The Labor enquirer., 1884-03-29
The publisher Of this paper Is not respon-
sible for the opinions of contributors, Inc
columns will always be open for the discus
sionof all sides OF the laDor questlons OF tne
day. Contributions always welcome.
DYNAMITE is strong to-day at SOC.
THE RAT sauEALs.

Trades Assembly last Sunday, and over
the question which brought out the
resolutions. At this writing the contract
for printing the ordinances has not been
awarded, but it probably will be before
this paper goes to press. The resolutions
are printed in another part of this issue,
in the proceedings of the Trades Assem-
bly,. They were published in the morn
ing papers on Monday, and copied by
the evening Times that afternoon, sand
wiched about shoulder deep into what
is sometimes called an editorial. Now
it is this editorial / have to deal with,
and, as it is a string of lies-barring the
winning from first to last, I ask your
attention while 1 quote few extracts
and unmask them.
The article in the Times opens with
the usual whine of the contemplate
traitor when eornered Free country +;
man do as he pleases with his own bust
ness" This would probably explain
why the Trades Assembly, which repre-
sents 175 printers in this affair, has seen
fit to 60 about this business in an open
and business-like way. But the truth is
the gate keepers of the Times slave pen
are attempting to create public sympathy
by trying to make it appear that they
are prosecuted by the workingmen, who
"1nterfere with their business" Instead
of being entitled to sympathy, they de-
serve the contempt of every minded
man and woman in the city of Denver.
The Times says it gives the resolutions
entire "as the most efectual method of
showing that this body (the Trades
Assembly Is notgwhat it claims to be-"
My God, how stupendous must be the
brain that originated that idea and then
clothed it in language. The Trades
Assembly is an organization composed of
delegates from the various trades and
labor societies of the city. 1t is organ
ICED for the purpose of unitedly caring
for the interests of any trade or calling
represented in it.. In a few words, this
is what the Trades Assembly claims to
be, and the resolutions which made the
"rat' squeal are evidences that it endeav-
ors to make its claims good.
Following the resolutions in the Times
: is slur upon the men whose names are
signed to them, and it makes ignorantly
reference to Dennis Kearney. Now,
there is no necessity to defend the gen.
tlemen whose names are attached to the
resolutions against the assaults of an
: outfit which has been noted for several
years for its pimps, blacklegs, bigamists
and disreputable characters generally.
= The Trades Assembly men stand 50 far
above, in decency and manhood, the
Times outfit that even limited comparl-
son would injure them in their own
esteem. AS for the reference to Dennis
Kearney, it is we'll known to informed
people that he was laid on the shelf by
lust such men as compose the Trades
Assembly; and the terms "rat" and
'tscab" were current expressions long
before Kearney or the renegade on the
: Times ever broke out as ulcerous sores
on society. ,
Readers, now let US turn to the at
tempted defense of the Times for carry
ing on in our midst private convict
labor concern, and see how "the Times
bid CHANGED to be elower than any other
bid sent i'm. The manager of an estab-
lishment in this city which employs
competent workmen and pays living
wages handed in a bid which was con-
siderablY higher than that of the Times,
and am positive that his figures were
as low as the work could be done for in
competent. manner-without cent of
profit to the Office. The bid was made
without including the usual profit for
the purpose of catching the Times, and
it succeeded. / f.f~ .-. -~ p.
In attempting to explain how the
Times happens to be 'rat" Office the
article says that little over four years
ago, when it assumed its long tail, "the
then proprietor WAS guilty of resisting
an unreasonable and snap demand for
an increase in wages 1t is unnecessary
to attempt to make people who are not
familiar with the printing business un-
derstand what is reasonable rate of
wages for compositors; so l leave that
portion of the sentence by calling your
attention to the fact that all the other
printing houses in the city are to-day
paying more than was asked four years
ago that there It's printers engaged in
this city at the union scale, while the
scale paid by the Times is confned,to its
own Office, and embraces probably one
dozen men and boys in all. As for the
asnap" in the demand, ] have only to
cali attention to the fact that the pro-
.prietor of the Times himself states that
he procured "a carefully selected force
from the east to take the places ofthe
union men" This could hardly have
been done without some little time and
notice.
The monster lie of the nineteenth
century goes on to say that the force at
that time put in to fill the places of the