Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-02-19
Methods of Monopolists.

MouOpolists complain of labor organizing
against capital, but if there is anything
wrong in such organization the monopollsts
do not set gond example, for they are al
ways organizing against labor and against
the people. There are many manufactur-
ers. and merchants who are as liberal, and
as honest, and as just as the moral law re-
q1ires; they are conducting business to
make money, but at the same time they are
mindful of their employees, and if the busi-
ness is profitable they show their appreci-
alton of faithful service by paying liberal
wages But, on the other hand, many of
the largest industries in the country are
owned and controlled by "soulless corpora
tions" that grind their employees, and CO :
rupt Legislatures, and tax the public, all
for the benefit of the individuals who COM
pose the corporations or syndicates. Take
the Western Union Telegraph Company as
an example. 1t makes great clamor when
It's overworked employees strike. A I'D the
mllionaires who control that gigantic cor
poration say secretly, "Well, you will pay
dearly for the strike. We may have to
make concessions now, but we have it in
our power to grind and grind after the
strike is all over, and grind we will. And
not only will we make you suffer, but we
will tax the public for sympathizing with
you in your cOmmunistic demands for more
wages and reduction in the hours of Ser
vice. Strikes cost US hundreds of thou
sands, but the loss is only temporary, for
We will more than catch up by making
somebody pay, and instead of pocketing a
shortage at the end of the year, we will be
millions ahead. You emp Dyes may be Or
ganized for strike, but the Western Uuion
is better organized still, and while your
strikes only come at long intervals, we are
striking all the time.' Such is the spirit
of bullying corporations like the Western
Union. And while that company is per-
haps the worst monopoly in the country,
there are many others almost as bad.
Some of the railroads furnish striking ex-
amples; the Standard Oil Company is
another example; and the iron manufac-
turers of Pennsylvania and Ohio furnish
still other examples. Speaking of danger
ons iron monopolies, the Age Of Iron, pub
lished at St. Louis. made statement the |
other day to the effect that movement |
was ON foot to organize the entire pig-irOn |
industry of the United States into one solid |
pool, for the purpose of regulating the sup |
ply aud profits of this important product |
1t is proposed, according 10 the statement,
to divide the country into six pig-iron dis
tricts; and when the Executive Committee |
thinks that stocks are getting too heavy it !
will order the furnaces of this or that dis |
trict tn s'shut down." but the district which |
Is ordered 10 stop will draw dividends from |
the pool the same as if the furnaces were in |
operation. The movement originated, it |
is said, with the monopolists of the Lehigh |
region. There has been denial of the |
statement, but it is more than likely that |
such a movement exists. The ,uth, with |
its splendid advantages for making pig Iron,
can take care CT itself. Pennsylvania and |
other northern furnace men would no
doubt like to drag the South into such a
monopoly, if for no other object than to
make it "'solid' against tariff reform. They |
would hope, by sort # pig iron Freema |
sonry, to so embarrass and frighten Con-
gress with its grim n>ignia as to stop all
talk Of revenue reform. In short, their |
bulldoze our National Legislature and grow |
richer and richer at the expense Of the |
great mass Of the people. The South, we
are certain, will keep clear of all such dan
gerous alliances.
But the movement among the pig-iron
plotectionists shows, what we started out
to prove, that the monopolists set the work
ingman bad example. fit is wrong for
one to organize threatening strike, it is
wrong for the other, and the organization
of capital against the people is nothing
more nor less than defiant strike.
We will never have any thing like whole
some economy until we have just, intell-
gent, and effective leg islation against mon
opoles. Let the people ponder this matter
and act wisely and houestly.-Rich. State.