wholly on the strikers them
selves. They must depend for liveli-
hood, in the meantime, on their
savings, and what help they can
obtain from labor aid associations, and
as these means Of subsistence must
sooner or later be expended. it follows
that If the strike is Of extended duration,
poverty and want, if not absolute desti-
tuition. must follow. Then will be
heard murmurings of discomfort which
viii grow louder and deeper as depriva
tons increase, and no one can say that
riotings and the terrible scenes of the
summer Of 1871 will not be repeated.
There Is one matter connected with
these labor troubles which has always
struck Us as very singular. and this is
the time which the wOrkiDgmen invaria-
BY settle upon 10 strike. It is the almost
uaexcepti0nal rule that when the season
is dull and manufacturers cannot afford
to keep their works in operation with
profit, We heaf Of strikes and lock
outs. That is the very time, Of all 9th
ers, when the strikers have the least pos
sible hope Of carrying their point,
for it Is the very time, Of all 9th
ers, when manufacturers can better
afford 20 cease production. Indeed,
manufacturers frequently prefer to stop
work altogether at such periods, both
F because It saves them the expense of
running their mills when trade is
dull and orders scarce. and also
it gives them an opportunity to dispose
+ Of their accumulatiOns OF surplus stock
F a. remunerative figures. This is particu-
larly noticeable in the present strike.
Il is admitted that the dizziness
Of trade now existing is due
more to over production than any
other cause, and we read that dealers in
manufactured goods are even jubilant
over the condition of affairs. because
they maintain the strike will cause their
property to advance in value. No
wonder then that manufacturers are per-
fectly cool and indifferent, have cOmpla-
Gently made up their minds to take adj
vantage Of present circumstances to make
needed repairs to their mills, so as to
\ be in better condition when business
ls again active to gather in
their protected profits with more
than usual rapitity. Every indication,
therefore. is that this strike will end as
its predecessors have done-by the strik-
ers remaining id,e for several months
and then being forced by necessity to re-
sumo work at old wages. This means
simply taking money from the workmen's
pockets which is to them dead loss, and
why they should always settle upon dull
seasons 10 strike, when every chance IS
against them, is truly incomprehenslble.
Out Of all evils, however, good may
come. and It is to be hoped the lessons
to be taught from the present unhappy
condition Of affairs may not be lost upon
the wOrkingmen Of America. Their
present hardships are plainly due more
to over production than any other cause,
and over production is the legitimate
consequence Of a high protective tariff.
When trade springs up again next fall,
on account of good crop prospects and a
return of general activity and prosperity,
they will be, as usual, urged by the
manufacturers to vote for high tariff,
on the ground that such a tariff protects
their wages. The condition in which
they now find themselves is in direct con-
tradictiOn to any such specious fallacy.
The cold fact stares them in the face that
they are idle and are forced to live as
best they may, while the protected manu-
facturer keeps cool and serene over an
ticipated advances in the value of his
stock on hand, because Of a suspension
Of production, and calmly announces
that he will expend some of the heavy
profits which protection has guaranteed
him in making needed repairs so as to
be in better condition than ever when
hunger has driven the workmen to his
terms. 1t is most earnestly to be hoped
that good order and the peace Of the
community will not be outraged, and that
a settlement of the present troubles will
be speedily effected; but the constant,
steady recurrence Of such troubles under
our present tariff system calls loudly for
a change and imperatively demands radi-
cal reform. 1t is plain that so far as the
laboring man Is concerned, protection
has proven a failure, and it would be
the part of wisdom to at least try some
thing different.
The Hawkinsville Dispatch is a strong
friend of Hon. A. o. Bacon. of Macon,
as the Gubernatorial candidate Of the