Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-08-04

Struck for Higher Pay.


Written for The EVENING STAR.
Well. wife, I'm out o. work, for we left the shops
to-day
Ne an the other boys,-an' struck for higher pay
We hated TO leave the WORK, but was slowly drov.
So all agreed this noon that twas best for us to
quit.
We marched up to the desk OF the foreman in a
An one o. the boys he said that We hal resolved
togo.
He diin'c seem surprised, but simply mutt,rei
"Well,p
An pail to each man his due, which didn't take
long to tell.
But when he come to me: "We hate to have yO,s
90,
For you're worth two commOl men; but OF coursa,
I1riau1t. you know
Your business b:Stl" he said, then graveiy spoke
gOOiday
To the hllf-starved crowd o. Us who had struck for
higher pay.
! know you won't blame me- wife. for you well
rem mber now
I've worked like a shacked slave from boyaool up
tOnOw,
An took what they choose TO give as the price O.
my homes; work
With hardly :. INMATES rest an never wish to
shirk
I've Shaved the best O. my llfe TIL Pm gettin' Old
an grey,
An Pve stood it as long as 1 will.-so I've struck
for higher pay!
Year in ami year out I've strove for HON, with
ahopetul heart,
DOM my level est to get some sort O. st 1T;
But all o. my work so far has been labor ;ent In
vain,
For the tale OF each day Is the same told over and
over again:
Hard work for little pay-hard work for our daily
bread,
An poverty pressn' so close there's never a cent
ahead.
There's Lilly. our only gala flower OF pink and
chalk,
Who's withern slow but sure to save the parent
stalk
Thanks to the rich ones kindness, she has acOrE
enough to do,
An Is up aiore the sun, an always after it, too!
But It's precious little She gets for her stitchin
day by day
Poor thing, twill be harder yet, now I've struck
for higher pay!
An Tom, he's likely chap with brains enough for
man;
He's always up an off adon' the best he can
To help affairs along, but somehow poor young
lad
Don't stand the ghost O. a chance by one that's
An there don't appear to be enough O. work for ALL
SO the rich get the better part while Toms is
mighty smalli
It's curse TO youngsters life to live In such a
wy.
He never can rise above it,-so I've struck for
higher payi
Yes, I've struck for higher pay; for Pm sick o.
Hvin' so;
An to rest an starve is no worse than to work an
starve, know.
The rich still richer grow, while the poor are
gettin' worse.
Sinkin' an sinkIn lower meath poverty's bitter
curse,
Till bedrock is mighty near, an It's quite the time
o. day
To halt an make or break,-so we've struck for
higher pay!
But IL won't be always so; the thing will end some
day;
For Labor Will cease to work II 1t don't get better
Pay.
Already our Brotherhood's formin' to help along
each trade,
And get back a part of the cash our hands and
brains have male.
An the click or the telegraph Is almost still to-day,
For the boys Amt pltl enough, an they're struck
for higher pay!
All over the land to-day the wheels Of trade are
stll,
For business isn't much without Labor's sturdy
Will;
And Capital doesn't pay very big per cent
II TO help the VIII els so round King Labor isn't
lent;
So, rs We help 20 make whatever is made, say,
Since the profits are SO big, We ought to have
better pay!
So We've struck. But mind you, Wife, we don't
propose to fight
of w In
that's right.
No force to make eIn yield, an nothin' but what
earn.
sLivin' wages for work" Is the mot to we want 'em
to learn;
An until they yield US that we've perfect right
To quit their shops an combine, an strike for
higher pay.
Vienna, Va, 1888. GOLD Dust