Omaha daily bee., 1883-04-30

iuCOnipotcu thbs ho'hhhk Soh %
hoped from them. Polygamists yet
eli the offices and serve ~asljurors, Just
az they used 70, In spite Of the law,
and II some are prevented from voting,
It makes little difference, for they man
age nominating conventions and have
q congressional delegate TO do their
bidding.
The Labor Clouds.
81. Louis Globe. Democrat.
The outlook with respect to the
agreements a. TO what wages employ
ers shall pay TO workingmen this sum.
mer 10 far from ~reassurlng. The Iron
and GOAL interests are principally con.
cerned, but there are also indications
of trouble In other quarters. Brick
layers, plasterers, cigarmakers, and
even the cowboys Of Texas are under
the Impression that the situation justi-
fes them In standing out for higher
pay than Is offered. News ocmes from
Pittsburg that the iron manufacturers
will reduce wages on June /, for the
ensuing year, 10 per cent, and that
the Amslgamated association will not
be conferred with on any other ground.
It 10 emphatically claimed by men,
bers of the association that there can
be no arrangement made on this
basil. If both these statements are
true, q general strike among the iron
men 10 inevitable. What Ia true of
the condition Of the manufacturers 10
more or less true of several other large
classes Of employers, so that the disa-
greement Is likely to extend widely.
Possibly there Is no other practical
bio way to settle tho differences but
through the modifying influense Of
strikes. II the workingmen could
place entire confidence In what the
manufacturers say the diff ,ulties of
the situation would begrestly lessened,
The latter tell the former In Pittsburg
that unless the reduction 10 accepted
the mills will lose money by continu.
Ing In operation and eventually bring
on bankruptcy. Hence they must
close down II the workingmen can
be convinced that such Is the case,
they will understand that 1t Is not the
manufacturers who are reducing their
wages, but circumstances over which
they have no control. If the good.
produced will not bring o certain price
In the market, the manufacturer
are not going to turn themselves
into charitable institutions and dis.
tribute all they possess among the
w%orkingmen In order to keep wages
up. Workiugmen understand this M
we'll as anybody. else. If they strike,
the reasonable among them will claim
that they only do so because the bust
ness justi6es the wages demanded. II
the business will not justify them
thore is but one thing for the work.
ipgman to do, and that is to decide
whether he will work for lower wages
or turn to some other industry which
holds forth better prospects. The
condition of affairs indicates that the
world has on hand rather more of the
article he has been producing than II
wants. If such Is the fact, no strike
osn possibly prevail againnt it-unless,
indeed, 1t Is one which contemplate,
idleness until the surplus in the market
shall have disappeared.
If the employer has been mInrepre
sentlng things to the employee snt
claims not to be making any money
when he Is making It, a strike Is pretty
sure to be successful. The strike be
come q test of his veracity. But 1t Il
often q very expensive test for boil
parties, and one to be avoided If pos
sible. Therefore it behooves tn
nottingham to acquaint himael
thoroughly with the state of the mar
ket before he ventures on q decided
course. Ignorance or this point
liable to be very costly to him, al,
the harder he kicks against the prick
the more 1t will hurt him. If he is II
error he Is not contending against tn
manufacturer, but against the newt
able, aud that Ia at all times o wors,
than ~proftless business. Their
10 very good reason to be
lieve that the Pittsburg an,
other Iron manufacturers ar
truthful when they claim that the,
must stop their mills If the presen
rate Of wages IL sustained. A mum
Der of establishments have alread,
been closed, and there have been Q
|, late many large and conspicuous fall
urss among firms and corporation
manufacturing and dealing In Iron
All the outward signs that the busl
ness In most branches has been and l
improbable are present, and II tn
nottingham would carefully an
fairly compute the cost Of produotio
and compare It with the market pric
, he would probably find the employs
supported by facts. The main diff
Guilty Ia the way 10 bis indisposition I
. make proper allowance for interest o
: capital invested.
The failures OF the strikes Of La
summer ought to exert Q sAlutary II
Auence ON the deliberations of Ii
workingmen this year. The closing
some OF the mills has limited produ(
l. ton to . certain extent, but the owe
y production was 80 very much In exec
Of the demand last year that II ID nj
!. likely that the rate Of supply has bee
yet brought down to It's normal pr
q portions. 1t Ia probable now, q
y was then, that many manufacture
d had rather shut down than not, ~
would tend to enhance the value
stock they now have on hand. Whs
% ever good may result to werkingm,
through the creation Of organization
,. II h beyond their power to susta
wsges other than temporarily throul
Z them ct . higher point than they won
n other Wise be unless they are ab
T. to keep their numbers within . certa
l.. limit and crush out competition.
is impracticable to them to limit the
numbers. High wages and person