National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-05-20
TRADES UNION AGAIN.

To the Editor OF THE REPUBLICAN,.
without turning aside to answer scurrilous per-
eonality or fortify the arguments against trades
union which Veritas in the Star aud Sergeant
Bates In THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN, unintenlion
nly furnish, permit me to briefly indicate that I
have sufficient understanding Of their bad effect
TO enable me to get along without going west for
more. Personal experience and observation are
reasonably good sources of knowledge, but any
one seeking information OH this subject, trades
unions, need not depend on them alone Trades
unions are
NOT A NATIVE AMERICAN PRODUCT,
nor have they flourshed ON the European con.
tinent, the effete despotisms Of that unhappy re-
spiritual elevation of the sons and daughters of
working people by keeping them In the ranks Of
'nskiled labor. 1t remained for the British work.
man to make close corporations Of the trades.
Onicia data collected by the government show
that the Brickmakers Union has attacked non.
union men by methods which read like a leaf out
of the history of the Mollie Mcguire trials Ku-
KluX investigation. Mixing needles In the clay,
30 as to lame the moulders blowing up kilns,
assaults, woundings and assnssinations were
habitual. While things were being made lively
for the refractory workman his family were not
neglected.
HIS CHILDREN WERE ISsULTED
and beaten, and his wife assaulted and often muir.
dered as well as himself. The murder of poor
woman who was encferte at the time formed n part
of the means taken to elevate one man who would
not join the union, nor was II an isolated case.
Other trades rivaled the brick. makers, Black.
smiths, grinders, machinists, book binders, aud
all the rest held the lives, fortunes. regulations,
and families OF recusant comrades cheap in com.
parison with the fanced interests Of their respec.
tive unions and themselves. Charles Reade's
book, Put Yourself in His Place" is n graphic
statement of the way in whic, English trades.
unions secured self protection and moral and In
Iellectual advancement, elevated and ennoblcd
art, aud prevented decentralization. degradation,
aud glut in the market for skilled labor They
did II by numbering the on-union men when
necessary, and very often when It wasn't, with
smaller annoyances dd h6ttum.
EVERY SCENE OF VIOLENCE
Yecounted in Reades book was taken from court
commi ttees. Their violence has not even the
apology OF success. Tie British workman uses
himself with riotous living and more than one
fourishing English industry has been destroyed,
and others crippled, by the insane actions Of the
tate 10 the Government how many apprentices
may be employed in the navy yard shops. Bureau
Of Engraving and Printing, and Government
Printing Office. 1t is so at every navy. yard When
THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN, rose
AGAINST THE TYPoGRA PHICAL UNION
some years ago, and non.union printers were
brought here to work on the paper, the means
used 10 drive them away seemed to an outsider q
little severe. In one case member of the Union
was arrested while robbng sleeping rat"
printer The Union man boldly avowed the decd
sleclaring that he would have taken every cent
1hatthe man had II he had not been prevented
rms union does not coniine Its elevaling efforts
70 rat" printers or imperfectly instructed jour.
neymen. Let any non, union mau go into the
government frlnunS Office, no matter how skilled
lie may be- and he cannot stay ut his case a
month He will first be invited to enter the union,
aud II he refuses he win be driven out OF the
office by series Of annoyances as cowardly as
they are unjust.
RI0HT IN THIS DISTRICT
] have known boys in whose favor every claim
on esteem ana sympathy might be urged who
have been denied knowledge Of any handloraft
practccd here and driven by the unmerciful
unions 10 driving, errand-running office.
sweeping, or any other precariOus kind of un.
skilled labor, am astonished by the number OF
fathers and boys of my acquaintance who have
thanked me for my communication of the 10th
There seems 10 be no human being whose future
IS rs hopeless as that Of IN American city boy Of
poor parents. Much OF this is undoubtedly dine TO
an excess OF town population, but a bad state of
affairs is intentionally aggravated by the course
OF tha trades unions, who say in effect that
THE AMERICAN BOY SHALL
not become skilled workman or q useful citizen
bnt shall lounge on corners and vacant lots and
become hoodlum or thief That so large a
percentage thrive somehow aud remain honest is
compliment to their moral fiber, home training,
and our public schools.
genuine charitable organization is an excel
lent thing, have the honor to belong TO several
but the trades unions result in the perfection Of
selhshness and unwisdom.
JOHN II. b. JENKINS.