The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-05-30
LABORING POTTERS
Of East Liverpool and the
Bosses
Who Locked Them Out Because the Men
Dared to Organize For Mutual
~ Protection.
EAST L1vERpooL, O., May 25. 1888.

|, EDITOR STARK COUNTY DEMOCRAT
SIR:-l think the citizens of Canton
and surrounding country are not ac-
quainted with the true situation between
the bosses of this town and their en-
plOyes. L will give you a true statement
OF the trouble asit has existed here
since the 2d day of June, 1882. On the
22d day of April, 1882, sixteen citizens
of this town organized an assembly OF
knights of Labor for mutuaiprOtectiO
The organization is about the same as
any other secret society in existence,
but Knowles, Taylor 81 Knowles, heard
that the wOrkingmen were getting up
an organization, and he said we will
nip 1t in the bud. He was told at the
time by a leading Republican,, that If he
went to fight with the wOTkingmen,
they would defeat Mckinley, their can
didate for Congress. Homer Knowles
said in reply that he did not care, they
were going to war with their men, but
they failed to nip it in the bud" The
organization will be firm as a rock,
when that firm will be numbered along
with some others, that tried TO snip It !
in the bud" and failed. This man
Knowles caused to be- placed up in his
shops written circulars notifying his
men that If any of them belonged to the
knights of Labor or any similar organ
iZatiOn, they could consider that circu-
lar two weeks notice, and at the end
of that time they could quit, as they
would not need their services any longer.
When, however, the two weeks were up,
he just had about ten men left out of
200, and they were scabs that took the
place of other men during some trouble
with the kiln men of the same pottery,
and they remain scabs; once scab al
ways scab.
These slave masters were not satisfied
with closing up nine white.ware potter
les, but sent their agents to Trenton, N.
j., Wheeling, SteubenVille, Wellsville,
and all places where white or yellow
ware was manufactured, and tried to
get all the manufacturers to join them
in the fight; but everyone said, "get be-
hind me, Satan" We are satisfied with
the actions and work of our men. They
tried all the bosses here, but only the
following nine went into the lock out:
Knowles, Taylor u Knowles; Goodwin
Bros; Vim. Brunt, Jr. q Co.; Homer
Laughlin; GeO.S. .Harker; West, lardwick'
&CO.; VIM. Flentk 81 Co.; Wallace 20 Chet-
wynd ;VOdrey Bros. OF the above Origi-
nal AMI unlucky nine, two are bursted,
one closed up and the last two, namely,
Wallace and Chetwyund and VOdrey
Bros, took their men back as knights
of Labor, and are running as union
shops. The firms of John Wylie u Son
and BurfOrd Bros, never took any part
in the fight. They are running full
time as union shops. A number Of the
lOcked-Ou brothers raised the money
and purchased white ware pOttery,and
are running successfully. They are do
ing more than any pottery in town. 9th
ers of the brethren went TO East Pales-
tine, o., and purchased a yellow ware
pottery, and they are not able to fill
their orders as fast as they come. Out
OF the seven seab shops in town there
are only four running, and they will be
compelled to close their slave pens be-
fore many weeks. The wOrkmen al de-
termined to fight this battle for years,
unless these slave masters abandon
their tyranny; and as soon as any one
of the firms take their men back as
Knights, then we will cease to fight that
firm, and work for their success. All
the pOtteries in this county except at
Liverpool are flooded with orders on ac-
count of this trouble. Dealers are afraid
they cannot sell their scab ware, and
will not buy 1t; and If every workman
is true to himself and family, they will
assist us in this struggle for our liber-
ty. L ask all who chance to read this, If
il is not their duty as wOrkingmen,
whether they belong to the knights of
Labor or not, to assist us. And the way
they can do this is, when you go to q
store, no matter what kind of goods
they deal in, If any white ware, look and
see the stamp on 1t, and IL you find any
scab ware, think for moment what
your duty is; buy no goods from that man
but pass him by, and IL all do this it
will be but short time until there is
not scab pottery in America. Some of
these bosses tell you that bOycOtting
them would not injure their trade. af II.
dfQrtaA 10 m
law in bakery and grocery, but when
he put up his Infamous circular, known
as the Iron Clad Contract" two days
afteTwaTd he could not sell any of his
bread. The knights would not eat at a
boarding house where they bought his
bread. So to-day his place is closed up.
VIM. Brunt, the man that said the
grass might grow up in his pottery, and
The walls might tOtter and fall, before
This same thing owns the Opera House,
which has been a total failure this sea-
son. And beneath thu Opera House are
four store rooms, all unOccupied, and
look as dreary and dark as midnight.
His hotel, known as the Brunt House,
needs an occupant; one store
room on front street, and one
store room on Broadway all empty,
with the exception Of host of rats
1
| deserted walls. If these tyrants still de-
mand that their men sign the ir0n-clad
contract, hope they will see the day
when their walls will tOtter and fall.
We have given them one year to study
over this matter, and now we will be-
| gin to fight them through the press, by
circular, and every way we can, to de-
feat them. 1t is the duty OF every assem-
bly, of knights Of Labor to have list of
the names Of these seab firms, and post
1t up along side of the Secretary's desk,
and read the list every meeting night
to the brothers assembled. They should
also have list Of the names of Repre-
sentatiYes that dodge OF vote against
any labor measures; read their names
aloud every meeting night. 1t has been
the workmen of this town that have
made every dollar the tyrants Of lock-
out fame have got. They had not one
cent when they went into the potting
business. 1t is a poorly governed eOun-
| try in which those who do the most have
the least. There Is something wrong
when men have to beg for leave to toll
We are yet Civilized. for when we are,
pauperism and crime will vanish from