The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-09-17
ryiE cry or MONOPOLY.


"tt,,,r, -1ci,ths. in which the members con-
,rrn,, to d common fund to be applied to the
.li,f coll -i,t or disabled members or their
,,nilr4. +, u bruc!lccnt principle among all
S,s.e. oi pars ,ns. II Is, too. kind of nstitu-
,~o,' which .ha politician o. the dcmagogue
nmYtr no .o.ii,h use. \ woll-manugcd in
.,,,,ti,n Il bcncyolcnce. however numerous
I,'m,r,,.r, ~ binhlciares. affords bu, small
as.,,, f,. the Objects Of mon who would work
a.cr.,s ilttiuu for political ends if they could
,,tb,d VI It, Then in regard to the other
-rc'usul trades unions. associated action
un,a WHO'S | have laid 1t down a. II funda-
n,,n,,l right oi any body of men to do that by
r,nr,r, which every one OF them has lawful
ri,bi f. do separately. namely. to agree for
theMs..l,s ON the price ut which they will
work, uu this point there can DO no possible
c,ntr1,eysy. Tho only question Island
This is very serious one-how can
thisr ht best bc exercised? And here. hav-
ins obi 1..,d To strikos. am bound to show II
lean. in what way trade union could DO or
vaaia Il anl conluctel 50 as to b. useful to its
member IN all matter, relating to wages. and
vet haze one OF ;ht rules of its constitution
that IL would not recommend. organize. or en-
courd e strike undor any circumstances. or
cours mean by strike a sudden and con-
certcl cessation from work hy u sufficiently
larsauv'ib,r oi workmon TO coercc or cmbar-
ras- ,i.' H.nployor Tor the purpose OF Obtaining
hishcr ,lv or some other concession. Very
likely BE- will bo said that for u body OF workmen
10 rcAouncr this rough method ol Obtaining
wha; they want woVld be To rcnounce thc only
valuable means they have for acting on aquos-
ton oi wages at all. This | deny; and more
over u strike is for those who engage in it the
least valuable the lenst efficient and the most
expensive method Ill which large body OF
MorkmGu can act. -.
Tie following model of trade union will
present ,dy ideas: Let there b. IN association
of worknCu in any employment whose officers
or managers shat serve without salaries or
III, kind of pay for their services. Salaries
would inevitably MAKE The positions objects Of
selfish purposes OF their own. by nll means.
crty. IL regard to wages, lc' thore be II stand
inE molittoc having chnrG. of the subject.
When ani question OF an increase OF a reduc-
tiuA .. Nly arises tins eumlnlttne would be the
organ II communication between the whole
body of thr workmen and the employers.
boIy ui Wornlnen are employed very complex
on. iTryoir,nR MANY elements in the eealcula;;
ton. For example. III the matter OF additional
pay To- iAr freight handlers. no one Of any
dIsegrnment could fail to see that, apart from
bya sudden and conoertel strike. without any
conference between the iaborcrs and the com:
pane th.re va ;i necessarily, question OF
other innings to be considered were the items
to whch the money charged for receiving.
Co., wa. to be disnlbuted ss some '1 Of
the,c items are tho wear aud tear OF machinery
thu cost fuel in making steam, the pay of the
uther >ur"rintendents, the pay of clerks and
goes tat must la charged against the freight
imJ4el p.!"rG a Ian margin OF profit on the
empug i L. load and unload the trains
whether you pa: it into the aggregate Of the
mar-iH o.. fair prof on the business-you must
isave SIC u margin or the business must stop.
claim 10 cons Iteration than am Of the other
enpioS@es, and az the employees together
can lsayc - lar. ...n that Will absorb the
wh4.r II the hfiE money and leave no profit
This ana. isis. which is Of course not a per-
feet ohr, J. sufficient To- show the nature Of the
cai'u!ation IN which an application for an in
e1ease Of pay must y, answered. The ele-
reach IF such {. body OF Workme n ;.s the freight
hanil,rs aud i may h. that their standing
justly and inteiliesntiy with the problem, il
they were furnished with its clements. But
suppos that their union were organized upon
tbs principle % excluding strikes. under any
thoms-lvr, in frank. direct respectful and
cOnsilerate communication with those VINO
nave to decide whether the increase Of pay shall
r. granted or refused. In such II state OF
long without the MD of dsintercsted and
competent persons. who could assist
ne dliliculties o.. the case The very at
t!E'e in which they would stand-the en-
their nppliratior-wou bring to them some.
thing far bettcr than a vague and thoughtesa
pubic sympathy namely, u mastery of all the
ba- mess questions and proper attention to
al ti' cons idrrati"n- Of Justice that might be
my Er! A. II, such union thcre would b.
n it''l toy the d"magosuc. his absence would
encourage tho employer u listen patiently to
al c}Hpuinis aud TO paIIiate. a. tar a.. plac-
ticlD.g tue hardShips OF the wpringman's life.
II Is - mons. rous mistake to be perpetualy
pr 3nliy inS CAPITAL rs hard. remor-ccse,
III 50 t'i'at ttlt OHiNrS OF invested wpnltI
nothing for the wciiGr" Of the classes through!
whose labor that wealth. reaps the profit which
tlt interests 81 society require that it should
reaa. / j.. s,m;thinI more than mistake-it
Is on" oi tnr rhi"f causes which prevent 4
Wholesome condition Of the relations between
employers and employed.
1t may very well be- that the plan OF a trade
union WHICH | have Suggested could he I'M
g 81 :. by rafg.ting pf9p,.. Empoyers OF
OF CONN tnicatpn and conference with their
workinen, ana !; is certain thar there can BE- no
!rst INN! thnt me cihppyer knows y an ey-
tenslvc strike, which aims To stop his bust
mss; " mat = me practical sense in outings
ouit notice in position IN which it has to con-
sd%r What viii be the effect throughout all
emp'ory demlnd for increased nay on the part
OF ON" class of It's employees, without amy fair
demand cannot be granted Ii is simply i,npos-
sib.e for any body of worlmcn, howeyor
sEey tGr determination Of the value Of THAR
labor Il is impossible. because they do not
own or manage the money capital that l., en-
ployrd IN creating the fund out of which wngos
are to bc paid. 4 strike Is an effort to control
The Il -trlhutiOn or that fund The strikers
say to the employer: ''Yon make a wrong dis
trhu'iun Of that fund: you give us loss than
our iHr snare OF II; and we will therefore, not
work our~"lyes and we will induce OF compel
tlhcr NNrkmon to refuse your wages until We
pave closed the labor market against you. and
nave Compelled You to make u nav distribution
q the fund ont of which wo admit WAGES must
" VI H. Aside from tho unuucotonabe fact
MAJ HIS Is Il Kind Of coercion which takes
lNai il" iGht Of the employer to have q, voice
IN ~" termination II the value OF the labor.
ana 'r'n-l'r- that Reorganization to tho associ-
dl"i ,N,'rr- ii the strike is successful. 1T IL a
method 1. action that inllicts upon the strikers
u rrlhr'.N "r Ih'alc4labc evils.
IN assumption which treats railroad man
ayers A. II they were regardless OF the claims
q! ln~'l"" and mercy. or ~ If they would not
XIV" ldir consideration 10 u question OF wages
,,ey'No@ hey hay" the ultimate power and right
Hu'"i' Il ~ they choose. Is one that does not
uu,!Hl i'H"lt to the common sense OF mankind.
,Trr mtNyS r, II our railroads are not fools.
Ihey l,i. i"rStHnd the true interests of the cor
rofa'i"u- whose, agents they are, and among
WIS" lurrests they know accurnt ely that the
Ir"IluA Of u great body of skilled NorkmCn.